(41th anniversary)
20 July 1975
Detroit, Michigan, USA
5' 8" (1.73 m)
Judy Greer was born and raised outside of Detroit, Michigan, as Judith Therese Evans. She is the daughter of Mollie Ann (née Greer), a hospital administrator and former nun, and Richard Evans, a mechanical engineer.
After a variety of odd jobs during college, from telemarketer to oyster shucker, Greer landed her first on-screen role just three days after graduation -- a small part in the Jason Lee-David Schwimmer comedy Bésame, tonto (1998). She flew to Los Angeles for the film's premiere and never left. Greer quickly landed a role in the dark comedy Caramelo asesino (1999), with Rose McGowan and Rebecca Gayheart. Greer starred as a school wallflower-turned-babe in a story about high school girls who accidentally kill their best friend and try to cover up the murder.
She went on to play a news correspondent in David O. Russell's Tres reyes (1999), landing a memorable opening love scene with George Clooney. Her performance caught the eye of Hollywood, and she appeared next in Mike Nichols's ¿De qué planeta vienes?(2000) as a flight attendant opposite Garry Shandling.
Her television credits include a recurring role as Jason Bateman's assistant Kitty on Fox's Arrested Development (2003), as well as guest-starring roles on Love & Money (1999), Maggie Winters (1998), and Edición anterior (1996).
Greer recently starred opposite Jennifer Garner in Columbia Pictures' romantic comedy El sueño de mi vida (2004), directed by Gary Winick. Greer played an office colleague alongside Garner's character, with whom she shares a checkered past.
She co-starred in writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's El bosque (2004), opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sigourney Weaver, and William Hurt. Set in 1897, the film revolves around a close-knit community that lives with the knowledge that a mythical race of creatures resides in the woods surrounding them. El bosque (2004) was released July 30, 2004, by Touchtone Pictures.
Greer also co-starred in director Wes Craven's La maldición (Cursed) (2005), a modern twist on the classic werewolf tale written by Kevin Williamson.
The busy actress also landed a co-starring role opposite Orlando Bloom and Susan Sarandon in writer-director Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown (2005). Greer will play the sister of Bloom's character and daughter of Sarandon's character.
She also joined Jeff Bridges and Jeanne Tripplehorn in the independent film Los magnates del sexo (2005) by writer-director Michael Traeger. The film revolves around a motley group of friends who band together to make an amateur porn film. Greer plays a young temptress at the local mattress store who secures a role in the movie by allowing the store to be used as a film location.
Greer wrapped production in New York on a co-starring role opposite Tom McCarthy ("The Station Agent") in Danny Leiner's New York City (2005) for Serenade Films/Sly Dog Films. The dark comedy tells five different stories against the backdrop of an uncertain post-September 11 New York. The cast also includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco and Tony Shalhoub.
She also appeared in writer-director Adam Goldberg's psychological drama I Love Your Work (2003), opposite Giovanni Ribisi. The film is about a fictional movie star (Ribisi) and his gradual meltdown and increasing obsession with a young film student and his girlfriend. The stellar cast also included Franka Potente, Christina Ricci, and Jason Lee and debuted at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. In the film, Greer plays Samantha, the personal assistant of Ribisi's character.
Greer had a starring role as the female lead role in the comedy The Hebrew Hammer(2003) as the feisty, fearless Esther, who joins forces with an Orthodox Jewish Blaxploitation hero (Adam Goldberg) to save Hanukkah from an evil son of Santa Claus (Andy Dick). The Hebrew Hammer (2003) debuted at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and premiered on Comedy Central followed by a theatrical release.
She also appeared in Adaptation (El ladrón de orquídeas) (2002), from director Spike Jonze. In the film, Nicolas Cage stars as self-loathing writer Charlie Kaufman (and twin brother Donald) as he attempts to adapt the novel "The Orchid Thief" for the big screen. Greer played Alice, the waitress with whom he becomes obsessed -- the object of his fantasies.
Greer turned in a scene-stealing comedic performance in Planes de boda (2001), with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, in which she played Penny, Lopez's sweet but ditsy assistant who tries hard, but often falls a little short.
Equally adept at more dramatic roles, Greer gave a standout performance opposite Mel Gibson in ¿En qué piensan las mujeres? (2000), playing a suicidal file clerk rescued by the one man who can hear women's thoughts. Greer's pivotal scene with Gibson is the heart of the film.
With a genuine gift for comedy and an engaging on-screen presence, Judy Greer has quickly become one of Hollywood's most captivating young talents. Having appeared in such diverse films as Caramelo asesino (1999), ¿En qué piensan las mujeres? (2000), Planes de boda (2001), and Adaptation (El ladrón de orquídeas) (2002), as well as a number of upcoming feature film projects, Greer turns in scene-stealing performances opposite some of the industry's biggest stars. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Spouse
Dean E. Johnsen (17 December 2011 - present)
Trade Mark (1)
Playing the best friend
Trivia (16)
Attended Winston Churchill High School in Livonia, Michigan. She was an active member of the Creative And Performing Arts program - CAPA (other CAPA alumni are Nicole Forester and Rosie Thomas).
Graduated from DePaul University's prestigious acting program in 1997.
Friends with actresses Aasha Davis and Kellymarie Demaray.
An avid knitter, she knitted a lot on the set of the television pilot "Dicks.".
Her first roommate in Los Angeles was fellow DePaul classmate Sean Gunn.
Played a character named Kitty in both El bosque (2004) and Arrested Development(2003).
The producers of Love Happens (2009) encouraged her to change her hair color to red because they felt that she and her co-star Jennifer Aniston looked too similar.
Plays three different characters in the television sitcom, Dos hombres y medio (2003) - Aunt Myra, Bridget Schmidt and Danny (Bridget's look-a-like).
During her college years, Judy's roommate was famous House Music DJ, Colette (Marino), wife of actor Thomas Ian Nicholas.
Was suggested by Andy Serkis to play the role of Cornelia in El amanecer del planeta de los simios (2014). The two of them starred together in El sueño de mi vida (2004).
Los descendientes (2011), The TV Set (2006) and Miss Guided (2008) are her three favorite roles.
Turned down the lead in All About Evil (2010).
New York City, NY, USA: Accompanied Lee Pace at the premiere of Un hombre soltero(2009) at MOMA. [December 2009]
Filming Elizabethtown (2005) in Kentucky with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. [July 2004]
Starring in her own TV series and playing a yoga instructor in the Get a Mac ads. [April 2008]
Played the older sister to Bryce Dallas Howard in both The Village (2004) and Jurassic World (2015).
Trade Mark (1)
Playing the best friend
Trivia (16)
Attended Winston Churchill High School in Livonia, Michigan. She was an active member of the Creative And Performing Arts program - CAPA (other CAPA alumni are Nicole Forester and Rosie Thomas).
Graduated from DePaul University's prestigious acting program in 1997.
Friends with actresses Aasha Davis and Kellymarie Demaray.
An avid knitter, she knitted a lot on the set of the television pilot "Dicks.".
Her first roommate in Los Angeles was fellow DePaul classmate Sean Gunn.
Played a character named Kitty in both El bosque (2004) and Arrested Development(2003).
The producers of Love Happens (2009) encouraged her to change her hair color to red because they felt that she and her co-star Jennifer Aniston looked too similar.
Plays three different characters in the television sitcom, Dos hombres y medio (2003) - Aunt Myra, Bridget Schmidt and Danny (Bridget's look-a-like).
During her college years, Judy's roommate was famous House Music DJ, Colette (Marino), wife of actor Thomas Ian Nicholas.
Was suggested by Andy Serkis to play the role of Cornelia in El amanecer del planeta de los simios (2014). The two of them starred together in El sueño de mi vida (2004).
Los descendientes (2011), The TV Set (2006) and Miss Guided (2008) are her three favorite roles.
Turned down the lead in All About Evil (2010).
New York City, NY, USA: Accompanied Lee Pace at the premiere of Un hombre soltero(2009) at MOMA. [December 2009]
Filming Elizabethtown (2005) in Kentucky with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. [July 2004]
Starring in her own TV series and playing a yoga instructor in the Get a Mac ads. [April 2008]
Played the older sister to Bryce Dallas Howard in both The Village (2004) and Jurassic World (2015).
Personal Quotes
I really love this character I played called Becky Freeley in a TV show called Miss Guided(2008). We only shot seven episodes and nobody watched it and it was on for like a second but I really liked that character.
[on how to differentiate her "best-friend" roles] The difference is usually in the script. My character in 27 vestidos (2008) is snotty, lazy, stupid slutty and lame and that was really easy to do and I just tapped into that side of my personality. My character in El sueño de mi vida (2004) - also best friend/co-worker - is self absorbed and has no soul and I've been to that part of me.
I'd been dating my husband for about a year and I'd already kissed George Clooney, Ashton Kutcher and Gerard Butler. Awesome year, right?
I would have played any character in an Alexander Payne movie. I was happy that this was a good one, and that for such a short amount of screen time, I got to do so much. It was so well-rounded and really had that great journey. That is so rare, and I would know because I play a lot of supporting characters. Well, I play all supporting characters!
I don't like to go into a job thinking how I can stand out, because when you do that - I think I've seen it in acting classes - when you try to steal focus, you just end up looking like an asshole.
Arrested Development (2003), that was a one-scene role that I did before the show was on the air, and then they just kept bringing me back and bringing me back and bringing me back.
[My husband] is obsessed with El planeta de los simios (1968). We had a chimp husband-and-wife cake topper at our wedding. At the cocktail hour, we played it and El origen del planeta de los simios (2011) on two separate televisions in the bar area. And on the wedding gift I bought him, a vintage Rolex, I had it engraved, 'Ape shall not kill ape.' I was then told that, technically, it's 'Ape shall never kill ape,' but there wasn't enough space for engraving purposes.
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