Deirdre Lovejoy

Deirdre Lovejoy (born June 30, 1962) is an American actress.

She is best known for her role as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO’s The Wire. She is also known for her roles as serial killer Heather Taffet (aka "The Gravedigger") on the Fox series Bones and White House Counsel Cynthia Panabaker on NBC's series The Blacklist.

Early life Lovejoy was born in Abilene, Texas. Her father was in the Air Force, and was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. While in the fifth grade, Lovejoy played her first acting role as one of Big Daddy's grandchildren in an Elkhart Civic Theatre production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in which her mother played the part of Mae (dubbed "Sister Woman").

From 2002 to 2008 Lovejoy starred as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO’s The Wire.

Lovejoy has also appeared in several Broadway productions, including Six Degrees of Separation (1990), Getting and Spending (1998), The Gathering (2001) and Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy starring Tom Hanks (2013).

In 2019, Lovejoy took part in Promethea in Prison, a theatrical project that involved a reading of the ancient Greek play Prometheus Bound. It featured an all-female cast that also included Sonja Sohn, one of Lovejoy's co-stars in The Wire.

Also in 2019, Lovejoy starred in a one-person play she wrote, titled Bird Elephant China. The autobiographical play dealt with a series of unexplained seizures that Lovejoy experienced in 2009. The seizures affected her memory and her ability to walk and talk for almost a year. She also experienced hallucinations during this time. Lovejoy has been seizure free since 2009.

Filmography

Films Year Title Role Notes 1996 Rescuing Desire Bookstore salesgirl 1998 Number One Jean Short film Sour Grapes Nurse Wells 1999 Random Hearts Officer Isabel The Talented Mr. Ripley Fighting neighbor 2000 Shaft Police Officer Uncredited 2001 My Sister's Wedding Beverly Modina Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Student teacher 2006 Step Up Nora's mom / Katherine Clark 2009 Gloria & Eric Gloria Short film The Stepfather Detective Tylar 2011 Bad Teacher Sasha's mother 2013 Killing Vivian Toaster Short film Lionhead Detective Lundgren 2014 Thirsty Doris Townsend 2016 Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Denise Lynn 2017 The Post Debbie Regan Beauty Mark Pastor Hodges 2021 Spiked Chief Collins 2024 Lilly Jocelyn Samuels

Television Year Title Role Notes 1990 The Kennedys of Massachusetts Rosemary Kennedy 3 episodes 1994 Law & Order Judith Crockit Episode: "Virtue" 1997 Law & Order CSU Technician Episode: "Thrill" 1998 Seinfeld Customer #3 Episode: "The Dealership" 1999 Trinity Karen Sealey Episode: "Breaking In, Breaking Out, Breaking Up, Breaking Down" Third Watch Nancy Episode: "Patterns" 1999–2000 Spin City Reporter 3 episodes 2000 Perfect Murder, Perfect Town Detective Linda Arndt Miniseries 2000–2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Hernandez 2 episodes 2001 Ed Ms. Tiana Diamond Episode: "Closure" 2002 Without a Trace Mrs. Kathy Peterson Episode: "In Extremis" Law & Order: Criminal Intent Penny Halliwell Episode: "Malignant" 2002–2008 The Wire Asst. State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman 45 episodes 2003 Strong Medicine Taylor Episode: "Orders" Touched by an Angel Courtney Episode: "A Time for Every Purpose" Kingpin Unknown Episode: "Black Magic Woman" The Lyon's Den Ms. Felicity Easton Episode: "The Fifth" Judging Amy State Attorney Episode: "The Long Goodbye" 2004 NYPD Blue Michelle Foster Episode: "Chatty Chatty Bang Bang" The West Wing Lisa Wolfe 2 episodes 2005 Nip/Tuck Allie Tedesco Episode: "Hannah Tedesco" 2006 The Closer Melissa Langner Episode: "Heroic Measures" Numb3rs Daria Samson Episode: "Waste Not" 2006–2007 Close to Home Ellen Porter 2 episodes 2007 Cold Case Regie Kunze Episode: "Justice" 2008 Under Detective June-Mary Cavanaugh Television movie Shark Monica Wells Episode: "One Hit Wonder" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Penelope Fielding Episode: "Cold" Eli Stone A.D.A. Samantha Jarrells 2 episodes 2009 Lie to Me Holly Sando Episode: "Unchained" Saving Grace Linda Hall Episode: "What Would You Do?" Law & Order: Criminal Intent Agent Carmen Martino Episode: "Revolution" The Forgotten Zoe Jenks Episode: "Pilot" Medium Dr. Betty Messner 2 episodes 2009–2011 Bones Heather Taffet 3 episodes 2010 Outlaw Karen Rukheyser Episode: "In Re: Officer Daniel Hale" 2011 Criminal Minds Agent Jenny Bates Episode: "The Thirteenth Step" Brothers & Sisters Marissa Crandall Episode: "Father Unknown" The Protector Unknown Episode: "Affairs" 2012 Body of Proof Jeannie Morris 2 episodes Private Practice Sean Petrucci Episode: "Apron Strings" 2013 American Horror Story: Asylum Lana's host Episode: "Continuum" 2014 Girls Aunt Margo Episode: "Flo" Those Who Kill UnknownEpisode: "Surrender" Orange Is the New Black Chris Maser 2 episodes 2016 American Gothic Detective Linda Cutter 9 episodes Shameless Rita Smith 3 episodes 2016–2023 The Blacklist Cynthia Panabaker 28 episodes 2017 Elementary Carrie Traub Episode: "Be My Guest" Bull Rebecca Whelan Episode: "A Business of Favors" I Am Elizabeth Smart Wanda Barzee Television movie 2018 NCIS: New Orleans Claire McDermott Episode: "Mind Games" The Good Fight FBI Agent AnnabelleEpisode: "Day 492" 2019 Raising Dion Charlotte Tuck Recurring role (8 episodes) 2020 Run Mary Dixie Episode: "Fuck" Big Dogs Ronny Radiant3 episodes Manhunt: Deadly Games Rudolph's attorney Episode: "Open Season" 2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Mackie Episode: "Post-Graduate Psychopath" 2024 Station 19 ConnieEpisode: "Good Grief"2025Chicago MedAngela TuckerEpisode: "Poster Child"2026Daredevil: Born AgainChief Justice3 episodes