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Sherry Stringfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1967-06-24)June 24, 1967 (age 58) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1989 - 2017 |
| Children | 2 |
Sherry Stringfield (born June 24, 1967)[1] is a retired American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr.Susan Lewis on theNBC medical dramaER, a role for which she received threeEmmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member ofER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season, despite being contractually tied to appear in five. She returned to the role in 2001, and quit once again in 2005. She is also known for her regular roles onNYPD Blue andGuiding Light.
She has acted mainly on television, but she has also played various parts in films.
She got her first role on theCBS Daytimesoap operaGuiding Light, playingChristina "Blake" Thorpe from 1989 until 1992. After three years she left the show to spend a year travelingEurope, but soon returned to television on theABC drama,NYPD Blue. She playedManhattan Assistant District Attorney Laura Kelly, the ex-wife of officerJohn Kelly (David Caruso) during the first season (1993–94) of the series. Unsatisfied, she was released early from her contract.[2]
Stringfield became one of the original cast members ofNBC's medical drama,ER. Her personal success mirrored the show's success — she was nominated for anEmmy Award for lead actress during each of her first three seasons of the show. Stringfield was contractually tied to appear in five seasons ofER; however, a desire for a "normal life" and to escapeER's grueling filming schedule prompted her to leave the drama early in its third season.[2] In order to be released from her contract, Stringfield was forced to sign a no-work agreement, which blocked her from working on television for the remainder of her original contract. Stringfield's decision to quit reportedly angered the show's executive producer,John Wells, because she left just as Dr. Lewis got embroiled in a budding romance withAnthony Edwards'Dr. Mark Greene.[2] Stringfield has commented: "I wouldn't describe the situation as pleasant. The producers were in shock. They tried to talk me out of it. It took a long time to get out of my contract."[3]
Stringfield's much publicized departure reportedly "sent a small shock wave through Hollywood"[4] and her exit episode in November 1996 attracted 37 million viewers, the biggest night of the season for the NBC network.[5] Stringfield quit just as television executive Dick Robertson was closing a deal that guaranteed theER cast millions in future earnings from sales to cable andsyndication, meaning she effectively "walked away from a fortune.[6]
Stringfield claims she was asked to reprise the role of Susan Lewis inER several times, but turned each offer down.[7] However, following the birth of her daughter, she approached the producers ofER and then rejoined the cast in 2001, the show's eighth season.[7] "I changed my mind," Stringfield commented, "I really want to work now. It just made sense for me to go back toER."[8] 26.7 million people watched Stringfield's return, placing the show at first place in the ratings. During her second stint inER, Stringfield's character was featured in a special 'crossover' with NBC'sNew York City based police drama,Third Watch, which aired in 2002. She remained in the role for four additional seasons; however in August 2005, Stringfield announced that she would be leaving the show again as the 12th season came underway. "I am extremely grateful for the time I spent onER," Stringfield explained. "It is a wonderful show, and there are so many people I will miss. But I'm ready for new roles and new challenges."[9] In 2009, Stringfield returned toER for theseries finale "And in the End...".[10]
After leavingER in 1996, Stringfield taught a script analysis class and directed several plays at her alma mater. She took roles in films such as54 (1998) andAutumn in New York (2000) and appeared in the television moviesBorder Line (1999) — produced by herER co-star Anthony Edwards — andGoing Home (2000), in which she starred oppositeJason Robards. She also guest-starred in the CBS dramaTouched by an Angel in 1999.
In 2005, Stringfield was cast alongsideMichael Michele,Blair Underwood,Esai Morales,Gary Cole andCatherine Bell in thepilot episode of the CBS dramaCompany Town (created byElwood Reid; directed byThomas Carter), playing Angie Amberson, a mother of teenagers and awhistle-blower on the investment firm where she works.Company Town failed to get picked up for the 2006 fall season. The series was produced byJack Clements and Larry Sanitsky. In 2007 Stringfield starred in the Andrew Shea filmForfeit. She played the role of Karen, the ex-girlfriend of a clinical sociopath who schemes and plots to stage a massive robbery and sets Karen up to take the rap.[11]
In 2007, Stringfield guest-starred as attorney Nora March in the CBS dramaShark. She also played a recurring role in the HBO dramaTell Me You Love Me (previously known asSexlife), which also aired in 2007.[12][unreliable source?] In 2009, she appeared inThe Stepfather, a remake ofthe 1987 American thriller film of the same name.
She appeared in an episode of theUSA Network dramaIn Plain Sight. Stringfield also guest-starred onLaw & Order in late 2008 as a ruthless court clerk andMichael Cutter's love interest. She also played Mary Jane Porter, an old girlfriend ofLarry David's who runs into and then goes on a date with him in an episode ofCurb Your Enthusiasm that aired on October 11, 2009.
In 2010, Stringfield appeared inWho Is Clark Rockefeller? playing the role of Sandra Boss.
In addition to acting, Stringfield has donevoice-over work, including the voice of Eyeleen in the children's television showBlue's Clues and voicing herER character for thePC gameER: The Game. Stringfield was also featured in the U.S.Got Milk?advertising campaign, despite beinglactose intolerant.[13]
In 2012, Stringfield starred inThe Confession, aHallmark Channel movie and a sequel toThe Shunning.[14]
In November 2013, Stringfield guest-starred in theCBS police dramaCSI: Crime Scene Investigation in season 14: episode 8 titled "Helpless", playing swing shift CSI Dawn Banks.[15][unreliable source?] In 2014, Stringfield played a recurring role on the CBS mysteryUnder the Dome during itssecond season.
In 2017, Stringfield appeared onCriminal Minds spinoff,Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders as the wife of Gary Sinise's character, Jack Garrett.
In 1991 and 1993, Stringfield was nominated in the "Outstanding Villain/Villainess" category at theSoap Opera Digest Awards for her role inGuiding Light. She has also received multiple awards and award-nominations for her role asSusan Lewis inER, including three separate Emmy Award nominations in the category "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" in 1995, 1996 and 1997. In 1995 she was nominated in the category "Favorite Female Performer" at thePeople's Choice Awards and in 1995 and 1996 she was nominated in the "Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series -Drama" category at theGolden Globe Awards.
In 1996, she won a Q Award for "Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series" and in 1997 she, along with several of herER cast-mates, won aScreen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series". In addition Stringfield was voted one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" by readers ofFHM magazine in 1997.
In the early 1990s Stringfield dated British businessman Paul Goldstein (chairman of Nevica skiwear) for nearly three years, but the pressures of a long-distance romance eventually ended the relationship.[16]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Burnzy's Last Call | Jackie | |
| 1998 | 54 | ||
| 2000 | Autumn in New York | Sarah Volpe | |
| 2001 | Viva Las Nowhere | Marguerite | |
| 2007 | Forfeit | Karen | |
| 2009 | The Stepfather | Leah | |
| 2011 | Born to Race | Lisa Abrams | Direct-to-video |
| 2015 | Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief | Sara Northrup | Voice Documentary |
| 2016 | The Dog Lover | Jackie O'Connell | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989–1992 | Guiding Light | Blake Marler | Contract role |
| 1993–1994 | NYPD Blue | Laura Michaels Kelly | 22 episodes |
| 1994–1996; 2001–2005; 2009 | ER | Dr. Susan Lewis | 142 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series(1996-1997) Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series (1996) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama(1996-1997) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series(1995-1997) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1995) |
| 1999 | Border Line | Allison Westlin | Television movie |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Major Josephine Saunders | Episode: "Godspeed" |
| 2000–2001 | Blue's Clues | Dr. Eyeleen | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Third Watch | Dr. Susan Lewis | Episode: "Unleashed" |
| 2007 | Shark | Nora March | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Tell Me You Love Me | Rita | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | In Plain Sight | Marci Allen | Episode: "Who Shot Jay Arnstein?" |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Carly | Episode: "Zero" |
| 2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Mary Jane Porter | Episode: "The Hot Towel" |
| 2010 | Who Is Clark Rockefeller? | Sandra Boss | Television movie |
| 2010 | Night and Day | Elizabeth Hollister | Television movie |
| 2011 | The Shunning | Laura Mayfield-Bennett | Television movie |
| 2011 | Criminal Behavior | Molly Collins | Television movie |
| 2012 | Hornet's Nest | Molly West | Television movie |
| 2013 | The Confession | Laura Mayfield Bennett | Television movie |
| 2013 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dawn Banks | Episode: "Helpless" |
| 2014 | Runaway | Miranda | Television movie |
| 2014 | Under The Dome | Pauline Rennie | Recurring; 9 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Karen Garrett | Recurring; 4 episodes |
| Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | ER: The Game | Susan Lewis | Voice |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
