Courtney Thorne-Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith in 2013
Born	1966/1967 (age 57–58)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Melrose Place Ally McBeal According to Jim
Spouse(s)	Andrew Conrad ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2001)​ Roger Fishman ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1

Courtney Thorne-Smith (born in 1966 or 1967) is an American actress. She is famous for playing important characters in popular TV shows. These include Alison Parker on Melrose Place, Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal, and Cheryl Mabel on According to Jim. She also had a recurring role as Lyndsey McElroy on Two and a Half Men.

Early Life and Education

Courtney Thorne-Smith was born in San Francisco, California. She grew up in Menlo Park, which is a town near San Francisco. Her father, Walter Smith, worked in computer research. Her mother, Lora Thorne, was a therapist.

Courtney's parents divorced when she was seven years old. She lived with both her parents at different times. She has an older sister named Jennifer, who works in advertising.

Courtney went to Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. She later graduated from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, in 1985. While in high school, she performed with a group called the Ensemble Theater Company in Mill Valley.

Becoming an Actress

Courtney Thorne-Smith started her acting career in the mid-1980s.

First Film Roles

Her first movie role was in the drama Lucas in 1986. In this film, she acted alongside stars like Winona Ryder and Charlie Sheen. She also appeared in several other movies during the late 1980s. These included Welcome to 18 (1986), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), and Summer School (1987). In 1998, she was in the movie Chairman of the Board. Later, in 2009, she appeared in Sorority Wars.

Famous TV Roles

Courtney Thorne-Smith became well-known for her roles on television. In 1990, she appeared in six episodes of L.A. Law.

Her first big TV role was as Alison Parker on Melrose Place. She played this character from 1992 to 1997. In 1995, during her time on Melrose Place, she starred in a TV movie called Beauty's Revenge.

After Melrose Place, she joined the cast of Ally McBeal. She played Georgia Thomas from 1997 to 2000. Courtney had originally tried out for the main role in Ally McBeal, which eventually went to Calista Flockhart. She left Ally McBeal at the start of its fourth season. She later explained that she left to focus on her health and well-being. She returned for a few guest appearances after leaving the main cast.

From 2001 to 2009, she starred as Cheryl on According to Jim. Her real-life pregnancy in 2007 was written into the show's story. In 2010, she began playing Lyndsey McElroy, Alan Harper's girlfriend, on Two and a Half Men. She appeared in 52 episodes of the show until 2015.

Since 2017, Thorne-Smith has starred in a series of TV movies called the Emma Fielding Mysteries. These movies are based on books by Dana Cameron and air on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

Writing a Book

Courtney Thorne-Smith is also an author. Her novel, Outside In, was published in New York on September 18, 2007.

Other Work

In 1997, Courtney became a spokesperson for the cosmetics brand Almay. She was the face of their new "Skin Stays Clean" makeup line until 2001. In 2003, she appeared on Kellogg's Special K cereal boxes. This was part of a campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer, working with Kellogg's and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Throughout her career, she has been featured on the covers of many magazines. Some of these include Shape, Parade, Self, Entertainment Weekly, and TV Guide.

Personal Life

In June 2000, Courtney Thorne-Smith married geneticist Andrew Conrad. They divorced in January 2001.

On January 1, 2007, she married Roger Fishman. He is the president of a marketing company and also an author. On January 11, 2008, Courtney gave birth to their son, Jacob Emerson Fishman.

Awards and Recognitions

Courtney Thorne-Smith has received nominations for her acting work.

Images for kids

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  Courtney Thorne-Smith in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Courtney Thorne-Smith para niños