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 43) 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 has starred in many movies and TV shows. Some of her well-known films include Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002), and Flightplan (2005).

For her acting in Traffic, she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance. She also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with her co-stars for the same film.

On television, Erika was a main star in the family drama series Parenthood from 2010 to 2015. She played Julia Braverman-Graham. In 2014, she won a Gracie Award for this role. Since 2023, she has been playing Angie Polaski in the ABC show Will Trent.

Early Life and Start in Acting

Erika Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington. Her mom, Kathy, worked in construction, and her dad, Steven, worked in insurance. She has an older half-brother named Nick and two younger twin brothers, Dane and Brando.

When Erika was four, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. She started acting in TV commercials for companies like McDonald's and Volvo. Her parents raised her as a member of the Church of Scientology. They also decided to home school her.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles (1997–2006)

Erika began her acting career in 1997. She had a small role in the movie Leave It to Beaver. She also appeared in TV shows like Frasier and Touched by an Angel. 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".

Her big break came in 2000 with the crime drama film Traffic. Her performance earned her several awards. These included the Breakthrough Female Performance award at the MTV Movie Awards. People magazine even named her one of their "Breakthrough Stars of 2001".

In 2002, Erika starred in three movies: the teen thriller Swimfan, Home Room, and the comedy The Banger Sisters. She also appeared in an episode of That '70s Show. In 2003, she starred in an MTV TV movie called Wuthering Heights. She even sang some songs for the movie's soundtrack.

More films followed, including The Perfect Score (2004) and Flightplan (2005), where she acted alongside Jodie Foster. In 2006, she was in the TV series Six Degrees on ABC.

Parenthood and Beyond (2007–2015)

Erika continued to act in films like How to Rob a Bank (2007). She also made guest appearances on popular TV shows. These included Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Lie to Me.

Christensen at the 2013 PaleyFest for Parenthood

A major role for Erika was in 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 acting in Parenthood earned her a Gracie Award in 2014.

During this time, she also starred in the musical film How Sweet It Is (2013). In 2014, she led the cast of the Hallmark Channel TV movie My Boyfriends' Dogs. In 2015, she played Betty Beaumontaine in the ABC crime drama Wicked City.

Recent Work (2016–Present)

In 2016, Erika starred in another Hallmark Channel movie, Anything for Love. She also appeared in the HBO film Confirmation.

In 2017, she co-starred in the movie The Case for Christ. She played Leslie Strobel, the wife of the main character. That same year, she began starring as Ali Petrovich in the ABC drama series Ten Days in the Valley. More recently, she appeared in the film Kimi (2022) and Cheaper by the Dozen (2022).

Since 2023, Erika has been a main cast member in the ABC series Will Trent. She plays the character Angie Polaski.

Personal Life

In November 2014, Erika Christensen got engaged to cyclist Cole Maness. They were married on September 5, 2015, in Palm Springs, California. They live in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. The couple has 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. This event helps raise money for hospitals in areas of Haiti that need support.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Erika Christensen para niños