Tracie Thoms

Tracie Thoms is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in Rent, Cold Case, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, the Fox television series Wonderfalls; as of 2018 she has been a recurring cast member of the police and firefighter TV drama 9-1-1. She also portrayed Charlotte in the Broadway revival of Falsettos.

Early life and education Thoms was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, daughter of Donald H. Thoms, a VP of Programming at PBS and television director, and Mariana Davis. She has a younger brother, Austin. She started studying acting at age ten and later on attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.

She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in 1997. She then attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division as a member of Group 30 (1997–2001), which also included actors Lee Pace and Anthony Mackie.

Career Thoms is known for her role as Mahandra McGinty in the comedy/drama television series Wonderfalls. She also played the part of Sasha in the American version of the television series As If, which was cancelled after three episodes. In 2005, Thoms was added to the cast of the CBS crime drama Cold Case, as homicide detective Kat Miller. She has also made guest appearances on Law & Order and The Shield.

Thoms has appeared in several movies, most notably in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rent in which she plays Joanne Jefferson, lawyer and lover of Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel). This reflected the request of Fredi Walker, who played Joanne in the original Broadway production of Rent, to the filmmakers that Joanne still be depicted as Black even though Walker herself, at 43, was too old to reprise the part.

She was featured in the 2002 Comedy Central film Porn 'n Chicken and the 2004 films Brother to Brother and The Warrior Class. Thoms appeared in the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada as Lily. Thoms filmed the City Lights Pictures movie Descent along with Rent co-stars Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Rosario Dawson and was set to begin filming Jimmie with co-stars Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight. She appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, alongside Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Thoms made her Broadway debut in Regina Taylor's Drowning Crow. She has also appeared in several off-Broadway and regional productions, including Up Against the Wind (New York Theatre Workshop), The Oedipus Plays (The Shakespeare Theater), A Raisin in the Sun (Baltimore CenterStage), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Missouri Rep), The Exonerated (Off Broadway's The Culture Project), and The Antigone Project (The Women's Project). On July 18, 2008, she joined the final cast of Rent starting July 26, 2008, reprising the character of Joanne, replacing Merle Dandridge. The final performance was made into a DVD: Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.

Thoms reprised her role as Joanne for another production of Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, at the Hollywood Bowl from August 6–8, 2010.

In the fall of 2010 she appeared in the concert revue For The Record: Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It ran from August 12, 2010, to October 30, 2010, and also starred Jenna Leigh Green, Autumn Reeser, Ty Taylor, and Audra Mae. From November 2010 through January 2011, Thoms starred in Show at Barre's For The Record: John Hughes, alongside Barrett Foa, Von Smith and Ty Taylor. In 2011 she appeared at Show at Barre in the revue For the Record: Baz Luhrmann, from February 12, 2011, to June 30, 2011, with Jenna Leigh Green, Arielle Jacobs, Tinuke Oyefule and Kate Reinders.

She played Etta, Diana Prince's personal assistant, in NBC's Wonder Woman pilot.

Thoms had a role in the 2014 version of Annie, playing Annie's "fake mother", a character based on Lily St. Regis in the original musical.

In 2016, she appeared in the Broadway revival of Falsettos as Dr. Charlotte.

Since 2018, Thoms has played the recurring role of Karen Wilson in the Los Angeles first responders drama 9-1-1. She reprised the role of Lily in the 2026 film The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2004 Brother to Brother Mother 2005 Everyone's Depressed Crystal Short Rent Joanne Jefferson 2006 Lily 2007 Thelma Rosbach Video Descent Denise Death Proof Kim Mathis Sex and Breakfast Sarah, Female Tenant 2009 Peter and Vandy Marissa 2010 I Will Follow Tiffany RENT at the Hollywood Bowl Joanne Video 2012 Safe House CIA Analyst Meeting Evil Latisha Rogers Looper Beatrix, The Waitress 2013 Raze Teresa McCanick Sister Alice A Different Tree Jada Short 2014 Annie Annie's "Mom" 2015 Fun Size Horror: Volume One Karen Fun Size Horror: Volume Two Tommy 2016 Equity Melanie The Drowning Angela No Touching Blair Short Injection Sarah Wenscombe Short Divorce: The Greatest Hits Helen Short The Watcher Amanda A Christmas in New York Katherine Taylor 2017 The Concessionaires Must Die! Church Lady 2018 Are We Good Parents? Lauren Short Top Ramen Opal Short The Basement Lauren Pipe Bliss Short 2019 Emmett Sandra Straight Up Dr. Larson 2020 The California No Samantha Boss Bitch Fight Challenge Tracie Short aTypical Wednesday Jason's Mom BTSD Lia Lasley Short 2021 Yes Day Billie/Concert Coordinator Bolivar Susan Woods 2022 Back to Lyla Dr. Nolan Elevate Tiffany Short Paulie Go! Cheryl Jerry & Marge Go Large Maya Blood Relatives Ms. Shelling 2026 The Devil Wears Prada 2 Lily Misty GreenRhondaCompleted

Television Year Title Role Notes 2002 As If Sasha Main cast Porn 'n Chicken Andrea TV movie America's Most Terrible Things Terri TV movie 2003 Bonnie Episode: "Dominoes Falling" 2004 Wonderfalls Mahandra McGinty Main cast 2005 Law & Order Linda Ziman Episode: "Mammon" Independent Lens Mom On Subway Episode: "Brother to Brother" Cold Case Kat Miller Main cast: seasons 3–7 2008 This Can't Be My Life Rachel Brooks Episode: "The Pink Pages" Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway Joanne Jefferson TV movie 2009 Private Practice Colette Episode: "Pushing the Limits" 2010 Human Target Michelle Episode: "Dead Head" 2011 Suits Becky Episode: "Tricks of the Trade" Harry's Law A.D.A. Katherine Kepler Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 Wonder Woman Etta Candy Episode: "Pilot" Bandwagon: The Series Tracie Thoms Main cast 2012 My America Herself Episode: "The Author's America" 2013 Emily Owens M.D. Natalia Gorgia Episode: "Emily and... The Teapot" The Good Wife Judy Bishop Episode: "Runnin' with the Devil" Person of Interest Monica Jacobs Episode: "Trojan Horse" 2014 Veep Alicia Bryce Episode: "Alicia" Songbyrd Clara Frye Episode: “Pilot” Catfish: The TV Show Herself Episode: “Tracie & Sammie” 2015–2016 He's with Me Naomi Recurring cast: season 2 2016 Send Me: An Original Web Series Gwen Main cast The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story Demetria TV movie Living with Models Hatch Girl Recurring cast: season 3 The Mindy Project Kathy Episode: "My Kid Stays in the Picture" BrainDead Ashley Cook Episode: "Taking on Water: How Leaks in D.C. Are Discovered and Patched" 2016–2018 Love Susan Cheryl Recurring cast 2017 American Gods Buffer Episode: "Lemon Scented You" Live from Lincoln Center Dr. Charlotte Episode: "Falsettos" Criminal Minds Monica Walker Episode: “Unforgettable” & “Wheels Up” Wisdom of the Crowd Special Agent Lydia Driscoll Episode: "Denial of Service" 2017–2018 Gone FBI Agent Maya Kennedy Main cast 2018 UnREAL Fiona Berlin Recurring cast: seasons 3-4 The First Nancy Recurring cast Grey's Anatomy Roberta Gibbs Episode: "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave" 2018–present 9-1-1 Karen Wilson Recurring cast 2019 Abby's Emily Episode: "Book Club" The Good Doctor Patricia Reynolds Episode: "Claire" The Affair Joyce Episode #5.8 Mad About You Dean Calhoun Episode: "Restraining Orders and Puppies" 2019–2023 Truth Be Told Desireé Scoville Main cast 2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Female Traveler Episode: "Elizabeth, Margaret and Larry" FBI Agent Cutter Episode: "Game On" & "Open Warfare" Blindspot FBI Director Arla Grigoryan Recurring cast: season 5 (home)Schooled Roberta TV movie NCIS: Los Angeles Lt. Col. Lucilla Catro Episode: "War Crimes" 2020–2024 Station 19 Dr. Diane Lewis Special guest cast: season 3-7 2021 Behind the Monsters Herself Main cast Sidetracked Leigh Main cast 2021–2022 Family Guy Episode: "Family Cat" & "The Lois Quagmire" 2022–2024 The Legend of Vox Machina The Everlight (voice) Episode: "A Silver Tongue" & "Hell to Pay"2022 Love, Victor Naomi Episode: "It's You" Tab Time Frieda Fraidy Cat Episode: "When We Feel Afraid" Queen Sugar Camille Episode: "Never to Be the Same" & "Whisper to Us" Central Park Morgan Freewoman (voice) Episode: "The Puffs Go Poof" Beyond the Dark Bliss Episode: "Pipe" 2024 Celebrity Family Feud Herself (contestant) Episode: "Fantasy Sweets vs Golden Five and 9-1-1 vs Jury Duty" 2025 Good American Family Dr. Rani Burch Episode: "Ghosts Everywhere"

Documentary Year Title 2009 Good Hair

Radio Year Title Role 2021 Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye Kate Bishop

Theatre

Awards In 2016, Thoms was Emmy nominated in the Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category for Send Me: An Original Web Series which was released on BET.com.