Michelle Renee Clunie (born November 7, 1969) is an American actress and former ballet dancer. A native of Portland, Oregon, Clunie studied ballet from an early age, earning a scholarship at the Academy of Professional Ballet. In 1992, she starred in a Los Angeles–based production of A Comedy of Eros, for which she won a Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress, before making her film debut in the slasher film Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993).
Michelle Clunie | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Clunie in 2014 | |
| Born | November 7, 1969 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Children | 1 |
Clunie gained international attention for her portrayal of Melanie Marcus on Showtime's series Queer as Folk (2000–2005). She later starred as Ellen Beals on Make It or Break It (2010–2011) and as Mrs. Finch on MTV’s Teen Wolf (2015–2017).
Early life
editClunie was born November 7, 1969, in Portland, Oregon.[1] As a child, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, and violin.[1] Clunie attended Portland's David Douglas High School, graduating in 1987.[1]
She was awarded a scholarship to The Academy of Professional Ballet where she studied and apprenticed throughout her teenage years. At 19 years old she sold her violin for $200 and moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career.[2]
Career
editIn 1992, Clunie made her Los Angeles stage debut in Dean Orion's A Comedy of Eros performed at the Skylight Theatre, which earned her a Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress.[3]
Additional stage highlights include her portrayal of Abby in Neil LaBute's West Coast premiere of The Mercy Seat at the Ford Theatre,[4] for which she won the Backstage Readers Best Performance Award,[5] and the world premiere and Off-Broadway production of US, written and performed by Clunie at New York City's Lion Theatre at Theatre Row.
In 1995, she was cast in the Academy Award-winning The Usual Suspects[6] and shortly thereafter played a supporting role in Lost & Found.[7] She became a series regular on The Jeff Foxworthy Show and guest starred on ER, The Tony Danza Show, House M.D., Without a Trace, NCIS, among several others.
She played Melanie Marcus in the US adaptation of Queer as Folk[8] and the biology teacher, Mrs. Finch, on MTV’s Teen Wolf.
Personal life
editIn October 2014 it was announced Clunie was expecting a child with director Bryan Singer, and in January 2015 she gave birth to their son.[9][10]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday | Deborah | |
| 1993 | Sunset Strip | Jonesy | |
| 1995 | The Usual Suspects | Sketch Artist | |
| 1999 | Lost & Found | Gail | |
| 2005 | The Unseen | Kathleen | |
| 2008 | Solar Flare | Jamie | |
| 2008 | Leaving Barstow | Sandra | |
| 2012 | Magic Mike | Dallas' Girl | |
| 2014 | Death Clique | Tina | |
| 2015 | A Sort of Homecoming | Amy Hartinger |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Space: Above and Beyond | Jennifer Brandt | 1 episode |
| 1996 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | DeeDee Landrow | 5 episodes |
| 1997 | Boy Meets World | Kelly | 1 episode |
| Night Man | Megan Farrell | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | The Tony Danza Show | Maggie | 1 episode |
| 1999 | V.I.P. | Mary Tepsin | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Diagnosis: Murder | Maeve Michaels | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Battery Park | Mrs. Fleishman | 1 episode |
| 2000–2005 | Queer as Folk | Melanie Marcus | 83 episodes |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Nancy | Recurring role |
| 2006 | House M.D | Judy | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Without a Trace | Cindy Peterson | 1 episode |
| 2007 | The Closer | Dr. Leonard | 1 episode |
| 2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Paulla Kingsley | 1 episode |
| 2010 | The Mentalist | Tara Harrington | 1 episode |
| 2010–2011 | Make It or Break It | Ellen Beals | Recurring role |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Jane Prescott | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Detroit 1-8-7 | Alex Bergman | 1 episode |
| 2011 | In Plain Sight | Sage Lorne/Britt Parnell | 1 episode |
| 2013 | NCIS | Meredith Dunn | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Bones | Suzanne Levitt | 1 episode |
| 2015–2017 | Teen Wolf | Mrs Finch (AP Biology Teacher) | Recurring role; 9 Episodes |
References
edit- ^ a b c Baker, Jeff (April 28, 2014). "18 actors you (maybe) didn't know were from Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Michelle Clunie Biography, buddytv.com; accessed January 28, 2018.
- ^ "US: written by 'Queer as Folk' star Michelle Clunie". New York Theatre Guide. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Theater Review: THE MERCY SEAT (Vs. Theatre Company at [Inside] the Ford in Los Angeles)". stageandcinema.com. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ^ "Theater review: The Mercy Seat at [Inside] the Ford". LA Times Blogs. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ^ "The Usual Suspects (1995) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ "Lost & Found (I) (1999) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ "Bryan Singer expecting first child via surrogate Queer As Folk actress". Independent.co.uk. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Bryan Singer Expecting First Child With Best Friend Michelle Clunie". 23 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ^ "Bryan Singer and Best Friend Michelle Clunie Welcome Baby Boy". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
External links
edit