Merrin Dungey facts for kids

Merrin Melissa Dungey (born August 6, 1971) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in many popular TV shows. These include The King of Queens, Alias, and Malcolm in the Middle.

She also played Ursula in the fantasy series Once Upon a Time. From 2022 to 2023, Merrin was a main character named Kam in the show Shining Vale.

Early Life and School

Merrin Dungey was born and grew up in Sacramento, California. Her father, Don Dungey, worked in general services. Her mother is Judith Dungey.

When she was a child, Merrin loved ballet and dance. She also played the piano and was a very good ice skater. She finished high school at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento in 1989.

After high school, Merrin went to the UCLA. She earned a degree in 1993. Merrin has a sister named Channing Dungey. Channing is also very successful in television.

Acting Career

Merrin Dungey started her acting career with small parts in movies like EDtv and Deep Impact. She also appeared in TV shows such as Martin.

She became well-known for playing Kelly Palmer in the TV show The King of Queens. She was on this show from 1999 to 2007. Merrin also played Francie Calfo in the drama series Alias from 2001 to 2003. She even returned for the final episode in 2006.

Merrin also had a repeating role as Kitty Kenarban, Stevie's mother, in the show Malcolm in the Middle. In 2001, she was acting in all three of these shows at the same time!

From 2004 to 2005, Merrin played Susannah in the TV show Summerland. She also made guest appearances in many other famous TV series. These include Friends, Seinfeld, and ER.

Later, Merrin appeared in shows like Castle and Hung. In 2012, she played Ellie in Hollywood Heights. She also had a repeating role in Betrayal in 2013.

In 2014, Merrin acted alongside Pierce Brosnan in the movie Some Kind of Beautiful. That same year, she began playing Ursula in Once Upon a Time. She also played Sharon Jeffords in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

From 2016 to 2017, Merrin played Maxine Bohen in the legal drama Conviction. In 2017, she joined the medical drama The Resident as Claire Thorpe. After that, she played C.J. Bernstein in the legal drama The Fix.

In 2021, Merrin Dungey was cast as a main character, Kam, in the show Shining Vale. The show started in March 2022 and was renewed for a second season.

Personal Life

In May 2007, Merrin Dungey married Matthew Drake in Mexico. They had two daughters, one in June 2008 and another in 2011. Merrin and Matthew separated in 2018 and later divorced in 2021.

In 2023, Merrin announced she was engaged to Kevin Ryder. Kevin is famous for his work on the radio show Kevin and Bean. They got married on December 31, 2023.

Filmography

Film

Television