Michelle Hurd is an American actress best known for her work in television. She first received recognition for portraying Monique Jeffries in the police procedural series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–2001). She has since starred as Athena Barnes in the drama series Leap Years (2001), Colleen Manus in the crime drama series The Glades (2010–2013), Linda Bates Emery in the comedy-horror series Ash vs Evil Dead (2016), and Ellen "Shepherd" Briggs in the crime drama series Blindspot (2015–2018). She portrayed Raffi Musiker in the science fiction series Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023).

Michelle Hurd
Hurd at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
EducationBoston University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1989–present
Spouse
(m. 2007)
ParentHugh Hurd (father)

Early life

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Michelle Hurd is the daughter of actor Hugh Hurd and Merlyn Hurd (née Purdy), an actress and clinical psychologist. Her parents met when they appeared in the same Broadway show.[1] Hurd has two sisters. She graduated from Saint Ann's School in 1984 and Boston University in 1988, and studied with the Alvin Ailey School. After her graduation from college, she studied at London's National Theatre.[2]

Career

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One of Hurd's early Off Broadway performances was in the play The Constant Couple in 1990. A review in The Nation predicted that this would be a stepping stone to Broadway roles.[3] Hurd made her Broadway debut in the 1996 Stephen SondheimGeorge Furth play Getting Away with Murder. Her other theatre credits include Othello, A.M.L., Hamlet and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.[4][5] Hurd acted in Looking for the Pony for Manhattan Theater Source with her sister Adrienne and in 900 Oneonta for Circle Repertory Company with Garret Dillahunt who would become her husband.[6] She won the Robbie Award and the California Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for the premiere of Richard Greenberg's The Violet Hour.

Michelle Hurd appeared as the comic book superhero B.B. DaCosta / Fire in the failed television pilot Justice League of America in 1997. Her other early television appearances include New York Undercover, The Practice and The Cosby Mysteries. Her experiences filming the latter series led her to come forward as a witness to a woman being drugged by Bill Cosby.[7] Hurd's association with the Law & Order franchise began with her appearance in a 1997 episode of the titular series. Her performance as a corrupt FBI informant caught the attention of Law & Order producer Dick Wolf, who two years later cast her in the spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Monique Jeffries. She co-starred with Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay for the first season before leaving the main cast in 2000. She appeared in the first, seventh and sixteenth episodes of season two.

After her time on SVU, Hurd had television roles in Charmed, The O.C., According to Jim, Shark, Bones, and Gossip Girl. She collaborated with her husband again in the 2001 Showtime original series Leap Years. From 2006 to 2007, she had a recurring role on ER as television news producer Courtney Brown, who becomes close to Dr. Kerry Weaver. She also returned to the stage, playing the lead role Diana in the Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company's February 10 – March 29, 2009 production of Lope de Vega's Dog in the Manger.[8][9]

In 2010, Hurd began a starring role on the A&E Network drama The Glades, playing Colleen Manus. In March 2018, it was announced that Hurd would have a leading role in the CBS reboot of Cagney & Lacey, playing the character Mary Beth Lacey (originated by Tyne Daly in the original series), starring alongside Sarah Drew.[10][11][12]

In 2014, she appeared as Constance "Connie" Irving in Season 1 of the very popular streaming series Bosch. She was then replaced by Erika Alexander in season 2.

In 2016, Hurd had a recurring role in the second season of Daredevil as Samantha Reyes, a corrupt district attorney overseeing the prosecution of Frank Castle. Hurd had debuted the role in the season 1 finale of Jessica Jones.

On April 26, 2018, Michelle Hurd spoke in a panel for World Intellectual Property Day with a theme of celebrating the creative output of women.[13]

In 2019, Hurd took on the role of Raffi Musiker in the Paramount Plus series Star Trek: Picard. The series began streaming on the service in January 2020.

Since October 2021, Hurd has served as National Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local, taking over for Clyde Kusatsu.[14]

Personal life

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In 2007, Hurd married actor Garret Dillahunt.[15]

Filmography

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Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Rude Awakening Student on Street
1994 The Dark Knight Camille Short
1998 Wilbur Falls State police #2
1999 Personals Lorraine
Random Hearts Susan
2000 Double Parked Lola
2006 Play It by Ear Mary Ann
2012 Girl Most Likely Libby
2015 I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine Detective Glenn Bolton
2016 Search Engines Petra
2017 Be Afraid Christine Booth
We Don't Belong Here Tania
2018 Being Frank Marcy Kempler
2020 Bad Hair Maxine
2023 Anyone but You Carol
2024 Kemba Odessa Smith

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1991–97 Another World Dana Kramer Regular cast
1994 Vanishing Son II Anita TV movie
1994–95 New York Undercover ADA Reynolds Recurring cast (seasons 1–2)
1995 The Cosby Mysteries Jogger Episode: "Comic Book Murder"
New York News Asia Episode: "Good-Bye Gator"
1997 Law & Order Angela Roney Episode: "Entrapment"
The Practice Renee Williams Episode: "Part V" & "Dog Bite"
Players Laura Jenkins Episode: "Con Amore"
Justice League of America B.B. DaCosta/Fire TV movie
1997–98 Malcolm & Eddie Simone Lewis Recurring cast season 2
1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Diane Lerner Episode: "The Getaway"
1999 Action Gina Episode: "Pilot"
1999–2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Monique Jeffries Main cast (seasons 1-2)
2001 The Fugitive Nettie Beaumont Episode: "Lagniappe"
2001–02 Leap Years Athena Barnes Main cast
2003 Skin Kimberly Banks Recurring cast
2004 According to Jim Kitson Recurring cast season 3
Kevin Hill Brooke Mills Episode: "Homework"
The O.C. Ms. Fisher Episode: "The Way We Were"
2005 Charmed Katya Episode: "Little Box of Horrors"
2006 Bones Rose Harding Episode: "The Man in the Morgue"
Smith Agent Lowry Episode: "Pilot"
Kidnapped Katherine Episode: "Burn, Baby, Burn"
2006–07 ER Courtney Brown Recurring cast season 13
2007 Shark Dr. Connie Vasquez Episode: "Strange Bedfellows"
2007–08 Gossip Girl Laurel Recurring cast (seasons 1-2)
2009 CSI: Miami Diane Reed Episode: "Out of Time"
The Good Wife Tamara Episode: "Unprepared"
Too Late to Say Goodbye Ann Roche TV movie
2010 FlashForward Liz Kayson Episode: "Course Correction"
2010–13 The Glades Colleen Manus Main cast
2011 Naughty or Nice Helen Purcell TV movie
2011–13 90210 Rachel Gray Recurring cast (season 4), guest (season 5)
2012 Blue Bloods CIA Anne Reynolds Episode: "Risk and Reward"
2013 Emily Owens, M.D. Diana Calder Episode: "Emily and... the Love of Larping"
Golden Boy Louise Reed Episode: "Longshot"
Raising Hope Agent Thompson Episode: "Murder, She Hoped"
2014 Pretty Little Liars Elizabeth Mainway Episode: "Who's in the Box?"
Witches of East End Alex Episode: "Boogie Knight" & "When a Mandragora Loves a Woman"
2014–19 Hawaii Five-0 Renee Grover Guest (season 4 & 8–10), recurring cast (seasons 5–6)
2015 Beautiful & Twisted Det. Sgt. Gloria Mosley TV movie
It Had to Be You Pam Davis TV movie
The Mysteries of Laura Donna McKinney Episode: "The Mystery of the Popped Pugilist"
Bosch Connie Irving Episode: "Chapter Eight: High Low"
How to Get Away with Murder Amanda Winthrop Episode: "Mama's Here Now"
Devious Maids Jacklyn Dussault Recurring cast (season 3)
Jessica Jones D.A. Samantha Reyes Episode: "AKA Smile"
2016 Daredevil Samantha Reyes Recurring cast (season 2)
Ash vs Evil Dead Linda Bates Emery Main cast season 2
2016–20 Blindspot Ellen "Shepherd" Briggs Main cast season 2, recurring cast (seasons 3–4), guest season 5
2017 Younger Donna Episode: "A Close Shave"
2017–18 Lethal Weapon Gina Santos Recurring cast season 2, guest season 3
2018 Cagney and Lacey Lacey TV movie
2020–23 Star Trek: Picard Raffi Musiker Main cast
2021 Pose Ebony Alexander Jackson Episode: "Take Me To Church"
2023 The Walking Dead: Dead City Jones Episode: "Old Acquaintances"

Video games

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Year Title Role
2004 Terminator 3: The Redemption Various (voice)

Radio

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Year Title Role
2021 Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1990 The Constant Couple Lady Lurewell Red Heel Theatre
May 1990[3]
1996 Getting Away with Murder Charmaine Broadhurst Theatre
March 17, 1996 – March 31, 1996
1997 900 Oneonta Palace Circle Repertory Company
September 5, 1997 – September 22, 1997[16]
2002 The Violet Hour Jessie Brewster South Coast Repertory
November 8, 2002 – November 24, 2002[17]
2009 The Dog in the Manger Diana Shakespeare Theatre Company
February 10, 2009 – March 29, 2009

References

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  1. ^ "Storycorps: Merlyn Hurd and Adrienne Hurd". March 25, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Walker, Jodi (August 10, 2014). "Michelle Hurd Visits 'Witches of East End' & You've Definitely Seen Her on TV Before". Bustle. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Disch, Thomas (June 11, 1990). "The Constant Couple". The Nation. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  4. ^ Playbill for Dog in the Manger. Washington, D.C.: The Shakespeare Theatre Company. February–March 2009. p. 20.
  5. ^ Hunt, Annie (January 21, 2009). "Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2008–2009 Season Continues with The Dog in the Manger (press release)" (Press release). Retrieved March 19, 2009. She has appeared on Broadway in Getting Away with Murder at the Broadhurst Theatre and Off-Broadway in many productions including 900 Oneonta, A.M.L., Looking for the Pony, Hot Keys and Conquering Thursday. Hurd's regional theatre credits include west coast premier of The Violet Hour at South Coast Repertory, where she won the Robbie Award for best actress and North Shore Theater's production of Hamlet and her film credits include Random Hearts, Personals, Double Parked, Wolf and King of New York.
  6. ^ "Exclusive interview with Andrea Lepcio, writer of "Looking for the Pony"". Proscenium Journal. August 25, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  7. ^ Morasky, Lauren (November 24, 2014). "Actress Michelle Hurd: Bill Cosby was "very inappropriate with me"". CBS. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Dog in the Manger – 2008–2009 Season Artistic Team and Cast". The Shakespeare Theatre Company. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  9. ^ "The Dog in the Manger – 2008–2009 Season – One on One with Michael Hayden and Michelle Hurd". Washington, D.C.: The Shakespeare Theatre Company. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009. I most recently played Laurel in Gossip Girl. It was fun for me as I often play cops and lawyers and doctors and this time I had the opportunity to play a mean fashionista ... and wear cute outfits and heels.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 14, 2018). "'Cagney & Lacey': 'Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Drew & Michelle Hurd Set As The Leads Of CBS Reboot Pilot". Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  11. ^ "After 'Grey's Anatomy' exit, Sarah Drew to star in 'Cagney & Lacey' reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Holloway, Daniel (March 14, 2018). "Sarah Drew, Michelle Hurd Cast in CBS' 'Cagney & Lacey' Pilot". Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  13. ^ "Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity". US Copyright Office. April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  14. ^ "Fran Drescher Elected SAG-AFTRA President". COP Communications Inc. Fall–Winter 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  15. ^ Darwish, Meaghan. "Garret Dillahunt & Michelle Hurd Share Meet-Cute Story on 'Friday Night In With the Morgans' (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Willis, John; Lynch, Tom, eds. (1999). "900 Oneonta". John Willis Theatre World 1996–1997 Season Volume 53. Applause Theatre Book Publishers. p. 123. ISBN 1-55783-343-5. OCLC 42465014. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  17. ^ Oxman, Steven (November 12, 2002). "The Violet Hour". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
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