Laurie Holden

Heather Laurie Holden (born December 17, 1969 ) is an American-Canadian actress, producer, model, and human rights activist. She is best known for portraying Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files (1996–2002) and Andrea in AMC's The Walking Dead (2010–2013). She has also had recurring roles in acclaimed television series such as The Shield, The Americans (2017–2018), and The Boys (2022).

In film, she played Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill (2006) and Amanda Dumfries in The Mist (2007).

Early life Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Toronto, Holden holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

Holden attended McGill University, where she studied economics and political science. She transferred to University of California, Los Angeles and received a degree in theater and film in 1993. At UCLA, she was a member of the National Honor Society and received the Natalie Wood Acting Award. Holden then pursued a master's degree in human rights at Columbia University.

Career

Early in her career, Holden made a name for herself by co-starring opposite Burt Reynolds in Physical Evidence (1989), Vanessa Redgrave in Young Catherine (1991), and William Shatner in the TV Movie TekWar: TekLab (1994). She also played Mabel Dunham in the TV Movie The Pathfinder (1996) (based on the novel of James Fenimore Cooper). Onstage, she starred in Time and the Conways, written by J. B. Priestley, and The Winter's Tale, based on the play by William Shakespeare. Other stage roles include Regina in Ghosts and Procne in The Love of the Nightingale. After making various guest appearances on Due South, Murder, She Wrote, and Poltergeist: The Legacy (when she played a dual role), Holden found some success playing a recurring role on the seminal sci-fi series The X-Files: Marita Covarrubias, a mysterious government worker who becomes an informant to Special Agent Fox Mulder, from seasons four through nine (1996–2002). She also had a supporting role, as Mary Travis, opposite Michael Biehn and Ron Perlman, in the CBS TV series based on the MGM classic, The Magnificent Seven (1998–2000) and a role as Debra Campbell on Highlander: The Series.

Some of Holden's most notable roles include starring opposite Jim Carrey in Frank Darabont's film The Majestic (2001) (It was while performing on stage in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, that Holden was discovered by Darabont). As Carrey's long lost love, she received critical acclaim for her performance. She also co-starred alongside Dean Cain, Jennifer Tilly, and Tim Curry in the Canadian comedy Bailey's Billion$. Other movie roles have included those of Michael Chiklis' character's former love interest in Fantastic Four (2005), Cybil Bennett in Christophe Gans' artistic-horror video game adaptation of Silent Hill (2006), Amanda Dumfries in The Mist (2007).

In 2008, she joined the final season of TV Series The Shield, where she played Olivia Murray.

From 2010 to 2013, she played the role of Andrea, a civil rights attorney and survivor of a global zombie plague in The Walking Dead, an AMC television horror drama series. In 2013, she worked on the movie Honeytrap as an executive producer. In 2014 she played the role of Ann McGinnis in the third season of Major Crimes. Also in 2014, she co-starred in the movie Dumb and Dumber To, opposite Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels and Kathleen Turner. She played Adele Pinchelow, the main antagonist of the Farrelly brothers comedy.

In 2015, she appeared as Dr. Hannah Tramble, an ER surgeon, in the third season of Chicago Fire. It was announced Holden would reprise her role as Dr. Tramble in a planned spinoff, Chicago Med. Holden was set to co-star opposite S. Epatha Merkerson and Yaya DaCosta in the ensemble medical drama. The series is being conceived and written by Chicago Fire creators/executive producers Derek Haas and Michael Brandt. However, she dropped out of the project for "family reasons".

In 2016, she appeared in The Abolitionists, a documentary film by Darrin Fletcher. In 2017, Holden joins the cast of The Americans in the fifth season, when she plays Renee. She was cast in indie thriller Pyewacket, a movie directed by Adam MacDonald.

In 2018, Laurie Holden appeared in the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete, starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn.

Holden joined the cast of American legal drama television series Proven Innocent (which premiered in 2019 on Fox), where she plays Greta Bellows.

In 2022, she joins The Boys season 3, in the role of Crimson Countess, while also performing the songs "America's Son" and "Chimps Don't Cry".

Charity work and human rights activism Holden campaigns against sex trafficking and is a founding board member of the Canadian Somaly Mam Foundation, which campaigns against human trafficking, and an advisory board member of the Somaly Mam Foundation in the U.S.

In 2014, Holden worked with Operation Underground Railroad, a volunteer organization that aims to hunt down and arrest child sex traffickers. The group aided authorities in Cartagena, Colombia, in arresting five sex-traffickers and rescuing underage girls.

Filmography Film Year Title Role

1986 Separate Vacations Karen 1989 Physical Evidence Matt's Girl 1995 Expect No Mercy Vicki 1996 Past Perfect Ally Marsey 2001 data-sort-value="Majestic, The" | The Majestic Adele Stanton 2004 Meet Market Billy Uncredited

Bailey's Billion$ Marge Maggs Fantastic Four Debbie McIlvane 2006 Silent Hill Cybil Bennett 2007 data-sort-value="Mist, The" | The Mist Amanda Dumfries

Honeytrap 2017–2018 data-sort-value="Americans, The" | The Americans Renee 12 episodes For her role in this series, she was also nominated in 2011 for the Scream Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2013, Laurie Holden won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work on The Walking Dead.