With a lithe frame and attractively exaggerated features, Greer has contorted her looks and personality to fit a variety of roles, from wallflowers (
Jawbreaker) to vixens (
Three Kings) and bitches (
13 Going on 30) to ditzes (
The Wedding Planner). After studying ballet growing up, Greer switched to acting in college and began landing film and TV roles soon after graduation. A natural comedian, she initially made her mark in funny features, but proved adept at the occasional serious role as well, such as M. Night Shyamalan's
The Village. Alternating between small turns in A-list films---including a memorable appearance as a stuck-up waitress in
Adaptation---and bigger parts in indies like
The Hebrew Hammer, Greer was amazingly prolific, and still managed to squeeze in recurring roles on the cult sitcom
Arrested Development and the short-lived dramedy
Love Monkey. In 2008, Greer landed her own series,
Miss Guided, in which she played a former high school geek who returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor. Despite critical acclaim, that sitcom last only a few episodes, but Greer has stayed visible on TV with guest-starring roles on a variety of prime-time series, including
ER,
House and
Modern Family.
Judy Greer Fast Facts:
- Landed her first film role, 1998 romantic comedy Kissing a Fool, just days after graduating from college.
- Made her TV debut on an episode of the fantasy-drama Early Edition.
- First roommate in Los Angeles was college classmate Sean Gunn, who went on to play the town eccentric Kirk on Gilmore Girls.
- Took acting lessons from Jeffrey Tambor, and several months later, was cast as his mistress on the cult sitcom Arrested Development.
- Has lent her distinctive voice to the animated series Archer and Glenn Martin, DDS.
- Judy Greer Relationships:
- Dean E. Johnsen - Husband
- Judy Greer Awards:
- 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- College:
- DePaul University, The Theatre School, Chicago, IL (BFA in Acting, 1997)