Abigail Spencer

Abigail Spencer

Spencer in 2013
Born (1981-08-04) August 4, 1981
Gulf Breeze, Florida, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s) Andrew Pruett
(m. 2004; div. 2013)
Children 1

Abigail Leigh Spencer (born August 4, 1981) is an American actress known for her roles in several television series.

A native of Florida, she began her career on the ABC daytime television soap opera All My Children playing Rebecca Tyree from 1999 to 2001, before going on to star in the short-lived Lifetime crime drama series Angela's Eyes (2006).

Spencer has appeared in films such as In My Sleep (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), This Means War (2012), Chasing Mavericks (2012), The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and This Is Where I Leave You (2014). On television, she has had recurring roles on Mad Men, Hawthorne, and Suits. From 2013 to 2016, Spencer starred as Amantha Holden in the SundanceTV drama series Rectify, for which she received Critics' Choice Television Award nomination. In 2016, Spencer began playing the leading role of history professor Lucy Preston in the NBC series Timeless.

Early life

Spencer was born and raised in Gulf Breeze, Florida,[1] the daughter of Lydia Ann (Brown) and surfer Yancy Spencer III (1950-2011).[2] She has two brothers, Yancy Spencer IV (born c. 1973) and Sterling Spencer (born c. 1986).

Spencer has stated that she is part Cherokee.[3]

Career

Spencer's first major acting role was playing Rebecca "Becca" Tyree on ABC soap opera All My Children from June 3, 1999 to April 10, 2001.[4][5] She later starred in Lifetime Television original series Angela's Eyes, which was cancelled on December 1, 2006.[1] In the following years she began playing guest roles on television series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, How I Met Your Mother, Private Practice and Castle.

Spencer at the premiere of This Is Where I Leave You in September 2014

Spencer played the role of a blogging enthusiast in Twix advertisements, and portrayed Miss Farrell, a love interest of Don Draper's, on AMC's Mad Men in 2009. In early 2011, she landed the lead role on ABC drama pilot Grace by Krista Vernoff.[6] Spencer had previously played the title character in another Krista Vernoff drama pilot, Introducing Lennie Rose, in 2005.[7] Spencer appeared in a recurring role as Dr. Erin Jameson on the TNT series Hawthorne in 2010, and since 2011 has had a recurring role as Dana "Scottie" Scott, Gabriel Macht's character's old rival, on the USA Network legal drama Suits.[8][9]

Spencer at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards

Spencer has appeared in several films, including In My Sleep (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), This Means War (2012), and Chasing Mavericks (2012), and she played the lead role in The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013).[10] She appeared in fantasy adventure film Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, in 2013.[11]

As of 2013, Spencer has starred as Amantha Holden in the Sundance Channel original drama series Rectify.[12] She was nominated for Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her performance in the series.[13][14][15]

Spencer played the lead role in the indie drama A Beautiful Now, written by Daniela Amavia, about a passionate dancer who finds herself considering an extreme act when she reaches a crossroads in her life.[16] She was nominated for a Madrid International Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in film. In 2014, Spencer appeared opposite Jason Bateman in This Is Where I Leave You, an ensemble comedy directed by Shawn Levy,[17] and starred with John Travolta and Christopher Plummer in The Forger.[18][19]

In October 2014, Spencer joined the cast of the second season of HBO crime drama series, True Detective.[20][21]

In 2016, Spencer was cast as lead character Lucy Preston in the NBC series Timeless,[22] where she plays a history professor sent on time travel missions to different eras in an effort to prevent others from disrupting the U.S.-related timestream.[23] A review of the series in Variety called Spencer "prodigiously talented" and that she played "a character whose major personality traits are 'smart' and 'plucky.'"[23] A review in Deadline.com said that the show was a waste of Spencer's talents.[24] The New York Times wrote that "Abigail Spencer is good as Lucy, the spunky historian who is the show's central character."[25]

Personal life

Spencer married Andrew Pruett in 2004 and filed for divorce in February 2012.[26] The couple have a son named Roman.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Campfire Stories Melissa
2003 Truth and Dare Skye
2005 Fathers and Sons Clarissa
2005 A Coat of Snow Sandy
2006 Hooked Wendy Short film
2007 Passing the Time Jessica Short film
2007 Jekyll Talia Carew
2010 In My Sleep Gwen
2011 Cowboys & Aliens Alice
2012 This Means War Katie
2012 Chasing Mavericks Brenda Hesson
2013 The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia Lisa Wyrick
2013 Oz the Great and Powerful May
2013 Kilimanjaro Yvonne
2013 Here and Now Woman Short film
2014 Beautiful Now Romy Nominated – Madrid International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2014 This Is Where I Leave You Quinn Altman
2014 The Pieces Vanessa Short film
2014 The Forger Agent Paisley
2015 H8RZ Laura Sedgewick
2016 The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards Abigail
2016 The Sweet Life Lolita

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999–2001 All My Children Rebecca 'Becca' Tyree Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Female Newcomer (2000)
2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Becky Lester Episode: "Bite Me"
2005 Introducing Lennie Rose Lennie Rose TV pilot
2006 Killer Instinct Violet Summers Episode: "Love Hurts"
2006 Gilmore Girls Megan Episode: "Bridesmaids Revisited"
2006 Angela's Eyes Angela Henson Lead role, 13 episodes
2007 Ghost Whisperer Cindy Brown Episode: "Speed Demon"
2007, 2014 How I Met Your Mother Blah Blah (Carol)[27] Episodes: "How I Met Everyone Else" and "Gary Blauman"
2008 Welcome to the Captain Claire Tanner Episode: "The Letter"
2008 Bones Phillipa Fitz Episode: "The Man in the Mud"
2008 Moonlight Simone Walker Episode: "Sonata"
2009 Rex Is Not Your Lawyer Lindsey Steers TV pilot
2009 Private Practice Rachel Episode: "Ex-Life"
2009 Mad Men Suzanne Farrell Recurring Role, 6 episodes
2009 Castle Sarah Reed Episode: "One Man's Treasure"
2010 The Glades Ashley Carter Episode: "The Girlfriend Experience"
2010 Hawthorne Dr. Erin Jameson Recurring Role, 8 episodes
2011 Grace Sarah Grace TV pilot
2011–16 Suits Dana 'Scottie' Scott Recurring role, 12 episodes
2012–13 Burning Love Annie 16 episodes
2013 NTSF:SD:SUV Abigail Episode: "Comic Con-Air"
2013–16 Rectify Amantha Holden Series regular
Nominated – Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2013)
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2014)
2015 True Detective Gena Brune Recurring role, 6 episodes
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Vanna Episode: "Zach Galifianakis Wears Rolled Khakis and Shoes With Brown Laces"
2016–present Timeless Lucy Preston Main Role

References

  1. 1 2 "Abigail Spencer Biography". Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Yancy Spencer III Obituary: View Yancy Spencer's Obituary by the Pensacola News Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  3. ↑ Friedman, Jennifer D'Angelo. "*Hawthorne* Actress Reveals Her Beauty Secrets".
  4. ↑ "About AMC: About the Actors | Abigail Spencer | All My Children @". Soapcentral. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  5. ↑ "Abigail Spencer". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "Abigail Spencer To Star In ABC's 'Grace', Several Other Actors Join Pilots". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  7. ↑ "Breaking News - Development Update: February 17". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  8. ↑ Matt Webb Mitovich (2011-06-14). "Mad Men Alum Abigail Spencer Lawyers Up for USA Network's Suits". TVLine. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  9. ↑ Barrett, Annie (2013-09-17). "'Suits' summer finale preview: Who's a bastard? | Inside TV | EW.com". Insidetv.ew.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  10. ↑ "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia". 1 February 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Borys Kit (July 5, 2011). "'Mad Men' Actress Abigail Spencer Heads to 'Oz' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  12. ↑ "Quintet Of Actors Cast In Sundance Channel's Drama Series 'Rectify'". Deadline. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Sandra Gonzalez (May 22, 2013). "'American Horror Story' and 'The Big Bang Theory' lead Critics Choice nominees". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  14. ↑ "Big Bang, Horror Story, Parks & Rec, Good Wife, The Americans Lead Critics Choice Nominations". TV Line. May 22, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  15. ↑ "2013 Nominations | Categories | International Press Academy". Pressacademy.com. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  16. ↑ Borys Kit (1 March 2013). "'Oz' Actress Abigail Spencer to Star in 'Beautiful Now' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Borys Kit (April 3, 2013). "Abigail Spencer Joins Jason Bateman in 'This Is Where I Leave You' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
  18. ↑ "Jennifer Ehle, Abigail Spencer Join 'Forger'". Hollywoodreporter.com. 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  19. ↑ "Jennifer Ehle, Anson Mount, Abigail Spencer Join 'The Forger'". Variety. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  20. ↑ "'True Detective' Adds Kelly Reilly, Abigail Spencer, Michael Irby and Leven Rambin - TheWrap". TheWrap. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "Advertisement - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Michael Ausiello. "Abigail Spencer to Star in 'Time' for NBC — Drama Pilot From Shawn Ryan, Eric Kripke - TVLine". TVLine. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  23. 1 2 Saraiya, Sonia (20 September 2016). "TV Review: 'Timeless'".
  24. ↑ Patten, Dominic (3 October 2016). "'Timeless' & 'Frequency' Review: NBC & CW Time Travel Series Go Nowhere Fast".
  25. ↑ "Review: In 'Timeless,' a Time-Traveling Trio and a High-Stakes Chase". 3 October 2016 – via The New York Times.
  26. ↑ "'HawthoRNe' Star Abigail Spencer Files for Divorce". TMZ.com. 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  27. ↑ "'How I Met Your Mother' Season 9 Recap — Ted/The Mother First Date - TVLine". TVLine. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.

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