Kirsten Vangsness facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsten Vangsness
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Vangsness in 2019
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| Born | July 7, 1972 Pasadena, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | California State University, Fullerton (BA) |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
Kirsten Vangsness was born on July 7, 1972. She is an American actress and writer. She is famous for playing Penelope Garcia on the TV show Criminal Minds. Penelope Garcia is a Technical Analyst for the FBI.
Kirsten also played the same character in the spin-off shows. These were Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kirsten Vangsness was born in Pasadena, California. She grew up in Porterville, California, and later in Cerritos, California. Her family has roots from Norway and Italy.
She finished Cerritos High School in 1990. She then went to Cypress College. Later, she studied at California State University, Fullerton. She graduated from there in 1996.
Her Career
Becoming an Actress
Kirsten started acting when she was a child. It helped her to be less shy. She got her first big chances in theatre plays.
She won several awards for her acting in theatre. These awards included the 15 Minutes of Female Best Actress Award. She also won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. This award was for Best Emerging Comic Actress.
Writing for Television
Kirsten Vangsness is also a writer. Her work has been printed in the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Since 2014, she has helped write episodes of Criminal Minds. She co-wrote four episodes for the show. She worked with executive producer Erica Messer on these episodes. This includes the final episode of the Criminal Minds series.
Helping Others
Kirsten Vangsness helps a special organization. It is called Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. This group encourages kids to raise money. They also help spread awareness about childhood cancer. They do this by setting up lemonade stands. Kirsten is a spokesperson and volunteer for this cause.
What She Has Acted In
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Sometimes Santa's Gotta Get Whacked | Tooth Fairy | Short film |
| 2006 | A-List | Blue | |
| 2008 | Tranny McGuyver | TV News Reporter | Short film |
| 2009 | Scream of the Bikini | Interior Decorator | |
| 2010 | In My Sleep | Madge | |
| 2011 | Sarina's Song | Party Guest | Short film |
| The Chicago 8 | Sketch Artist | ||
| 2012 | Remember to Breathe | Vocals for Young Alice | Short film |
| 2015 | Kill Me, Deadly | Mona Livingston | |
| 2016 | Diane & Devine Meet the Apocalypse | Fawn | |
| 2017 | Axis | Heather (voice) | |
| Dave Made a Maze | Jane | ||
| 2023 | Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story | Barb Raber |
TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Phil of the Future | Veronica | Episode: "Age Before Beauty" |
| LAX | Ticket Agent / Stephanie | 3 episodes | |
| 2005–present | Criminal Minds | Penelope Garcia | Also starring (season 1); main (seasons 2–present); 333 episodes |
| 2010 | Vampire Mob | Laura Anderson | |
| 2010–2012 | Pretty the Series | Meredith Champagne | 14 episodes |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | Penelope Garcia | Main Cast; 13 episodes |
| Second City This Week | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2011–2013 | Good Job, Thanks! | Therapist | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Shelf Life | Freaky Squeaky | 6 episodes, webseries |
| 2016–2017 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Penelope Garcia | Special Guest; 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Wizards Beyond Waverly Place | Bigelow McFigglehorn | Episode: "Wiz-Taken Identity" |
See also
In Spanish: Kirsten Vangsness para niños
