Brenda Strong

Infobox Actor


imagesize = 150px
caption = Strong at the Miss America 2006 pageant
birthdate = birth date and age|1960|3|25
birthplace = Brightwood, Oregon, US
birthname = Brenda Lee Strong
yearsactive = 1985 - present
sagawards = Best Ensemble - Comedy Series
2004, 2005 "Desperate Housewives"
spouse = Tom Henri (1989 - present) 1 child

Brenda Lee Strong (born March 25, 1960) is an American actress and yoga instructor, best known for her role as Mary Alice Young on the hit TV show "Desperate Housewives".

She is also known for portraying Sally Sasser on "Sports Night" and her lead role as Arlene Ridgeway on the short-lived series "The Help".

Biography

Early life

Strong was born in Brightwood, Oregon and grew up near Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1978 from Sandy Union High School in Sandy, Oregon. She later moved to Arizona to attend college. She graduated from Arizona State University with Bachelor of Music in musical theatre. Strong was crowned Miss Arizona in 1980. Strong stands 6'0". [ [http://imdb.com/name/nm0834947/bio Brenda Strong - Biography ] ]

Career

Her first break after college was a spot in Billy Crystal’s 1984 music video "You Look Marvelous." Her first television appearances began in 1985 with brief stints on "St. Elsewhere", "MacGyver", and "Cheers". She also made guest appearances on "Matlock", "Murphy Brown", "Herman's Head", "", "Blossom", as well as a recurring role on the cult favorite "Twin Peaks".

By the mid-90s, she was a regular guest player on dozens of series, with prominent recurring roles on "3rd Rock From the Sun" and "Party of Five". Strong also appeared on "ER", "Picket Fences", "Silk Stalkings" and "Dawson's Creek".

One of Strong's most prominent roles during the 1990s was a recurring stint as Elaine’s nemesis Sue Ellen Mischke, the “bra-less wonder” and candy bar heiress, on several episodes of the hit sitcom "Seinfeld".

She is well known to viewers for recurring roles on "Sports Night", in which she played Sally Sasser, the nemesis of Felicity Huffman's Dana Whitaker. She also guest starred on The WB's popular "7th Heaven", "Gilmore Girls" and "Everwood". While working for The WB, she also managed to squeeze in guest appearances on "Ally McBeal", "Nip/Tuck", "", "Malcolm in the Middle", and the short-lived "The Lyon’s Den".

Strong appeared in movies such as "Spaceballs", "The Deep End of the Ocean", "Red Dragon", "Exposed", "Starship Troopers" and "Starship Troopers 2". More recently, she can be seen in the dramatic Lifetime movie "Family in Hiding" which premiered on August 6, 2006 as well as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" where she plays a love interest of Larry David.

"Desperate Housewives"; The Voice Without the Body

Strong currently appears on the ABC hit dramedy "Desperate Housewives", opposite Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Nicolette Sheridan, Dana Delany and Teri Hatcher. She plays the deceased Mary Alice Young, who narrates the events of her friends and neighbours lives from beyond the grave. She can be heard in every episode of the series (which was sparked by Mary Alice's death) with the exception of one narrated by Rex Van de Kamp (portrayed by Steven Culp from 2004-2005). Long before her now popular role on "Desperate Housewives", she played a 'desperate housewife' in "Undercurrent" (1999), starring Lorenzo Lamas. She played another deceased wife on the television series "Everwood", appearing mainly in flashback sequences as the late Julia Brown. Marcia Cross, her "Desperate Housewives" co-star also appeared on "Everwood" for a season playing Dr. Linda Abbott, the love interest of the Julia Brown's widower, Dr. Andrew Brown. While Brenda remains off-air and heard only, both she and the producer Marc Cherry feel that her character is most essential to the entity of the series. Strong also admitted that she does not feel ostracized by the on-air talents. [ [http://www.getdesperate.com/news/110106_01.shtml Get Desperate! - Strong: Mary Alice Is The 'Glue' Of Housewives ] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF70XPo5ITo YouTube - Desperate Housewives: Behind the Scenes - Mary Alice VO ] ] Strong attends functions related to the show just as do the others.

Personal life

As a certified yoga instructor and fertility expert, Strong has experience teaching at UCLA's Mind/Body Institute. She is currently working on her first book about yoga and the woman's journey.

She married Tom Henri in July 1989 and they have a child together, Zak Henri.

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0834947|name=Brenda Strong
* [http://www.getdesperate.com/people/brenda_strong.shtml Get Desperate! - Brenda Strong People Guide entry & news listings]
* [http://www.brendastrong.com/ The Unofficial Brenda Strong Home Page]

Persondata
NAME= Strong, Brenda
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Strong, Brenda Lee
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actress
DATE OF BIRTH= 25 March, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH= Brightwood, Oregon
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=