Though she's appeared on both the big and small screens, Helgenberger has always been more at home on the latter. After starting out on the daytime soap
Ryan's Hope, she made the jump to prime time in the late '80s as a savvy prostitute on
China Beach and won an Emmy for her work. In the '90s she was seemingly the queen of Lifetime movies with occasional forays into features. But she was over 40 when she landed her seminal role as an ex-stripper turned forensic specialist on the original
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Marg Helgenberger Fast Facts:
- Worked in a meat-packing plant as a teenager.
- Played a cop (1984-86) on ABC's soap opera Ryan's Hope.
- Was George Clooney's love interest on ER (1996).
- Had a featured role as the woman whose medical condition leads Julia Roberts to uncover the corporate wrongdoer in the film Erin Brockovich.
- Co-hosts an annual celebrity golf tournament that raises money for breast-cancer awareness. Helgenberger's mother is a breast-cancer survivor.
- Was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and Esquire magazine's Women We Love in 2002.
- Marg Helgenberger Relationships:
- Alan Rosenberg - Husband (separated)
- Ann Helgenberger - Sister
- Curt Helgenberger - Brother
- Hugh Helgenberger - Father
- Hugh Howard Rosenberg - Son
- Kay Helgenberger - Mother
- Marg Helgenberger Awards:
- 2005 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Female TV Performer - Winner
- 1991 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2003 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2003 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1990 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Winner
- 1991 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1992 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Kearney State College, Kearney, NE; Northwestern School of Speech, Evanston, IL (BS, 1982)
