Anna Maria Chlumsky (; born December 3, 1980
) is an American actress. She began acting as a child, and first became known for playing Vada Sultenfuss in the film ''
My Girl'' (1991) and its sequel, ''
My Girl 2''. Following her early roles, she went on hiatus from 1999 to 2005 to attend college.
Chlumsky returned to acting with roles in several independent films, including ''
Blood Car
''Blood Car'' is a 2007 black comedy film directed by Alex Orr and starring Anna Chlumsky, Katie Rowlett, and Mike Brune. It is set in a not-too-distant future where gasoline prices have become exorbitant ($30+ US/gallon). Things take a turn ...
'' (2007) and ''
In the Loop'' (2009). She portrayed Amy Brookheimer on the
HBO television series ''
Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
'' (2012–2019), which earned her six nominations for the
, among other accolades.
Early life
Chlumsky was born in Chicago, Illinois,
[ the daughter of Nancy (''née'' Zuncic), a singer, actress, and former flight attendant, and Frank Chlumsky Jr., a chef and saxophone player. She was raised in a ]Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family. She is of Czech and Croatian descent.
Career
1989–1998: First roles
Chlumsky entered show business at an early age, modeling with her mother in an advertising campaign, though her roles in '' My Girl'' (1991) and '' My Girl 2'' (1994) brought her fame. She also starred in ''Trading Mom
''Trading Mom'', also known as ''The Mommy Market'', is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film written and directed by Tia Brelis, based on her mother Nancy Brelis' homonymous book. It stars Sissy Spacek, Anna Chlumsky, Aaron Michael Metchik, Maur ...
'' (1994) with Sissy Spacek, and in '' Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain'' (1995) with Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receive ...
. In the mid- to late 1990s, she appeared and starred in several television films and series.
1999–2005: University and hiatus from acting
Chlumsky took a break from acting to attend the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in 2002. After college, she was hired as a fact-checker for the Zagat Survey and moved to New York City, which was followed by a position as an editorial assistant for a HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...
science fiction-fantasy imprint. However, she felt her career in the publishing industry was lackluster and unsatisfying, and ultimately returned to acting after she completed formal training at the Atlantic Acting School in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
2006–present: Return to acting
Chlumsky appeared as Mary Calvin in a season 17 episode of ''Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...
'', first airing on January 12, 2007; and as Lisa Klein in a season 20 episode, first airing on March 15, 2010. In March 2007, she appeared in the ''30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...
'' episode "The Fighting Irish
"The Fighting Irish" is the seventeenth episode of NBC's first season of ''30 Rock''. It was written by one of the season's co-executive producers, Jack Burditt, and it was directed by Dennie Gordon. It aired on March 8, 2007, in the United Stat ...
" as Liz Lemler, a romantic rival of protagonist Liz Lemon, who receives flowers meant for Lemler. Chlumsky was in four episodes of the ABC dramedy ''Cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
'' in 2009. Later that year, she starred in the Lifetime Television movie '' 12 Men of Christmas'' as Jan Lucas.
She starred in the Off Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
production of ''Unconditional'' by Brett C. Leonard at The Public Theater, which opened in February 2008; it was produced by the LAByrinth Theater Company
LAByrinth Theater Company is a non-profit, Off-Broadway theater company based in New York City. Led by Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz for many years, its artistic director is Ortiz. The New York Times described it in 2014 as "an ethnica ...
. She also starred in Lanford Wilson's '' Balm in Gilead'' in November 2005 at the American Theatre of Actors in New York City.
In 2009, she appeared in Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci (; born 28 November 1963) is a Scottish satirist, writer, director, producer, performer, and panellist. Born in Glasgow to Italian parents, Iannucci studied at the University of Glasgow followed by the University ...
's BBC Films political satire '' In The Loop'', co-starring with Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison
Christopher David Addison (born 5 November 1971) is a British comedian, writer, actor, and director. He is perhaps best known for his role as a regular panellist on '' Mock the Week''. He is also known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two o ...
, James Gandolfini, and Mimi Kennedy, a quasi-spinoff of Iannucci's BBC TV series '' The Thick of It''. She plays Liza, a State Department assistant in the movie. From 2012 to 2019, Chlumsky played Amy Brookheimer, aide to Julia Louis-Dreyfus's character in HBO's ''Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
'', also produced by Iannucci. In June 2012, she starred in the world premiere of David Adjmi's 3C at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Rattlestick Theater is a non-profit off-Broadway theater based in the West Village, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), ...
in New York.
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
, who played her father in the two ''My Girl'' films, has said that a script for a third film has been in development since 2003. In April 2012, Chlumsky "put to rest" any rumors that such a film was in development. In addition to her role on ''Veep'', Chlumsky has appeared in multiple television series between 2011 and 2013, including '' White Collar'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', and NBC's adaptation of ''Hannibal
Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...
''.
Chlumsky has appeared on Broadway in '' You Can't Take It with You'', and beginning in April 2015 as editor Iris Peabody in the comedy ''Living on Love'', with Renee Fleming, Jerry O'Connell
Jerry O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is an American actor and television host. He is known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the television series ''Sliders'', Andrew Clements in ''My Secret Identity'', Vern Tessio in the film '' Stand by M ...
and Douglas Sills
Douglas Howard Sills (born July 5, 1960) is an American actor.
Early life
Sills was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Rhoda (Nemeth) and Archie Sills, and grew up in the suburb of Franklin, in a Jewish household. He was friends (and did ama ...
.
In 2017, Chlumsky appeared in the fourth season of AMC Networks
AMC Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York.
AMC Networks owns and operates the eponymous cable channel and its siblings, IFC, We TV, and Sundance TV; the art house movie theater IFC ...
' '' Halt and Catch Fire'' as Dr. Katie Herman, the love interest of Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy
John Marcus "Scoot" McNairy (born November 11, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles in '' Monsters'', ''Argo'', ''Killing Them Softly'', ''12 Years a Slave'', '' Gone Girl'', and '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of J ...
).
In October 2019, Chlumsky was cast in a main role alongside Julia Garner in Shonda Rhimes' Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
limited drama series '' Inventing Anna''. Chlumsky will voice Charlotte Pickles in the Paramount+ revival of '' Rugrats''.
Personal life
In October 2007, Chlumsky announced her engagement to Army Reserve member Shaun So, who also served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. They met as students at the University of Chicago in 2000. They married on March 8, 2008 in Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, and have two daughters, born July 2013 and August 2016.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chlumsky, Anna
1980 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Chicago
American child actresses
American film actresses
American people of Czech descent
American people of Croatian descent
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Living people
University of Chicago alumni