Bess Rous

Bess Rous is an American actress. On television, she was featured as a series regular on the first season of the TNT crime drama Murder in the First and the Yahoo! Screen science fiction comedy Other Space (2015). She also appeared in the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters.

Early life and education Rous was born in Short Hills, New Jersey. In her childhood, she was an ice dancer and trained at the University of Delaware's Ice Skating Science Development Center in Newark, Delaware when she was 15. She graduated from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University with a BFA in Acting and also holds a certificate from the London Academy of Theatre.

Career Rous' first onscreen role was a guest appearance on the series Third Watch in 2004. This was followed by further guest spots on series such as Law & Order, Mad Men, Gossip Girl, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Mentalist, and Blue Bloods. She made her film debut in What Just Happened in 2008.

In 2014, Rous landed her first series regular role in the first season of Murder in the First as an employee and mistress of a Silicon Valley prodigy portrayed by Tom Felton. The following year, she appeared as a series regular on Yahoo! Screen's Other Space as Karen Lipinski, the temperamental first officer of an exploratory spaceship. The series aired for one season before Yahoo! Screen was shut down.

Subsequent roles for Rous have included guest appearances on Castle, Under the Dome, Rosewood, Chicago Med, Grey's Anatomy, Proven Innocent, Deputy, and FBI. She also appeared in the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, reuniting her with Other Space creator Paul Feig and cast members Neil Casey, Eugene Cordero, Karan Soni, and Milana Vayntrub.

Personal life Outside of her acting career, Rous is certified by the Alzheimer's Association Speaker's Bureau and serves as a volunteer helping to educate and assist patients and their families who are affected by the disease.

Filmography

Film Year TitleRole Notes 2008 What Just Happened Actor's Assistant 2009 The Hungry Ghosts Lisette 2013 Darkroom Melanie 2015 Welcome to Happiness Leah 2016 Ghostbusters Gertrude Aldridge Ghost 2018 Dead Women Walking Ruth 2023 Renfield Caitlyn

Television Year TitleRole Notes 2004 Third Watch Girl One Episode: "Family Ties: Part 1" 2004 Law & Order Carolyn Marello Episode: "Coming Down Hard" 2005 Damage Control Bessie 2 episodes 2007 Mad Men Marjorie 2 episodes 2008 New Amsterdam Gina Warner Episode: "Legacy" 2009 Loving Leah Rifka Television film 2009 Gossip Girl Fiona 2 episodes 2009 Army Wives Julie Episode: "Post and Prejudice" 2009 Law & Order Leslie Episode: "Doped" 2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Camille Walters Episode: "Branded" 2012 Emily Owens, M.D. Margo Episode: "Emily and... The Alan Zolman Incident" 2013 Southland Christie Episode: "Under the Big Top" 2013 The Mentalist Emma Cordry Episode: "Red Velvet Cupcakes" 2014 Blue Bloods Jill Gallagher Episode: "Insult to Injury" 2014 Murder in the First Ivana West Main role (season 1) 2014 Castle Natalie Barnes Episode: "Child's Play" 2015 Other Space Karen Lipinski Main role 2015 Under the Dome Abby DeWitt 3 episodes 2016 Rosewood Lara Episode: "Tree Toxins & Three Stories" 2018 Chicago Med Lisa Harris Episode: "Heavy Is the Head" 2018 Grey's Anatomy Nina Sullivan Episode: "Everyday Angel" 2019 Proven Innocent Rachel Clarke Episode: "SEAL Team Deep Six" 2020 Deputy Janet Durbin Episode: "10-8 Search and Rescue" 2021 FBI Lydia Ryan Episode: "Hacktivist"