Gail O'Grady

Gail Ann O'Grady (born January 23, 1963) is an American actress and producer, best known for her roles on television. Her roles include Donna Abandando in the ABC police drama NYPD Blue, and Helen Pryor in the NBC drama series American Dreams. O'Grady is also well known for her lead roles in a number of television movies. She has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award three times.

Early life O'Grady was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Jim and Jan O'Grady. She was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and graduated from Wheaton North High School in 1981. She appeared in a few commercials before moving to Los Angeles in 1986.

Career O'Grady began her career as a model for Montgomery Ward and as an actor in several commercials. In one commercial, she played the neighbor for whom Michael J. Fox's character chases down a Diet Pepsi. In time, she began making guest appearances, often as a villain. She made her big screen debut in the 1988 romantic comedy She's Having a Baby, and later was cast for two episodes on the ABC drama China Beach. She also guest starred on several other shows, and appeared in made for television and independent movies.

Her first major role was as Donna Abandando on the ABC police drama NYPD Blue. O'Grady played the big-haired squad secretary from 1993 to 1996, and for each year received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

After leaving NYPD Blue, O'Grady began starring in numerous television movies for Lifetime and other networks, including The Three Lives of Karen (1997), Two Voices (1997), Every 9 Seconds (1997), Two of Hearts (1999), Another Woman's Husband (2000), Lip Service (2000), Hostage Negotiator (2001), Hope Ranch (2002), Lucky 7 (2003), Sex and the Single Mom (2003), and More Sex & the Single Mom (2005). Her big screen credits include Celtic Pride (1996), That Old Feeling (1997), Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) and Walking Across Egypt (1999).

From 2002 to 2005, O'Grady starred as Helen Pryor in the NBC television series American Dreams, which depicted an all-American family living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1960s. The series was canceled after three seasons. In Fall 2005, O'Grady was lead actress in the ABC comedy series Hot Properties, which was canceled after 13 episodes. In 2006, she guest starred on Two and a Half Men, and in 2007 had a recurring role on Boston Legal as Gloria Weldon, a judge in a personal relationship with attorney Alan Shore. Also in 2007, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie All I Want for Christmas.

O'Grady had regular roles on the short-lived CW series Hidden Palms as Karen Hardy in 2007, and on Hellcats, playing Wanda Perkins, the mother of the main character, from 2010 to 2011. In 2008, she had a recurring role on the ABC series Desperate Housewives as Anne Schilling, a woman who is having an affair with the character Porter Scavo (at that point a teenager). She appeared on Monk, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Drop Dead Diva, Hawaii Five-0, and Castle. From 2014 to 2015, she had a major recurring role as Conrad's first wife on ABC primetime soap opera Revenge, opposite Madeleine Stowe.

In 2019, O'Grady starred in the Lifetime film Identity Theft of a Cheerleader (which was inspired by the identity theft committed by Wendy Brown) as Angie Patterson, the mother of Maiara Walsh's character Vicky Patterson.

Personal life O'Grady has been married and divorced six times. One of her exes, artist Robert Claypool, was accused of stalking her after their separation. She has one son, born in 2004.

Filmography Film

Television films

Television series Year Title Role Notes 1986–1990 Matlock Julia McCullough 2 episodes 1987 Werewolf Victim in VW Episode: "Werewolf" 1988 In the Heat of the Night Pauline Slade Episode: "Road Kill" 1988 China Beach Georgia Lee Episodes: "Pilot" and "Chao Ong" 1989 Superboy Victoria Letour Episode: "Hollywood" 1990 Cheers Laura Walton Episode: "Finally!: Part 1" 1990 Anything But Love Episode: "Three Men on a Match" 1990 Hardball Episode: "Prescription for Murder" 1992 Murder, She Wrote Robin Dishman Episode: "Badge of Honor" 1993 Time Trax Kristen Episode: "Fire and Ice " 1993 Designing Women Kiki Kearney 2 episodes 1993 Silk Stalkings Betty Whitburn-Marks Episode: "Crime of Love" 1993–1996, 1999 NYPD Blue Donna Abandando Recurring role (season 1), main cast (seasons 2–3), guest (season 6, 1 episode)Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1994–96)Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996–97)Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series 1994 Burke's Law Patricia Stone Episode: "Who Killed the Anchorman?" 1996 Promised Land Pam Riley Episode: "The Prodigy" 1996 Space: Above and Beyond Colonel Klingman (uncredited cameo) Episode: "Stardust" 1996 The Gail O'Grady Show Gail Unsold TV pilot 2001 Ally McBeal Helena Fisher Episode: "Home Again" 2002–2005 American Dreams Helen Pryor Main castNominated — Young Artist Award for Most Popular Mom in a Television Series (2004) 2002 Monk Miranda St. Claire 2 episodes 2005 Hot Properties Ava Summerlin Main cast 2006 Two and a Half Men Mandi 2 episodes 2007 Hidden Palms Karen Hardy Main cast 2007 Monk Lovely Rita Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" 2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mrs. Towne Episode: "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp " 2007 Las Vegas Erin Hudson Episode: "It's Not Easy Being Green" 2007 Boston Legal Judge Gloria Weldon 7 episodes 2007 Cane Senator Finch Episode: "The Exile" 2008 The Mentalist Juniper Tolliver Episode: "Pilot" 2008 CSI: Miami Dr. Rachel Marsh Episode: "And How Does That Make You Kill?" 2008 Desperate Housewives Anne Schilling 4 episodes 2009 Empire State Laurel Cochrane Unsold TV pilot 2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ruth Walker Episode: "Selfish" 2009 Ghost Whisperer Karen Westen Episode: "Endless Love" 2009 True Jackson, VP Sophie Girard Episode: "Back to School" 2009 CSI: NY Millie Taylor Episode: "Blacklist" 2010 The Forgotten Kerry Denver Episode: "My John" 2010 Drop Dead Diva Mrs. Thomas Episode: "Bad Girls" 2010 The Deep End Susan Oppenheim Unsold TV pilot 2010–2011 Hellcats Wanda Perkins Main cast 2011 Memphis Beat Chloe Archer Episode: "Ten Little Memphians" 2011 Necessary Roughness Anne Marie Episode: "Baggage Claim" 2011 Hawaii Five-0 Sharon Archer Episode: "Alaheo Pau'ole" 2013 Castle Margo Gower Episode: "Reality Star Struck" 2013 Rules of Engagement Joan Episode: "Cupcake" 2013 Major Crimes Anne Brand Episode: "Boys Will Be Boys" 2013 The Crazy Ones Hannah Sharples Episode: "Pilot" 2014–2015 Revenge Stevie Grayson Recurring role (seasons 3–4} 2015 Code Black Margaret O'Brien Episode: "Pre-Existing Conditions" 2016 Fresh Off the Boat Herself Episode: "The Taming of the Dads"2017Training DayClaire MillstoneEpisode: "Quid Pro Quo"2017His Wives and DaughtersDonna BanksUnsold TV pilot 2018–2023 Criminal Minds Krystall Richards 7 episodes 2025 Duster Charlotte Dean-Ellis Recurring role