Teri Polo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teri Polo
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Polo at 2014 GLAAD Media Awards
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| Born |
Theresa Elizabeth Polo
June 1, 1969 Dover, Delaware, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Anthony Moore
(m. 1997; div. 2005) |
| Partner(s) | Jamie Wollam (2007–2012) |
| Children | 2 |
Theresa Elizabeth Polo (born June 1, 1969), known as Teri Polo, is an American actress. She is famous for playing Pamela Martha Focker in the Meet the Parents movies. She also played Helen Santos in the TV show The West Wing. Later, she starred as police officer Stef Adams Foster in the Freeform series The Fosters and its spin-off show Good Trouble.
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Early Life and Training
Teri Polo was born on June 1, 1969, in Dover, Delaware. Her mom, Jane, was a homemaker, and her dad, Vincent, designed stereo systems. Teri has Italian, English, and German family roots.
She started studying ballet when she was six years old and continued for 13 years. By the time she was 13, she was attending the famous New York's School of American Ballet. When she was 17, she won a modeling contest. This led her to move to New York City to start her acting career.
Acting Career
Starting Out in Television
Teri Polo began her acting journey in 1987 on the TV show Loving. The next year, she got a role in the CBS series TV 101. In 1990, she played Christine Daaé in the miniseries The Phantom of the Opera. She also joined the cast of Northern Exposure in its final season in 1994. Later, she played Detective Ash in the TV series Brimstone. She also had a recurring role in The West Wing as Helen Santos, the wife of a presidential candidate.
Big Screen Success
In 2000, Teri Polo became very well-known for her role as Pam Byrnes in the comedy movie Meet the Parents. She starred alongside famous actors like Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The next year, she appeared with John Travolta in the thriller movie Domestic Disturbance.
She continued her role as Pam in the sequels to Meet the Parents. In 2004, she was in Meet the Fockers, and in 2010, she appeared in Little Fockers. These movies were very popular. She also starred in the 2009 horror fantasy film The Hole.
Leading Roles in TV Series
In 2013, Teri Polo took on a main role in the ABC Family series The Fosters. She played Stef Adams Foster, a police officer who, with her wife Lena, parented five children and fostered many more. The show was very popular and ran for five seasons.
After The Fosters ended, Teri Polo continued to play Stef Adams Foster in guest appearances on its spin-off show, Good Trouble, which started in 2019. In 2014, she starred in the Hallmark movie The Christmas Shepherd. In 2016, she narrated a short animated film called "Rosaline." She also voiced Saylor the raven in the animated series The Bravest Knight in 2019.
Other Appearances
Teri Polo has also made guest appearances on many other TV shows. These include The Practice, Felicity, Chicago Hope, Numb3rs, Frasier, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Castle, and Criminal Minds.
More recently, she returned to a role that connected with her early love for dance. In 2021, she played Julia Perkins, a former ballet dancer, in the Fox series The Big Leap. In 2022, she appeared in three episodes of NCIS.
Personal Life
Teri Polo married photographer Anthony Moore in April 1997. They had a son together before they divorced in 2003.
In 2006, Teri met drummer Jamie Wollam. They had a daughter together. Their relationship ended in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Teri Polo para niños
