Erika Christensen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erika Christensen
Christensen in March 2013
Born	Erika Jane Christensen (1982-08-19) August 19, 1982 (age 42) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Cole Maness ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	2

Erika Jane Christensen (born August 19, 1982) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in many movies and TV shows. Some of her famous films include Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002), and Flightplan (2005). For her acting in Traffic, she won an MTV Movie Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with her fellow actors.

On TV, Erika starred as Julia Braverman-Graham in the family drama series Parenthood from 2010 to 2015. She won a Gracie Award for this role in 2014. She also appeared in the crime drama shows Wicked City (2015) and Ten Days in the Valley (2017). Currently, she acts alongside Ramón Rodríguez as Angie Polaski in the ABC series Will Trent.

Early Life

Erika Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington. Her mother, Kathy, worked in construction, and her father, Steven, worked in insurance. She has an older half-brother named Nick, and two younger twin brothers, Dane and Brando. Her family background includes roots from Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Wales, and Ireland.

Erika lived in Seattle until she was four years old. Then, her family moved to a suburb near Los Angeles, California. She started her acting career by appearing in TV commercials for brands like McDonald's and Volvo. Erika's parents raised her as a member of the Church of Scientology. They also decided to home school her, which means she learned at home instead of going to a regular school.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (1997–2006)

Erika Christensen began her professional acting journey in 1997. She had a small role in the comedy film Leave It to Beaver and appeared in an episode of the TV show Nothing Sacred. In the late 1990s, she made guest appearances on many other TV series, including Frasier, The Practice, and 3rd Rock from the Sun.

In 1999, she starred in the Disney Channel movie Can of Worms. That same year, she was in Michael Jackson's music video for his song "Childhood". In 2001, People magazine named her one of their "Breakthrough Stars." The next year, Erika starred in three movies: the teen thriller Swimfan, the crime drama Home Room, and the comedy The Banger Sisters.

In 2003, Erika starred in an MTV movie called Wuthering Heights, which was based on a famous book. She even sang some songs for the movie's soundtrack. In 2004, she appeared in the teen heist film The Perfect Score. In 2005, Erika acted in movies like The Upside of Anger with Kevin Costner and Flightplan with Jodie Foster. The next year, she starred in the TV series Six Degrees on ABC.

Parenthood and Beyond (2007–2015)

In 2007, Erika appeared in the films Gardener of Eden and How to Rob a Bank. She also made guest appearances on popular TV shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Lie to Me.

Christensen at the 2013 PaleyFest for Parenthood

Erika became a main cast member on the NBC drama series Parenthood. The show started in 2010 and ended in 2015. She played Julia Braverman-Graham, the youngest daughter in the Braverman family. Her performance earned her a Gracie Award in 2014 for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 2013, she starred in the musical film How Sweet It Is. She also appeared on the game show Hollywood Game Night and led the cast of the Hallmark Channel TV movie My Boyfriends' Dogs in 2014.

Recent Work (2016–Present)

In 2016, Erika starred in another Hallmark Channel movie called Anything for Love. She also appeared in the HBO courtroom drama film Confirmation. That same year, she was in the film Two for One.

In 2017, Erika co-starred in the movie The Case for Christ, playing Leslie Strobel. She also began starring as Ali Petrovich in the ABC drama series Ten Days in the Valley alongside Kyra Sedgwick. More recently, she appeared in the comedy thriller Clover in 2020.

Personal Life

In November 2014, Erika Christensen got engaged to cyclist Cole Maness. They got married on September 5, 2015, in Palm Springs, California. They live in Los Feliz, Los Angeles and have two daughters.

Honors

On May 17, 2023, Erika Christensen received the Mark of Excellence award. This award was given at the Annual Medinova NY Dinner Gala, which is an event that helps raise money for hospitals in Haiti.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Erika Christensen para niños