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Courtney Thorne-Smith

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Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith (2013)
Born1966 or 1967 (age 56–57)
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Known forMelrose Place
Ally McBeal
According to Jim
Spouses
  • Andrew Conrad
    (m. 2000; div. 2001)
  • Roger Fishman
    (m. 2007)
Children1

Courtney Thorne-Smith (born 1966 or 1967) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Alison Parker on Melrose Place, Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal, and Cheryl Mabel on According to Jim, as well as her recurring role on Two and a Half Men as Lyndsey McElroy.[1]

Early life, family and education

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Thorne-Smith grew up in Menlo Park, California, a suburb south of San Francisco. Her father, Walter Smith, was a computer market researcher, and her mother, Lora Thorne, was a therapist. They divorced when Courtney was seven years old, and she lived with both parents at different stages. She has an older sister, Jennifer, who is an advertising executive.

Courtney attended Menlo-Atherton High School, in Atherton, California, but she graduated from Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, California, in 1985. She performed with the Ensemble Theater Company in Mill Valley while attending high school.[2]

Career

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Films

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Thorne-Smith made her first film appearance in the 1986 feature film drama Lucas, alongside Winona Ryder, Corey Haim, and Charlie Sheen. She was also involved in a number of movies in the late 1980s, such as Welcome to 18 (1986), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Summer School (1987), and Side Out (1990). In 1998, she starred in the box office flop Chairman of the Board with Carrot Top. In 2009, she appeared in Sorority Wars.

Television

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She appeared on a few mid-1980s television series such as Growing Pains and the short-lived Fast Times, as well as made-for-television movies including The Thanksgiving Promise and Infidelity before landing a regular role in the 1988-1989 sitcom Day by Day with Douglas Sheehan, Linda Kelsey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In 1990, she was featured in six episodes of L.A. Law as Laker Girl Kimberly Dugan.

Her first notable starring television role was as Alison Parker on Melrose Place from 1992 to 1997.[3] During this time, in 1995, she starred in a made-for-television movie Beauty's Revenge which was also marketed in CD and DVD form as "Midwest Obsession". Following this, she went on to play Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal from 1997 to 2000. Thorne-Smith originally auditioned for the title role in the show, which ultimately went to Calista Flockhart. Her character was written out of Ally McBeal at the beginning of season four in 2000, though she returned for occasional guest appearances afterwards. She later said that she left the show in part because of the pressure to stay thin. "I started undereating, overexercising, pushing myself too hard and brutalizing my immune system," she told US Weekly. "The amount of time I spent thinking about food and being upset about my body was insane."[4]

From 2001 to 2009, she starred as Cheryl on According to Jim. In 2007, her real-life pregnancy was hidden on the show at first, but was then written into the plot.[5] On February 18, 2010, she signed on to play Alan Harper (Jon Cryer)'s girlfriend, Lyndsey McElroy, in season seven of Two and a Half Men.[6] She appeared in 52 episodes from season seven through twelve.

Starting in 2017, Thorne-Smith has starred in a series of television films, the Emma Fielding Mysteries based on the novels by Dana Cameron. Three entries have been telecast on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel as of 2019.[7]

Writing

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On September 18, 2007, Thorne-Smith's novel, Outside In, was published by Broadway Books in New York.[8][9]

Other ventures

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In 1997, she became a spokesperson for cosmetics brand Almay, being the face of their new "Skin Stays Clean" line of make-up.[10] She appeared for Almay's print ads and television commercials until 2001. In 2003, Thorne-Smith appeared on Kellogg's Special K cereal boxes as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign with Kelloggs and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.[11]

During her career, she has graced the cover of numerous magazines such as Shape, Parade, Self, InStyle Weddings, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Vogue Knitting and Fit Pregnancy.[12]

Personal life

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In the early 1990s, Thorne-Smith dated her Melrose Place co-star Andrew Shue.

In June 2000, she married geneticist Andrew Conrad; the couple divorced in January 2001.

On January 1, 2007, she married Roger Fishman, president of the marketing firm the Zizo Group and author of the book What I Know.[13] On January 11, 2008, she gave birth to their son, Jacob Emerson Fishman.[14][15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Welcome to 18 Lindsey
Lucas Alise
1987 Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise Sunny Carstairs
Summer School Pam House
1990 Side Out Samantha
1997 The Lovemaster Deb
1998 Chairman of the Board Natalie Stockwell
2005 Batman: New Times Catwoman/Ms. Kitka Karenska Voice, short film
2006 Whisper of the Heart Shiho Tsukishima English dub

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Fast Times Stacey Hamilton 7 episodes
The Thanksgiving Promise Sheryl Television film
1987 Growing Pains Photography class student Episode: "Nude Photos"
1988–1989 Day by Day Kristin Carlson 33 episodes
1990 L.A. Law Kimberly Dugan 6 episodes
Anything but Love Allison Andrews Episode: "All About Allison"
1992 Jack's Place Kim Logan Episode: "Everything Old is New Again"
Grapevine Lisa Episode: "The Lisa and Bill Story"
1992–1997 Melrose Place Alison Parker 165 episodes
1994 Breach of Conduct Helen Lutz Television film
1995 Midwest Obsession Cheryl Ann Davis
1996 Partners Danielle Episode: "The Year of Bob?"
1997 Duckman Herself Episode: "Bonfire of the Panties"
Spin City Danielle Brinkman Episode: "Starting Over"
1997–2002 Ally McBeal Georgia Thomas 69 episodes
1999 Partners Gina Darrin Episode: "Always..."
Ally Georgia Thomas 12 episodes
2000 Norm Rebecca Episode: "Norm and the Hopeless Cause"
2001–2009 According to Jim Cheryl 182 episodes
2009 Sorority Wars Lutie Parker Television film
2010–2015 Two and a Half Men Lyndsey McElroy 52 episodes
2016 Robot Chicken Medical Examiner Voice, episode: "Blackout Window Heatstroke"
2016–2017 Fresh Off The Boat Anne 2 episodes
2017 Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery Emma Fielding Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
2018 Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery
2019 More Bitter than Death: An Emma Fielding Mystery
2020 Mom Sam Episode: "Beef Baloney Dan and a Sarcastic No"
2024 He Slid Into Her DM's[16] Leah Television movie

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1998 Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
(shared with rest of cast)
Ally McBeal Nominated
1999 Won
2000 Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "The Cast of Melrose Place: Where Are They Now?". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Roberta Caploe, Jamie Caploe (1996). Melrose Confidential. Carol Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 0806517433.
  3. ^ "'Melrose Place' Revival in the Works with Original Stars Heather Locklear, Laura Leighton and Daphne Zuniga". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Ausiello, Michael (December 5, 2000). "The Skinny on Courtney Thorne-Smith". TV Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Courtney Thorne-Smith's Pregnancy Written into Show Archived April 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, TV Guide, October 22, 2007.
  6. ^ Porter, Rick (February 18, 2010). "Courtney Thorne-Smith woos one of Two and a Half Men". Archived from the original on February 23, 2010.
  7. ^ Robbins, Caryn (March 28, 2017). "Courtney Thorne-Smith to Star in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' SITE UNSEEN: AN EMMA FIELDING MYSTERY". BroadwayWorld.com.
  8. ^ Outside In reviewed, USA Today Book Review, September 20, 2007.
  9. ^ "Courtney Thorne-Smith at book party". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "Ally McBeal: ALMAY Makes Courtney Thorne-Smith Newest Spokesperson; Cosmetic Company Signs 'Ally McBeal' Star". shockme99.tripod.com. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Courtney Thorne-Smith - Other works". IMDb. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "Courtney Thorne-Smith Magazine Cover Photos - List of magazine covers featuring Courtney Thorne-Smith - FamousFix". FamousFix.com. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  13. ^ Clinton, Ivory (January 9, 2007). "Courtney Thorne-Smith Marries". People.
  14. ^ "Courtney Thorne-Smith Has a Boy". People. January 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
  15. ^ "The 40-Plus Moms Club". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Cordero, Rosy (August 1, 2024). "Courtney Thorne-Smith & Stella Gregg To Lead New Lifetime Movie 'He Slid Into Her DMs'". Retrieved August 6, 2024.
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