Amy Brenneman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amy Brenneman
Brenneman in 2009
Born	Amy Frederica Brenneman (1964-06-22) June 22, 1964 (age 61) New London, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Brad Silberling ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2

Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She has worked a lot in television. She became well-known as Detective Janice Licalsi in the TV show NYPD Blue (1993–1994).

Later, Brenneman helped create and starred as Judge Amy Gray in the CBS show Judging Amy (1999–2005). She was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for these roles. She also played Violet Turner in Private Practice (2007–2013). And she was Laurie Garvey on the HBO show The Leftovers (2014–2017). You might also know her from Frasier as Faye Moskowitz. She has been in movies like Heat (1995) and The Jane Austen Book Club (2007).

Early Life and Education

Amy Brenneman was born on June 22, 1964, in New London, Connecticut. Her mother, Frederica Joanne, was a judge. Her father, Russell Langdon Brenneman Jr., was an environmental lawyer.

Amy grew up in Glastonbury, Connecticut. As a teenager, she loved acting. She performed in plays at Glastonbury High School. She also joined a local theater group. In 1987, she graduated from Harvard University. She studied comparative religion there. While at Harvard, she helped start the Cornerstone Theatre Company. She traveled with this group for several years after college.

Acting Career Highlights

Brenneman started her acting career in 1992. She was in a short-lived CBS show called Middle Ages. The next year, she got a big role. She played Janice Licalsi, a police officer, on the ABC show NYPD Blue. Her character had an important storyline in the first season. She was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1994. She was nominated again in 1995.

After NYPD Blue, Brenneman started acting in movies. In 1995, she was in Bye Bye Love and Casper. She also appeared in the crime drama Heat. In 1996, she played the main female role in the disaster movie Daylight. She also starred in the thriller Fear. In 1997, she led the independent movie Nevada. The next year, she was in Your Friends & Neighbors. From 1998 to 1999, she had a recurring role on the NBC comedy Frasier. She played Faye Moskowitz.

Creating Judging Amy

In 1999, Brenneman created her own TV show, Judging Amy. She was also an executive producer and played the main character. In the show, she played a divorced single mom. Her character worked as a Family Court Judge in Hartford, Connecticut. The idea for the show came from her own mother's life. Her mother, Frederica Brenneman, was a real superior court judge in Connecticut. Amy's mother was one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Law School. She became a juvenile court judge when Amy was three years old. Amy has said, "I play my mother's job, not my mother."

Judging Amy was on CBS for six seasons. It had 138 episodes from 1999 to 2005. The show was very popular. In 2002, Amy received the Lucy Award. This award recognized her excellent work that helped improve how women are seen on TV.

More Film and TV Roles

In 2000, Brenneman starred in the movie Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her. In 2005, she was in another independent drama, Nine Lives. In 2007, Brenneman played Sylvia Avila in The Jane Austen Book Club. This movie was based on a popular book. In 2008, Brenneman co-starred with Al Pacino in 88 Minutes.

In 2007, Brenneman joined the cast of Private Practice. This show was a spin-off from Grey's Anatomy. She played Dr. Violet Turner. The show ran on ABC from 2007 to 2013. She later appeared in movies like The Face of Love and Words and Pictures. She also starred in the HBO show The Leftovers. In 2013, Brenneman also played Mary of Guise in the show Reign.

Personal Life

In 1995, Amy Brenneman married film director Brad Silberling. They met when they were working on the show NYPD Blue. Amy and Brad have two children, Charlotte Tucker and Bodhi Russell. They live in Pasadena.

Amy Brenneman is a member of the Episcopalian church.

She is also a supporter of stricter gun laws. In 2009, she hosted an event for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. This group supports stricter gun laws.

Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Television

Music videos

Producer

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Amy Brenneman para niños