Esteemed women of Crime Dramas.
by forensic_kitten13 | created - 01 Mar 2012 | updated - 03 Mar 2012 | Public
1. Mariska Hargitay
Actress | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Mariska (Ma-rish-ka) Magdolna Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California. Her parents are Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield. She is the youngest of their three children. In June 1967, Mariska and her brothers Zoltan and Mickey Jr. were in the back seat of a car when it was...
Law & Order :SVU leading lady. Detective Benson
2. Marg Helgenberger
Actress | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Marg Helgenberger is an established dramatic actress whose prominence has been steadily increasing. Her work has been noted on stage, film and TV. Most of her career has been spent in dramatic roles on television, but she has also had a noteworthy presence in feature films.
Helgenberger earned a ...
CSI :Las Vegas CSI Willows
3. Emily Procter
Actress | Leaving Las Vegas
Emily Procter is a native of Raleigh, N.C. who attended East Carolina University. "I tried to get in the theatre department," she says, "but it was full." After graduation, however, she moved to Los Angeles and landed a number of small roles in films such as Jerry Maguire (1996). "Then I got the ...
CSI :Miami CSI Duquense
4. Melina Kanakaredes
Actress | Providence
Melina Kanakaredes is an Emmy-nominated actor, writer, director, and philanthropist. She's best known for her starring role as Stella Bonasera in CSI: New York. Prior to that, she starred as Dr. Sydney Hansen in NBC's Providence. Most recently, Melina starred as Dr. Lane Hunter in Fox's The ...
CSI :New York CSI Bonasera
5. Emily Deschanel
Actress | Bones
Emily Erin Deschanel (born October 11, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for starring in the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama series Bones as Dr. Temperance Brennan since 2005.
Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California, to cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel ...
Bones Dr. Brennan
6. A.J. Cook
Actress | Criminal Minds
Canadian born actress/director, AJ is best known for her role as "Special Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau" in the CBS long running series CRIMINAL MINDS. She can currently be seen reprising her role on CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION for Paramount+, which will be going into a second season later this year. AJ...
Criminal Minds Special agent Jareau
7. Poppy Montgomery
Actress | Without a Trace
Montgomery was born Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth Deveraux Donahue in Sydney, Australia, to Nicola (Montgomery), a market researcher and executive, and Phil Donahue, a restaurateur. She was raised in Sydney. Since the age of 12, Poppy had a near obsession with cultural icon Marilyn Monroe.
Her parents ...
Without a Trace & Unforgettable Agent Spade / Detective Wells
8. Navi Rawat
Actress | Feast
Navi Rawat was born on June 5, 1977 in Malibu, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Feast (2005), The O.C. (2003) and Numb3rs (2005). She has been married to Brawley Nolte since 2012. They have one child.
Super computer genius and Charlie's gf/wife from Numbers Amita
9. Mary McCormack
Actress | Deep Impact
Mary McCormack began her acting career performing in a stage production of Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors". "I was twelve but looked like an eight-year-old boy" she recalls. "As luck would have it, none of the boys in town could sing, so I got the part and wore ...
In Plain Sight Marshall Shannon
10. Robin Tunney
Actress | The Craft
Robin Tunney studied acting at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, spending her summer performing in such plays as "Bus Stop" and "Agnes of God". She moved to Los Angeles at the age of eighteen and shortly landed roles in such television shows as Life Goes On (1989), Class of '96 (1993) (recurring), ...
The Mentalist Detective Lisbon
11. Jorja Fox
Actress | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Jorja Fox has become a familiar face by playing major roles in three of the most successful television dramas in history: ER (1994), The West Wing (1999) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).
As a teenager, Fox had a career as a fashion model. She then turned to formal study of the acting craft...
CSI :Las Vegas CSI Sidle
12. Liz Vassey
Actress | The Tick
Liz Vassey began acting at the age of nine, performing in over fifty musicals and plays. She moved to New York at the age of sixteen to join the cast of All My Children. For her work on that show, she was nominated for her first Daytime Emmy. Since then, Liz has appeared as a regular or recurring ...
CSI :Las Vegas Wendy Simms
13. Eva LaRue
Actress | All My Children
Eva LaRue grew up in California. At the age of 6 she began her show-business career. She starred in television commercials and sang many "jingles" for them. She still often sings at sports events and any other opportunities that arise. Eva likes to ride horses and has shown horses for over a decade...
CSI :Miami CSI Boa Vista
14. Khandi Alexander
Actress | CSI: Miami
Khandi Alexander was born on September 4, 1957 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for CSI: Miami (2002), Patriots Day (2016) and Scandal (2012).
CSI Miami Dr.Woods
15. Grace Park
Actress | Battlestar Galactica
Grace Park (born March 14, 1974) is an American-Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii and Lt. Sharon 'Athena' Agathon on Battlestar Galactica (2004), as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont (2000). From 2010 to 2017, Park starred ...
Hawaii 5-o
16. Tamara Tunie
Actress | Flight
Tamara Tunie was born on March 14, 1959 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Flight (2012), The Devil's Advocate (1997) and Snake Eyes (1998). She was previously married to Gregory Generet and Greg Bouquett.
Law & Order :SVU
17. Marley Shelton
Actress | Planet Terror
Marley Eve Shelton was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Eagle Rock, CA. She is the daughter of Carol (Stromme), a teacher and singer, and Christopher Shelton, who worked as a director and producer. She has three sisters: Koren Shelton, Erin Shelton and Samantha Shelton. Both of her ...
From the short lived but awesome Eleventh Hour
18. Kelli Giddish
Actress | Chase
Kelli Giddish is an American actress from Cumming, Georgia. She is primarily known for starring roles in crime-drama television series. She portrayed the protagonist Dr. Kate McGinn in the short-lived series "Past Life" (2010). and had the leading role of Deputy Marshal Annie Nolan Frost in "Chase"...
Past Life , Chase & Law & Order :SVU
19. Dana Delany
Actress | China Beach
Dana Welles Delany was born on March 13, 1956, in New York City and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Dana knew early in life that she wanted to be an actress. Following graduation from Wesleyan University, this tall (5'6") beauty moved to New York and developed her skills working in daytime ...
Body of Proof
20. Paget Brewster
Actress | Criminal Minds
Paget Brewster was born on March 10, 1969 in Concord, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Criminal Minds (2005), How I Met Your Father (2022) and Hollywood (2020). She has been married to Steve Damstra II since November 28, 2014.
Criminal Minds
21. Nicki Aycox
Actress | Perfect Stranger
Nicki Aycox lived a full artistic life since the age of nine, when she fell in love with the family piano and began playing music. By the time she had reached her preteens Nicki was performing Beethoven for audiences all around Oklahoma, until her family had a huge financial setback and was forced ...
Dark Blue
22. Stana Katic
Actress | Castle
Stana Katic recently starred in the TV series, Absentia, streaming on Amazon. It's a thriller-drama produced by Sony Pictures Television. Upon debut it was one of Amazon's top-ten most popular programs.
Stana's feature film work includes, CBGB, Big Sur, The Spirit, Feast of Love, The Double and Bond...
Castle
23. Anna Torv
Actress | Fringe
Anna Torv (born 7 June 1979) is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe (2008-2013). Torv was born in Melbourne, Victoria, the daughter of Susan (née Carmichael) and Hans Torv, also grew up in Gold Coast, Queensland. Her father is of ...
Fringe
24. Angie Harmon
Actress | Agent Cody Banks
Angela Michelle Harmon is an American actress and model from Dallas, Texas. She is known for her work on Agent Cody Banks, Baywatch Nights, Law & Order, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Women's Murder Club, Seraphim Falls and Rizzoli & Isles. She was married to Jason Sehorn and has three ...
Law & Order ,Women's Murder Club ,Rizzoli & Isles
25. Cote de Pablo
Actress | NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Cote de Pablo was born in Santiago, Chile, but was raised in Miami, Florida. She attended Arvida Middle School in Miami and then Carnegie Mellon University. She graduated in 2000 after studying music theater. Whilst at Carnegie Mellon she appeared in several theater productions, including "...
NcIS
26. Sasha Alexander
Actress | Shameless
Sasha Alexander began acting by the time she was in the seventh grade when she found herself cast as the lead female in her school's production of "Baby". What she didn't know was that her male co-star would chicken out on her only a few hours before opening night. Determined to let the show go on,...
NcIS . Rizzloi & Isles
27. Daniela Ruah
Actress | NCIS: Los Angeles
Daniela was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portuguese-born parents, Catarina Lia Azancot Korn- an audiologist, and Moisés Carlos Bentes Ruah, an otolaryngologist, both of Jewish descent. She lived in the US until she was five and speaks Portuguese and English fluently. Daniela attended St. ...
NCIS :LA.
28. Michaela Conlin
Actress | Bad Trip
Michaela Conlin is an American actress best known for her role as Angela Montenegro on the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama Bones. Conlin was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1978 to a Chinese mother, an accountant, and an Irish father, a contractor. She performed in her first play at ...
Bones
29. Kelli Williams
Actress | Lie to Me
Kelli Williams was born in California on June 8, 1970. Though she had appeared in commercials since she was a baby, she was discovered by her agent at her high school play ("Romeo and Juliet"), in which she starred as Juliet opposite General Hospital (1963)'s Steve Burton. In the early 1990s, she ...
Lie to me
30. Gillian Anderson
Actress | The X Files
Gillian Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Rosemary Alyce (Lane), a computer analyst, and Homer Edward Anderson III, who owned a film post-production company. Gillian started her career as a member of an amateur actor group while at high school. In 1987, her love of the theatre took her to ...
The X-Files
31. Joanne Kelly
Actress | Going the Distance
Joanne can most recently be seen starring opposite Kevin Bacon in the third season of CITY ON A HILL for Showtime and in an episode of HUDSON & REX on Citytv. Joanne's impressive list of TV credits includes the Emmy-nominated series SEVERANCE for Apple TV+ as well as her recurring role in GODFATHER...
Warehouse 13 (soughta a crime drama)
32. Kathryn Erbe
Actress | Stir of Echoes
Kathryn Erbe was born on July 5, 1965 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for Stir of Echoes (1999), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) and What About Bob? (1991). She was previously married to Terry Kinney.
L & O :Criminal Intent
33. Kathryn Morris
Actress | Minority Report
Kathryn Morris was born on January 28, 1969 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for Minority Report (2002), Mindhunters (2004) and Cold Case (2003).
Cold Case
34. Sarah Shahi
Actress | Black Adam
Sarah Shahi was born Aahoo Jahansouzshahi in Euless, Texas, to an Iranian father and Spanish-Iranian mother. She is a former NFL cheerleader and a descendant of a 19th-century Persian Shah. She attended Trinity High School and Southern Methodist University, studied opera and majored in English. As ...
From Life ....and soughta Fairly Legal
35. Jennifer Beals
Actress | Flashdance
Jennifer Beals is an internationally renowned actress who has over 90 credits to her name, including critically acclaimed feature films and some of the highest rated television series to date. Beals is currently executive producing and returning as a lead cast member in the revival of her hit ...
The Chicago Code
36. Vanessa Ferlito
Actress | Death Proof
Vanessa Ferlito is an American actress. She is known for playing Detective Aiden Burn in the first season of the CBS crime drama CSI: NY, as well as for her recurring portrayal of Claudia Hernandez in FOX drama 24, and for her starring roles as FBI Agent Charlie DeMarco in the USA Network series ...
CSI :New York Aiden Burns
37. Anna Belknap
Actress | CSI: NY
Anna Belknap was born on May 22, 1972 in Damariscotta, Maine, USA. She is an actress, known for CSI: NY (2004), Deadline (2000) and Medical Investigation (2004). She has been married to Eric Siegel since August 31, 2003. They have two children.
CSI :New York Lindsay Monroe-Messer
38. Emmanuelle Vaugier
Actress | Saw II
Emmanuelle Vaugier is a Canadian actress, singer, and model. She began acting in grade school, after she was cast as an understudy in a play and had to fill in when the lead actor became ill. She modeled in Japan for three years. She made her acting debut in the 1995 made-for-TV movie drama, A ...
CSI :New York Jessica Angell
39. Kirsten Vangsness
Actress | Criminal Minds
Kirsten Vangsness has been widely known as the bespectacled-brainy-tech-kitten Penelope Garcia on the CBS hit drama "Criminal Minds" (and its spin-off "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders"). She has long been a fan favorite, beloved for her vibrant personality and ...
Criminal minds Penelope Garcia
40. Tamara Taylor
Actress | Bones
Tamara Taylor's career took off when she landed a series regular role on Fox's Party of Five (1994). Since then she has appeared in Steven Bochco's City of Angels (2000), Hidden Hills (2002), Lost (2004), Numb3rs (2005), CSI: Miami (2002), NCIS (2003), and Fox's hit Bones (2005). She also had a ...
Bones Camile Saroyan
41. Stephanie March
Actress | The Invention of Lying
Stephanie March was born on July 23, 1974 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Invention of Lying (2009), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). She has been married to Dan Benton since September 1, 2017. She was previously ...
Law & Order :SVU A.D.A Alex Cabot
42. Diane Neal
Actress | Ann Rule's Circle of Deception
Diane Neal was born in Alexandria, Virginia. She moved to Littleton, Colorado, when her father was promoted to the position of federal attorney in Denver. She is the youngest of three daughters. Diane was a pre-med major in University, before leaving to pursue modeling, thus allowing her to travel ...
Law & Order :SVU A.D.A Casey Novak
43. Amanda Righetti
Actress | Captain America: The First Avenger
Amanda Elizabeth Righetti is a Utah-born, Nevada-raised actor/producer and Best Actress Award winner by the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. Righetti began her career at 14, as a young model, but made waves as the trust-fund squandering, world-traveling black sheep, "Hailey...
The Mentalist Grace Vanpelt
44. Tamala Jones
Actress | Blue Streak
Tamala Jones was born on November 12, 1974 in Pasadena, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Blue Streak (1999), Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and Booty Call (1997).
Castle Dr. Lanie Parish
45. Maggie Lawson
Actress | Gamer
Maggie Lawson was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. When she was eight, she began appearing in local community and dinner theater productions, and at 10, she earned an on-air commercial gig at a Louisville TV station, which soon led to a steady six-year role as a TV personality who filed ...
Psych Detective Juliet O' Hara
46. Roselyn Sanchez
Actress | Act of Valor
Roselyn Milagros Sánchez Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer, and writer. On television, she is best known for her roles as Elena Delgado on the CBS police procedural Without a Trace (2005-09), as Carmen Luna on the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (...
Without A Trace Elena Delgado
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