Mary Lynn Rajskub

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Mary Lynn Rajskub
File:MLR Bentzen Ball.jpg
Rajskub backstage at Bentzen Ball 2015 photo: Jeff Martin
Born (1971-06-22) June 22, 1971 (age 52)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Occupation Actress, comedian
Years active 1995–present
Spouse(s) Matthew Rolph (m. 2009–present)
Children 1

Mary Lynn Rajskub (/ˈraɪskəb/; born June 22, 1971) is an American actress and comedian, best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the Fox action thriller series 24.

Early life

Rajskub was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in nearby Trenton, the daughter of Betty and Tony Rajskub.[1] Her father is a pipefitter of Czech descent,[citation needed] and her mother worked as a pharmacist's assistant.[2] Rajskub played the clarinet in a school band and portrayed Frenchie in the musical Grease. One of her childhood inspirations was the television series Moonlighting. She later moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked as a waitress in a Hard Rock Cafe and a ticket-taker at the Beverly Center movie theater.

The cast of 24 2009.jpg

Career

Rajskub's first part was as an Oompa-Loompa in a community theater production of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and her first starring role was Raggedy Ann.[3] Her most notable role is CTU systems analyst Chloe O'Brian on 24, which she joined in 2003 at the start of the show's third season. Her character was a hit with viewers and critics and was one of the few cast members to return in the show's fourth season. After being a regular guest star for two seasons, Rajskub became a main cast member in the show's fifth season. By the end of the series, she was the lead female, with top billing second only to Kiefer Sutherland. Her character also had the honor of saying the final words of the series in the season 8 series finale. Rajskub and Sutherland appeared briefly as their 24 characters in a 2007 episode, "24 Minutes", of the Fox animated series The Simpsons. In August 2013, it was announced that she would reprise her Chloe O'Brian role in the 2014 limited series 24: Live Another Day.[4]

Rajskub was one of the original cast members of Mr. Show.[5] She appeared in Kelsey Grammer's The Sketch Show on Fox Television, The King of Queens as a character named "Priscilla". ("The Secret of Management"), and in numerous films including Mysterious Skin, Legally Blonde 2, Sweet Home Alabama, Dude, Where's My Car?, Man on the Moon, Punch-Drunk Love, The Anniversary Party, Firewall, Little Miss Sunshine, music videos for Beck, Weezer and Sheryl Crow, as well as portraying a blind girl in the film Road Trip.

Rajskub (right) in June 2011

Rajskub was part of a comic duo (with Karen Kilgariff) called Girls Guitar Club. In 2006, she made a cameo appearance in "Partings", the 6th season finale of Gilmore Girls, where she played a troubadour looking for her big break. (Rajskub had previously appeared on Gilmore Girls as the female lead in A Film by Kirk, a short film made by the character Kirk Gleason.) She has volunteered as an actress with the Young Storytellers Program. She has an educational background as a painter, having attended the San Francisco Art Institute.

Rajskub has been nominated twice for a Screen Actors Guild Award; once in 2005, and again in 2007 for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She guest starred on Flight of the Conchords episode "Prime Minister" as Karen, an Art Garfunkel fanatic. She guest starred as "Gail the Snail" in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia titled "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention", and reprised the role in the ninth season finale, "The Gang Squashes Their Beefs". In 2009, she also appeared in the film Julie & Julia as Sarah, one of Julie Powell's close friends. In 2010, Rajskub performed stand-up on John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show. In June 2010, she appeared in the "Lovesick" episode during the second season of the USA series Royal Pains.

From July through October 2010, she performed in her solo show, Mary Lynn Spreads Her Legs, at the Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles. Reviewer F. Kathleen Foley of the Los Angeles Times wrote "that cheerfully vulgar title sums up the overall tone, which is often breezily obscene".[6] The show, written by Rajskub with help from director/developer Amit Itelman, was inspired by Rajskub’s experiences with pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood.

In January 2011, Rajskub guest starred in the episode "Our Children, Ourselves" on the second season of ABC's Modern Family. In the fall of 2011, Rajskub appeared in the short-lived sitcom How to Be a Gentleman. Also in 2011, Rajskub's webseries, Dicki, began airing on My Damn Channel.[7] Dicki is based on a number of people that Rajskub grew up with in and around Michigan. The title character is a 40-year-old woman who lives at home with her parents, makes crafts, and takes her art seriously. Dicki has been one of My Damn Channel's most successful web series to date. The first season concluded in November 2011, but a second season is currently in development. Rajskub performed in the June 2012 edition of Don't Tell My Mother! (Live Storytelling), a monthly showcase in which celebrities share true stories they would never want their mothers to know.[8] She currently hosts a podcast on the Nerdist Network called Kickin' it Mary Lynn Style.[when?]

In 2013, Rajskub appeared in the web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill.[9]

Rajskub appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor podcast on March 27, 2015.

Personal life

Rajskub dated David Cross, who introduced her to Mr. Show,[5] and left the show when they broke up after the end of the second season. Afterwards, she dated music producer Jon Brion for five years until they broke up in the fall of 2002. Rajskub later dated comedian Duncan Trussell.[10]

Rajskub met personal trainer Matthew Rolph when he approached her after one of her comedy sets. They began dating, and she became pregnant three months later.[11] Their son, Valentine Anthony, was born in 2008.[12] Rajskub married Rolph on August 1, 2009 in an impromptu wedding in Las Vegas.[13]

Rajskub discussed her past relationships with women in an article for AfterEllen.com.[14]

Filmography

Film

Rajskub at The Heart Truth Fashion Show, February 1, 2008
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Who's the Caboose? Cheeseball
1998 The Thin Pink Line Suzy Smokestack
1999 Magnolia Janet Voice
1999 Man on the Moon Friday's Mary
2000 Road Trip Blind Brenda
2000 Dude, Where's My Car? Zelmina
2000 Sunset Strip Eileen
2001 Storytelling Melinda
2001 The Anniversary Party Mary-Lynn
2002 Punch-Drunk Love Elizabeth
2002 Sweet Home Alabama Dorothea
2002 Run Ronnie Run Herself
2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Reena Giuliani
2004 Mysterious Skin Avalyn Friesen
2004 Helter Skelter Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme
2006 Firewall Janet Stone
2006 Little Miss Sunshine Pageant Assistant Pam
2007 Humble Pie Peggy Orbison
2008 Sunshine Cleaning Lynn
2009 Julie & Julia Sarah
2012 Safety Not Guaranteed Bridget
2013 The Kings of Summer Captain Davis

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Mr. Show Various Characters 10 episodes
1996–1998 The Larry Sanders Show Mary Lou Collins 18 episodes
1998 NewsRadio Waitress 1 episode
1999 Shasta McNasty Diana 1 episode
1999–2000 Veronica's Closet Chloe 15 episodes
2001 Just Shoot Me Penny 1 episode
2002 Gilmore Girls Girlfriend in Kirk's film 1 episode
2002 The King of Queens Priscilla Stasna 1 episode
2003–2010 24 Chloe O'Brian 125 episodes
2004 JAG CI Administrative Assistant 1 episode
2005 The Sketch Show Various Characters
2006 Gilmore Girls Town Troubadour 1 episode
2007 Human Giant Mindy 2 episodes
2007 The Simpsons Chloe O'Brian Episode: "24 Minutes"
2008 The Middleman Dr. Gibbs 1 episode
2009 Flight of the Conchords Karen Episode: "Prime Minister"
2009-2013 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Gail the Snail 2 episodes
2010 Royal Pains Blake 1 episode
2010 The Benson Interruption Herself 1 episode
2010 Stargate Universe Extra 1 episode
2011 Modern Family Tracy Episode: "Our Children, Ourselves"
2011 Raising Hope Tanya 1 episode
2011 How to Be a Gentleman Janet 9 episodes
2012 The L.A. Complex Herself 1 episode
2012 Dirty Work Roxy 3 episodes
2012 Chelsea Lately Herself
2012 The Burn with Jeff Ross Herself
2012 Mash Up Herself
2012 Grey's Anatomy Marion Steiner 1 episode
2013 The Mentalist Susie Hamplin 1 episode
2013 New Girl Peg 1 episode
2013 Arrested Development Heartfire Season 4
2013 2 Broke Girls Bebe Season 3
2014 Californication Goldie 4 episodes
2014 24: Live Another Day Chloe O'Brian All 12 episodes (limited series)
2014 @midnight Herself Episode dated July 15, 2014,
Episode dated October 15, 2014
2014 Talking Dead Herself 1 episode — S04E03
2015 @midnight Herself Episode dated February 9, 2015
2015 Maron Herself 1 Episode - S03E03
2015 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Genevieve Mirren-Carter 2 episodes
2015 Highston Jean Liggetts 1 episode

References

  1. ↑ http://www.trentontrib.com/trenton-was-first-stage-for-rajskubs-talents.html
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Friday May 2, 2014 The Wendy Williams Show
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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