Erika Christensen Biography




Erika Christensen
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License

Erika Christensen

Christensen at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 2007
Born Erika Jane Christensen
August 19, 1982 (1982-08-19) (age 27)
Seattle, Washington, United States
Official website

Erika Jane Christensen (born August 19, 1982) is an American actress whose film appearances include Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002) and The Perfect Score (2004), among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees on ABC.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Kathy, a construction manager, and Steven Christensen, an insurance worker/human-resources executive.1 She has an older half-brother, Nick, two younger twin brothers, Dane (who appeared in the film The Upside of Anger) and Brando. She is not related to Golden Globe Award-nominated Canadian actor Hayden Christensen. She has Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Welsh, and Irish ancestry.2 Christensen was raised in Los Angeles, California and started out on television in commercials for McDonald's.

Christensen is a member of the Church of Scientology.3 Her parents became Scientologists during their 20s and raised her to be a Scientologist as well as home-schooling her.2

Career

Christensen had several small roles in various television programs before starting her movie career. These shows include The Geena Davis Show, Frasier, The Practice, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Touched by an Angel. She was named one of People magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001." For her performance as a cocaine addict in Traffic she received the awards for Female Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards, Female Standout Performance at the Young Hollywood Awards, and Outstanding Performance by a Cast Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2005, she briefly went into music as she recorded a version of "Let's Fall In Love" with John Stevens for his debut album Red. In 2006, she starred in the series Six Degrees, which debuted on the ABC fall schedule in 2006 but low ratings caused its cancellation after one season. She made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside. She is part of the cast of the film adaptation of Veronika Decides to Die.4 Christensen is also a regular in the upcoming NBC series Parenthood, based on the Ron Howard film. It will debut in early 2010.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Leave It to Beaver Karen
1999 Can of Worms Kaetlyn
Thanks Abigail Winthrop television series
2000 Traffic Caroline Wakefield
2001 That '70s Show Stacey television series
2002 Home Room Deanna Cartwright
Swimfan Madison Bell
The Banger Sisters Hannah Kingsley
2003 Wuthering Heights Cate television movie
2004 The Perfect Score Anna Ross
Riding the Bullet Jessica Hadley
2005 The Upside of Anger Andy Wolfmeyer
The Sisters Irene Prior
Flightplan Fiona
Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony herself guest appearance in episode 8
2006 Six Degrees Mae television series
2007 Gardener of Eden Mona
How to Rob a Bank Jessica
The Save-Ums Cloe television series
2008 Law & Order: SVU Lauren Cooper television series
2009 Veronika Decides to Die Claire
2009 Lie to Me* Trisha Howell
2009 The Tortured Young Mother

References

External links