Leslie Bibb

Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1973) is an American actress and model. She first received wider attention for playing Brooke McQueen on the WB teen series Popular (1999–2001). Bibb later portrayed journalist Christine Everhart in Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, including Iron Man and Iron Man 2 (2010). Her television work in the 2020s includes Grace Sampson on Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy (2021), Dinah Donahue on Apple TV's Palm Royale (2024), and Kate in season three of HBO’s The White Lotus (2025).

Early life Bibb was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and raised in Lovingston, Virginia. Her father died three years after she was born.

Acting

Bibb first appeared on television in 1996, playing in episodes of Pacific Blue and Home Improvement. Her first film role came in the Howard Stern comedy Private Parts. This was followed by her first television series, where she replaced the departed Susan Walters as the female lead in the second season of The Big Easy. It was canceled months later after low ratings. She appeared in the romantic drama Touch Me (1997) and had a supporting role in the film This Space Between Us (1999). In 1999, Bibb had her big break appearing as a lead character on the WB Network television series Popular. Her role was Brooke McQueen, the most popular girl at Kennedy High School who is beautiful, a straight-A student, and a cheerleader. The show garnered her a Teen Choice Award for Television Choice Actress and a Young Hollywood Award nomination for Exciting New Face – Female. During the series, she filmed the psychological thriller The Skulls (1999), as the classmate, friend and love interest of one of the main characters. The Skulls received a negative reception from critics but was a box-office success. She received a role in the 2001 comedy See Spot Run, playing a single mother who spends most of the film on her own Planes, Trains and Automobiles–style adventure.

Bibb was cast in a recurring role on the series ER and played the lead character on the television series Line of Fire. Bibb joined the cast of Crossing Jordan as Detective Lu Simmons until Season 6. She appeared as Desiree in the independent film Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006). Wristcutters revolved around two characters who fall in love in purgatory after committing suicide. The film was nominated for the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize, two Independent Spirit Awards and the Humanitas Prize. That year, she played Will Ferrell's character's wife Carley in the comedy feature film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Recalling acting with Ferrell during an interview with TV Guide, she said he was "just funny. And he has no qualms about making something funnier for you, even at his expense." She was cast as Dr. Miranda Storm in Sex and Death 101, a black comedy, which was released direct-to-video in 2007. She appeared as a Vanity Fair reporter named Christine Everhart in the action film Iron Man (2008). In an interview, Bibb said about her character in the film: "she has a very strong sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, and I loved her passion." In 2008, Bibb starred as Maya Jones in the Ryuhei Kitamura–directed horror film The Midnight Meat Train (2008), based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name.

In the comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), she portrayed the rival of the main character. Confessions of a Shopaholic was panned by film critics but was a success at the box office. She had a pivotal recurring role on the NBC series Kings as Katrina Ghent and played Sarah Lowell in the thriller film Law Abiding Citizen (2009), which was released on October 16, 2009. The film was poorly received by critics.

In 2010, she reprised her role as Everhart in the sequel to Iron Man, Iron Man 2. The film is Bibb's biggest box-office success, with a worldwide gross of $621.8 million. Later in 2010, she starred in the independent comedy Miss Nobody, for which she also served as co-producer. For her performance, she won the Best Actress Award at the 26th Boston Film Festival. She was praised by critic Alissa Simon of Variety, who wrote "as she proved in Goran Dukic's Wristcutters: A Love Story, statuesque star Bibb is a smart actress willing to give herself totally to a role. As the sweetly goofy murderess, she takes pratfalls, suffers endless groping and sports unbecoming attire." Bibb also appeared in Kevin James' The Zookeeper, released in 2011. In 2012, Bibb starred as Amanda Vaughn on the ABC series GCB, which debuted on March 4, 2012, but the show was cancelled after 10 episodes.

In 2016, Bibb starred in the first season of YouTube Red original show Rhett & Link's Buddy System. She also appeared in an episode of the show's second season, which was released in 2017. She began recurring on ABC's American Housewife in 2016, playing the divorced next-door neighbor Viv. In 2017, Bibb starred in the Netflix comedy-horror film The Babysitter. She reprised her role in its 2020 sequel The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Also in 2017, she was cast as Susan Rollins in the comedy film Tag. In February 2019, it was announced that Bibb had been cast as Grace Sampson in the Netflix superhero series Jupiter's Legacy. In December 2020, she was cast in horror thriller The Inhabitant.

Bibb joined Netflix's workplace comedy series God's Favorite Idiot as Satan in March 2021. In September 2021, she was tapped to play Ellie in comedy film About My Father.

In 2024, she starred as Dinah Donahue in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale. In 2025, she starred as Kate in the third season of HBO's The White Lotus.

In 2026, she guest starred in an episode of the HBO series Hacks, for which she received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Philanthropy and advocacy Bibb has supported Friends of El Faro, a grassroots group that raises funds for Casa Hogar Sion orphanage in Tijuana, appearing at multiple benefit events in the mid-2000s.

In 2008, Revlon announced that its Almay brand had signed Bibb as its ambassador. She has acted as a spokeswoman for Revlon's new and existing cosmetics collections and has appeared in global multi-media campaigns.

In 2010 she served as national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month, partnering with the nonprofit LIFE Foundation.

She posed nude for the May 2012 issue of Allure magazinealongside Maria Menounos, Debra Messing, Taraji P. Henson, and Morena Baccarin.

Personal life Bibb married investment banker Rob Born in 2003, and they divorced in 2004.

She has been in a relationship with actor Sam Rockwell since 2007, having met in Los Angeles while he was filming Frost/Nixon. They have both appeared in Iron Man 2, Don Verdean, and The White Lotus. Bibb and Rockwell have stated that they do not intend to get married. Bibb has also said that she does not want to have children.

Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film Year Title Role Notes 1997 Private Parts WNBC Tour Guide Touch Me Fawn 1999 This Space Between Us Summer 2000 The Young Unknowns Cassandra The Skulls Chloe Whitfield 2001 See Spot Run Stephanie 2006 Wristcutters: A Love Story Desiree Randolph Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Carley Bobby 2007 My Wife Is Retarded Julie Short film Sex and Death 101 Dr. Miranda Storm Direct-to-video 2008 Iron Man Christine Everhart The Midnight Meat Train Maya Jones Trick 'r Treat Emma Direct-to-video 2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic Alicia Billington Law Abiding Citizen Sarah Lowell 2010 Iron Man 2 Christine Everhart Miss Nobody Sarah Jane McKinney Also executive producer 2011 Zookeeper Stephanie A Good Old Fashioned Orgy Kelly 2012 Meeting Evil Joanie 2013 Movie 43 Wonder Woman Segment "Superhero Speed Dating" Hell Baby Vanessa 2014 No Good Deed Meg Flight 7500 Laura Baxter Take Care FrannieAlso producer 2015 Don Verdean Joylinda Lazarus 2017 To the Bone Megan Awakening the Zodiac Zoe Branson The Babysitter Mom 2018 Tag Susan Rollins 2019 Running with the Devil Agent in charge 2020 The Lost Husband Libby Moran Also producer The Babysitter: Killer Queen Mom 2022 The Inhabitant Emily Haldon 2023 About My Father Ellie 2024 Juror #2Denice Aldworth

Television Year Title Role Notes 1996 Pacific Blue Nikki Episode: "Wheels of Fire" Home Improvement Lisa Burton Episode: "No Place Like Home" 1997 Just Shoot Me! Nikki Episode: "Secretary's Day" Fired Up Lana Episode: "The Rules" The Big Easy Janine Rebbenack Main role (season 2) 1998 Astoria TV pilot Something So Right Tina Episode: "Something About a Double Standard" Early Edition Emily Harrigan Episode: "Lt. Hobson, U.S.N." 1999 Sons of Thunder Nancy Jones Episode: "Daddy's Girl" 2000 Grosse Pointe Herself Episode: "Mommy Dearest" 1999–2001 Popular Brooke McQueen Main role 2002–2003 ER Erin Harkins Recurring role (season 9) 2003–2004 Line of Fire Paige Van Doren Main role 2004 Capital City Paige Armstrong TV pilot Nip/Tuck Naomi Gaines Episode: "Naomi Gaines" 2005 Hitched Emily TV pilot 2005–2007 Crossing Jordan Det. Tallulah "Lu" Simmons Main role (seasons 5–6) 2007 CSI: Miami Beth Selby/Cayla Selby/Ashley Whitford Episode: "Triple Threat" Entourage Laurie Episode: "Gotcha" Atlanta Jessica TV pilot 2009 Kings Katrina Ghent Recurring role 2009–2010, 2015 The League Meegan Eckhart Recurring role 2012 GCB Amanda Vaughn Main role 2014 The Following Jana Murphy 2 episodes 2014–2015 About a Boy Dakota Recurring role 2015 The Odd Couple Casey Recurring role Salem Rogers: Model of the Year 1998 Salem Rogers Main role 2016–2017 Rhett & Link's Buddy System Aimee Brells Recurring (season 1); guest (season 2) 2016–2020 American Housewife Viv Recurring role 2017–2018 Nobodies Sam 12 episodes 2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride Princess Buttercup Episode: "Chapter Five: Life Is Pain" 2021 Jupiter's Legacy Grace Sampson Main role What If...? Christine Everhart (voice) 2 episodes: "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" & What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?" Love Life Becca Evans Recurring role (season 2) 2022 Robot Chicken Giuliana Rancic / Millie Tabootie (voice) Episode: "May Cause Indecision... Or Not" God's Favorite Idiot Satan Main role 2024–2026 Palm Royale Dinah Donahue Main role 2025 The White Lotus Kate Bohr Main role (season 3) 2026 Hacks Monica Episode: "Montecito"

Web + List of performances by Leslie Bibb on the web Year Title Role Notes 2013 Burning Love Bevarly Southern party girl 2015–2016 WHIH Newsfront Christine Everhart Main role

Awards and nominations