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Erika Christensen
Erika Christensen at PaleyFest 2013.jpg
Christensen in March 2013
Born
Erika Jane Christensen

(1982-08-19) August 19, 1982 (age 42)
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. Her filmography includes roles in Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002), The Banger Sisters (2002), The Perfect Score (2004), Flightplan (2005), How to Rob a Bank (2007), The Tortured (2010), and The Case for Christ (2017). For her performance in Traffic, she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture along with her co-stars.

In 2006, she starred on the short-lived drama series Six Degrees on ABC. From 2010 until its ending in 2015, Christensen starred as Julia Braverman-Graham on the NBC family drama series Parenthood. In 2014, she won a Gracie Award for her performance in the role. Christensen portrayed Betty Beaumontaine on ABC's short-lived crime drama series Wicked City.

She currently stars in ABC's Will Trent.

Early life

Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Kathy (née Hendricks), a construction manager, and Steven Christensen, an insurance worker and human resources executive. She has an older half-brother, Nick, and two younger twin brothers, Dane (who appeared in the 2005 film The Upside of Anger) and Brando. She has Danish, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Welsh, and Irish ancestry.

Christensen lived in Seattle until age four, when her family relocated to suburban Los Angeles, California. She started out acting on television in commercials for McDonald's and Volvo. Christensen is a member of the Church of Scientology. Her parents became Scientologists in their 20s while living in Seattle, and raised her as a Scientologist. Her parents also decided to home school her.

Career

1997–2006: Beginnings

Christensen began her professional career with a supporting role in the comedy film Leave It to Beaver, and a one-episode guest appearance on the drama series Nothing Sacred, both of which were released/aired in 1997. She went on to guest star in numerous other television series in the late 1990s, including Frasier, The Practice, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Touched by an Angel. She also starred in the Disney Channel original movie Can of Worms in 1999. Also in 1999, she starred as Abigail Winthrop on the short-lived CBS sitcom Thanks. That same year, she featured in Michael Jackson's music video for his song "Childhood", alongside actress Jena Malone.

..... Also in 2000, Christensen guest starred in single episodes of Time of Your Life, Movie Stars, FreakyLinks, and The Pretender. In 2001, she had a recurring role on the sitcom The Geena Davis Show. She also appeared in an episode of the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, reuniting her with her Traffic co-star Topher Grace. She was named one of People's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001". The following year, Christensen starred in three feature films: the teen thriller Swimfan, the crime drama Home Room, and the comedy The Banger Sisters.

In 2003, Christensen starred in MTV's television film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, based on the Emily Brontë novel of the same name. She also recorded multiple songs for the film's soundtrack. In 2004, she starred in the teen heist film The Perfect Score, and the horror film Riding the Bullet. In 2005, Christensen recorded a version of "Let's Fall in Love" with John Stevens for his debut album Red. Also in 2005, Christensen co-starred in the films The Upside of Anger as Andy Wolfmeyer, co-starring Kevin Costner and Joan Allen; The Sisters as Irene Prior, with Maria Bello and Elizabeth Banks; and Flightplan as Fiona, starring Jodie Foster. The following year, she starred in the series Six Degrees, which debuted on the ABC fall schedule on September 21, 2006. Low ratings caused its cancellation after one season, leaving five episodes unaired.

2007–2015: Parenthood

In 2007, she appeared in the comedy-drama film Gardener of Eden, and the independent crime comedy How to Rob a Bank. In 2008 and 2009, she guest starred as a special agent on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a college student with dissociative identity disorder on Lie to Me, and a victim of domestic abuse on Mercy. Christensen made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix-directed music video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside. In 2009, she was part of the cast of the film adaptation of Veronika Decides to Die, and starred in the romantic drama Mercy alongside James Caan and Dylan McDermott. In 2010, Christensen co-starred with Jesse Metcalfe in the horror-thriller film The Tortured.

Erika Christensen 2013
Christensen at the 2013 PaleyFest for Parenthood

Christensen was a regular cast member on the NBC drama television series Parenthood, which debuted on March 2, 2010, and concluded on January 29, 2015. She portrayed the role of Julia Braverman-Graham, the youngest daughter of the Braverman family. She won the 2014 Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series for her performance in the series. In 2013, she starred in the musical film How Sweet It Is, directed by Brian Herzlinger, and was a guest judge on 2 episodes of the cooking competition series Knife Fight. The following year, she appeared on the celebrity game show Hollywood Game Night, and lead the cast of the Hallmark Channel television film My Boyfriends' Dogs, based on the Dandi Daley Mackall novel of the same name.

..... Also in 2015, she partnered with food company Lean Cuisine to launch their brand overhaul. In September 2015, Christensen was among several celebrities to appear in the music video "Love" for Dash Mihok's band Diz and the Fam.

2016–present

Christensen led the cast of the Hallmark Channel television film Anything for Love co-starring with Paul Greene. The film was released on February 14, 2016. The following month, she starred in the music video "All Is Forgiven" for Sal Masekela's band Alekesam. Christensen next appeared as part of the all-star cast of HBO's courtroom drama film Confirmation, directed by Rick Famuyiwa and co-starring Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, and Greg Kinnear. The same year, Christensen starred in Jon Abrahams' directorial debut film Two for One, which had its world premiere at the Napa Valley Film Festival.

In 2017, she co-starred with Mike Vogel and Robert Forster in the Lee Strobel biopic The Case for Christ, in the role of Strobel's wife Leslie. That same year, Christensen began starring as Ali Petrovich in the ABC drama series Ten Days in the Valley, alongside Kyra Sedgwick. She starred in Jon Abrahams' second film, the comedy mob thriller Clover, alongside Mark Webber, Julia Jones, and Ron Perlman.

Personal life

In November 2014, Christensen became engaged to cyclist Cole Maness. They married on September 5, 2015, in Palm Springs, California, and reside in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. The couple have two daughters, Shane, born in June 2016, and Polly, born in August 2018.

Honors

On May 17, 2023, Christensen received the Mark of Excellence award at the Annual Medinova NY Dinner Gala, hosted by MC Ciano Joasil, a non-profit organization raising funds for hospitals in underserved areas of Haiti.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Leave It to Beaver Karen L. Connelly
1999 Can of Worms Wormlyn TV Movie
2000 Traffic Caroline Wakefield
2002 Home Room Deanna Cartwright
2002 Swimfan Madison Bell
2002 The Banger Sisters Hannah Kingsley
2003 Wuthering Heights Cate TV Movie
2004 The Perfect Score Anna Ross
2004 Riding the Bullet Jessica Hadley
2005 The Upside of Anger Andy Wolfmeyer
2005 The Sisters Irene Prior
2005 Flightplan Fiona
2007 Gardener of Eden Mona Huxley
2007 How to Rob a Bank Jessica
2007 I'm In Hell Jennifer TV Movie
2008 Struck Bus Stop Girl Short film
2009 Mercy Robin
2009 Veronika Decides to Die Claire
2010 Melon Catherine Video short
2010 The Tortured Elise Landry
2013 How Sweet It Is Sarah Cosmo
2014 My Boyfriends' Dogs Boyfriend's Dog TV Movie
2016 Two for One Tiffany Fontinella
2016 Anything for Love Katherine TV Movie
2016 Confirmation Shirley Wiegand TV Movie
2016 The Follower Chelsea TV Movie
2017 The Case for Christ Leslie Strobel
2019 To Have and To Hold Alice TV Movie
2020 Clover Gertie
2022 Kimi Samantha Gerrity
2022 Cheaper by the Dozen Kate
2025 The Bad Guys 2 voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Nothing Sacred Romy Carrol Episode: "House of Rage"
1998 The Practice Melissa Episode: "The Pursuit of Dignity"
1998 Frasier Teenager Episode: "Frasier's Curse"
1998 3rd Rock from the Sun Brianna Episode: "Collect Call for Dick"
1999 Can of Worms Katelyn Sandman Television film
1999 Thanks Abigail Winthrop 6 episodes
Main role (Season 1)
1999 Touched by an Angel Ivy Episode: "Voice of an Angel"
2000 Time of Your Life Flynn Halloway Episode: "The Time She Turned 21"
2000 Movie Stars Tawny Episode: "La Vida Loca"
2000 The Pretender Leigh Wright Episode: "Corn Man"
2000 FreakyLinks Cassie Episode: "Subject: Coelacanth This!"
2001 The Geena Davis Show Isabel 3 episodes
Guest role (Season 1)
2001 That '70s Show Stacey Episode: "Red and Stacey"
2003 Wuthering Heights Cate Earnshaw Television film
2005–2009 Robot Chicken Various characters 3 episodes
Guest role (Season 1&4)
2006–2007 Six Degrees Mae Anderson 12 episodes
Main role
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit SA Lauren Cooper Episode: "Signature"
2009 Lie to Me Sophie Howell Episode: "The Core of It"
2009 Mercy Dana Harper McPhearson Episode: "Destiny, Meet My Daughter, Veronica"
2010–2015 Parenthood Julia Braverman-Graham 102 episodes
Main role
2014 My Boyfriends' Dogs Bailey Daley Television film
2015 Wicked City Betty Beaumontaine 8 episodes
Main role
2016 Anything for Love Katherine Benson Television film
2016 Confirmation Shirley Weigand Television film
2016 The Follower Chelsea Angel Television film
2017 Ten Days in the Valley Ali Petrovich 10 episodes
Main role
2018 Adopted Rebekah Episode: "Julie's New Husband"
2019 To Have and to Hold Alice Television film
2023 Will Trent Angie Polaski Main role

Music videos

Year Title Role Artist Director
1995 "Childhood" Girl Michael Jackson Nicholas Brandt
2004 "Everything" (original/The Perfect Score version) N/A Fefe Dobson Chris Robinson
2010 "Tired of Being Sorry" Bridesmaid Ringside Joaquin Phoenix
2015 "Love" Woman Diz and the Fam Dash Mihok
2016 "All Is Forgiven" Woman Alekesam Toby Louie
2016 "Where's the Love?" Herself Black Eyed Peas featuring The World Michael Jurkovac
2019 "Whenever You're Around" Woman Bootstraps Sam Jaeger

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1998 YoungStar Awards Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Series Nothing Sacred Nominated
2001 Young Hollywood Awards Standout Performance – Female Traffic Won
2001 Teen Choice Awards Film – Choice Breakout Performance Traffic Nominated
2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Traffic Won
2001 Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Youth Performance Traffic Nominated
2001 MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Female Performance Traffic Won
2014 Gracie Awards Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series Parenthood Won

See also

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