The star of all of her high school's musicals, Piper Perabo moved to New York post-college seeking to break into the business and soon landed a Skittles commercial. But 2000 was her breakthrough year as she snagged a pair of high-profile roles. Although both
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle — a live-action incarnation of the beloved cartoon — and
Coyote Ugly — a cheesy romantic comedy about stripping bartenders — were critically lambasted, the latter was a minor hit and earned Perabo her share of fans. The up-and-coming starlet continued to work steadily, appearing in B-movies of all genres: wacky comedies (
Slap Her... She's French), horror flicks (
The Cave) and family films (both
Cheaper by the Dozens). In 2009 she turned her attention to the stage, making her Broadway debut as a wife to a philandering husband in Neil LaBute's
Reasons to Be Pretty. But it didn't take long for her to return to the screen, this time on TV, as a newbie CIA agent in USA's
Covert Affairs. Offscreen, Perabo is an avid reader and music lover.
Piper Perabo Fast Facts:
- Born of a Norwegian mother and Portuguese father.
- Named after actress Piper Laurie, though her parents strongly considered naming her India Star instead.
- Reportedly beat out Britney Spears and Jewel for the role of Jersey in Coyote Ugly.
- Won a 2001 MTV Movie Award for Best Music Moment after singing "One Way or Another" in Coyote Ugly.
- Co-owned a New York City club called Employees Only (EO), which is fronted by a psychic parlor.
- Made her Broadway debut in Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Pretty in 2009.
- Enjoys classical music, her favorite piece being Chopin's "Nocturne in E Minor."
- Piper Perabo Relationships:
- Noah Perabo - Brother
- Adam Perabo - Brother
- Sam Rockwell - Ex-significant Other
- George Perabo - Father
- Mary Ulland - Mother
- Piper Perabo Awards:
- 2011 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- College:
- Ohio University, Athens, OH (BFA in Acting, 1998)