Gretchen Egolf (born September 9, 1973) is an American theater, film and television actress.

Early life and education

Egolf was born and raised in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population among ...

. She is the daughter of artist Paula Egolf and stepfather Gary Egolf. Her brother was the writer Tristan Egolf. Her younger half-brother is British-American musician Siegfried Faith. Egolf earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most eli ...

and also took acting classes at The Actors Center.

Career

Television and film

Gretchen Egolf is most known for her various television roles, including ''

Journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...

'' (NBC, 2007), '' Roswell'' (WB, 2000), and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (NBC, 2009–2012), among others, and the TV movies '' The Two Mr. Kissels'' (Lifetime 2008) and ''Gleason'' (CBS, 2002). Her film roles include ''

The Talented Mr. Ripley ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. This novel introduced the character of Tom Ripley, who returns in four subsequent novels. It has been adapted numerous times for screen, including ''Purple ...

'', '' The Namesake'', and ''

Quiz Show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...

''.

Theatre

After winning the Michel St. Denis Award for an Exceptional Graduating Drama Student from the

, Egolf went on to perform on Broadway in ''Jackie, An American Life'' by Gip Hoppe (also in London's West End) and

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an ad ...

’s Ring Round the Moon with

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

on Broadway, directed by Gerald Gutierrez. Off-Broadway, Egolf has appeared in

Davey Holmes Davey Holmes (born October 4, 1969 in Massachusetts) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. He is the creator and executive producer of the television show ''Get Shorty'' on Epix. Career Holmes began his writing career in New Yo ...

’

More Lies About Jerzy ''More Lies About Jerzy'' is a play written by Davey Holmes, inspired by the last days of the Polish-American novelist, Jerzy Kosiński. It was first produced Off-Broadway in 2001, at the Vineyard Theatre in New York City. It premiered in Lond ...

at The Vineyard Theater and a number of new plays with

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

, The Flea Theater (in

Polly Draper Polly Carey Draper (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. Draper has received several awards, including a Writers Guild of America Award (WGA), and is noted for speaking in a "trademark throaty voice." She g ...

’s ''Getting Into Heaven''), The Women's Project Theatre, and Dodger Stages (now

New World Stages New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue. ...

) (in ''Modern Orthodox'', directed by

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', ''Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He h ...

). Egolf has also worked in many American regional theaters. She received critical acclaim for her

Blanche DuBois Blanche DuBois (married name Grey) is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play '' A Streetcar Named Desire''. The character was written for Tallulah Bankhead and made popular to later audiences with Elia Kaz ...

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of perso ...

at The Guthrie Theater (directed by John Miller-Stephany), ''Emma'' in

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Of ...

at the

Huntington Theatre Company The Huntington Theatre Company is a professional theatre located in Boston, Massachusetts and the recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, under the direction of Managing Director Michael Maso. It is notable for its longstanding artist ...

(directed by

Maria Aitken Maria Penelope Katharine Aitken (born 12 September 1945) is an English theatre director, teacher, actress, and writer. Early life and career Aitken was born in Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of Sir William Aitken, a Conservative MP, and Penel ...

), ''Helena'' in

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amo ...

at The Old Globe Theatre, ''Candida'' in Candida and

Rosalind (As You Like It) Rosalind is the heroine and protagonist of the play ''As You Like It'' (1600) by William Shakespeare. In the play, she disguises herself as a male shepherd named Ganymede. Many actors have portrayed Rosalind, including Sarah Wayne Callies, Maggi ...

at Pittsburgh Public Theater, ''Emily'' in Arthur Miller's

Resurrection Blues ''Resurrection Blues'' (2002) is Arthur Miller's penultimate play. Though Miller was not known for his humor, this play uses a pointed comedic edge to intensify his observations about the dangers, as well as the benefits, of blind belief: politica ...

Wilma Theater (Philadelphia) The Wilma Theater is a non-profit theater company located at 265 S. Broad Street at the corner of Spruce Street in the Avenue of the Arts area of Center City, Philadelphia. The company's current 296-seat theater opened in 1996 and was designed ...

and other plays with Berkshire Theater Festival (including

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

with

Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American actress. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a charact ...

) and Barrington Stage Company, with whom she is an Artistic Associate

Other projects

Egolf has been involved in a number of artist films and videos, including Beth Campbell’s ''Some Things Change'' (2005), and Adam Chodzko’s video installation ''Knots'' at

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

(2013) as well as Chodzko's radio and performance piece, ''Rising'' (2013), for solo actor, which she performed live in Newcastle, UK at the

Great North Run The Great North Run (branded the Simplyhealth Great North Run for sponsorship purposes) is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South ...

/British Science Festival, and at

Manchester University , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Unive ...

, UK at the ''Ways of Seeing Climate Change'' conference (October 2013). Egolf has also created written works, such as her invited guest contribution to the online experimental art curatorial project ''Out of Focus''. She also wrote a blog of her rehearsal experience playing

at The Guthrie Theater. As a director and producer; Egolf created and directed the short film ''Sonnet 147'' for the New York Shakespeare Exchange’s Sonnet Project and co-produced and starred in the short film ''Speck’s Last'' and the web series ''Selectmen''.

Teaching

Egolf is a teacher of the

Michael Chekhov Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов; 29 August 1891 – 30 September 1955), known as Michael Chekhov, was an American actor, director, author and theatre practitioner. He was a nephew ...

acting technique. She has taught in the US at The Guthrie Theater and Barrington Stage Company, as well as independent classes in New York City, and in London at the

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. LAMDA's Principal is ...

, and independent classes.

Personal life

Egolf was married to actor Mason Phillips in 1999. The couple divorced a few years later. She married British artist Adam Chodzko in 2013 and now lives and works in both the US and UK.

Filmography

Television

* '' Cracker'' – "Nina", 1 episode, 1997 * ''

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Martia ...

''- "Amy Dylan", 1999–2000 * '' Roswell''- "Vanessa Whitaker", 4 episodes, 2000 * ''

A Nero Wolfe Mystery ''Nero Wolfe'' is a television series adapted from Rex Stout's series of detective stories that aired for two seasons (2001–2002) on A&E. Set in New York City sometime in the 1940s–1950s, the stylized period drama stars Maury Chaykin as Ne ...

'' – "Marian Hinckley", "

The Doorbell Rang ''The Doorbell Rang'' is a Nero Wolfe detective novel by Rex Stout, first published by the Viking Press in 1965. Plot introduction Nero Wolfe is hired to force the FBI to stop wiretapping, tailing and otherwise harassing a woman who gave away 1 ...

", 2001 * ''Corsairs'', 2002 * ''

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 on ...

'' – "Sherri Rosatti", 1 episode, 2002 * ''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'' – 1 episode, 2003 * ''

''- "Katie Vasser", 2007 * '' Knight Rider'' – "Tess Landafly", 1 episode, 2008 * ''

Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

''- "Mary Stacey", 2 episodes, 2008 * '' NCIS'' – "Detective Andrea Sparr", 1 episode, 2008 * ''

Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...

'' – "Deborah Marks", 1 episode, 2009 * ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

''- "Sarah Murphy", 1 episode, 2009 * ''

Lie To Me ''Lie to Me'' (stylized as ''Lie to me*'') is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009, to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightma ...

''- "Catherine", 1 episode, 2009 * '' CSI: Miami'' – "Ellen Sheffield", 1 episode, 2009 * ''Eden''- 2011 * '' Blue Bloods''- "Ann Cleary", 1 episode, 2011 * ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...

''- "Mia Lambros", 1 episode, 2011 * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' – "ADA Kendra Gill", 4 episodes, 2009–2012 * ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' – " The Zygon Invasion", 2015

Movies

* ''

'', – 1994 * ''

'' – "Fran", 1999 * ''Nicolas'', 2001 * '' Gleason''- "Genevieve Halford", 2002 * '' The Namesake''- "Astrid", 2006 * '' Falling for Grace'' - "Bridget", 2006 * '' The Two Mr. Kissels''- "Haley Wolff", 2008 * ''

The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, ...

'' - "Phil's wife", 2009

Theater credits

Broadway

*'' Ring Round the Moon'' – "Isabelle".

Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

, New York, 1999, directed by Gerald Gutierrez. *''Jackie: An American Life'' –

, New York, 1997–98, directed by Gip Hoppe. Also at Queen's Theatre, London, 1998.

Off-Broadway

* ''

'' – "Georgia". Vineyard Theatre, New York, 2001, directed by

Darko Tresnjak Darko Tresnjak ( sr-cyr, Дарко Трешњак, Darko Trešnjak) is a director of plays, musicals, and opera, and winner of several awards, including the Tony Award. He was the artistic director of the Hartford Stage in Connecticut, United S ...

. *''

All This Intimacy ''All This Intimacy'' is a 2006 play written by American playwright Rajiv Joseph that premiered at Second Stage Theater. Plot Ty, in one week, impregnates his ex-girlfriend Jen, his married next door neighbor Maureen, and his university student ...

'' – "Jen".

, New York, 2006. *''Modern Orthodox'' – "Hannah". Dodger Stages (now

), New York, 2005, directed by

. *''Getting into Heaven'' – "Rose". The Flea Theater, New York, 2003. *''Crocodiles in the Potomac''. Women's Project Theater, New York, 1995, directed by Suzanne Bennett. *''

Speed-the-Plow ''Speed-the-Plow'' is a 1988 play by David Mamet that is a satirical dissection of the American movie business. As stated in ''The Producer's Perspective'', "this is a theme Mamet would revisit in his later films ''Wag the Dog'' (1997) and '' ...

'' – "Karen". The Alchemy Theatre Company at Arclight Theatre, New York, 1995. *''Speck's Last'' – "Greta".

Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their acti ...

, New York, 2004, directed by Michael Dowling.

Regional theater

*'' Candida'' – "Candida." Directed by Ted Pappas, Pittsburgh Public Theater,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, 2014. *'' Arcadia'' – "Hannah." Directed by

Carey Perloff Carey Elizabeth Perloff (born February 9, 1959) is an American theater director, playwright, author, and educator. She was the artistic director of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco from 1992 to June 2018. Biography Per ...

American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The Ameri ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

, 2013. *''

Much Ado about Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' – "Beatrice." Directed by Julianne Boyd, Barrington Stage Company,

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield� ...

, 2013. *''

'' – "Emma." Directed by

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- m ...

, 2012. *''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

'' – Rosalind. Directed by Ted Pappas, Pittsburgh Public Theater,

, 2012. * ''

'' – "

". Directed by John Miller-Stephany,

The Guthrie Theatre The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gut ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, 2010. *''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...

'' – "Amanda." Directed by Julianne Boyd, Barrington Stage Company,

, 2008. *'' A Picasso'' – "Ms Fischer". Directed by Tyler Marchant, Barrington Stage Company,

, 2007. *''Going to St. Ives'' – "Dr Cora Gage." Directed by Tyler Marchant, Barrington Stage Company,

, 2001. *''

Design for Living ''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Cowa ...

'' – "Gilda." Directed by Michael Kahn,

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...

, Washington, D.C., 2009. * ''The Secret Letters of Jackie and Marilyn'' – "Jackie." Directed by

Leonard Foglia Leonard Foglia (born August 24, 1954) is an American theatre director, librettist, and novelist. Foglia made his Broadway debut as the assistant director of '' The Heidi Chronicles'' in 1989. He also directed revivals of '' Wait Until Dark'' (199 ...

, Pittsburgh Public Theater,

, 2006. *'' Boston Marriage'' – "Claire". Directed by Michael Dowling, Chester Theater, Massachusetts 2005. *''

'' – "Emily Shapiro" Directed by Jiri Ziska,

, *''

'' – "Helena." Directed by Kyle Donnelly,

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, 2001. *''Indiscretions'' – "Madeleine.",

Coconut Grove Playhouse The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a theatre in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It opened on January 3, 1927, as a part of ...

Florida Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia (U.S. state), Geo ...

, 1995. *''

'' – "Sorel Bliss." (with

), Berkshire Theater Festival,

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is ...

, 1996. *''Keely and Du'' – "Keely", Berkshire Theater Festival,

, 1995. *''Four Dogs and a Bone'', Berkshire Theater Festival,

, 1995. *'' The Illusion'', Berkshire Theater Festival,

. 1995.

References

External links

Gretchen Egolf official website
*
Gretchen Egolf's short film for the NY Shakespeare Exchange's Sonnet Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egolf, Gretchen 1973 births American film actresses American television actresses American stage actresses Living people Actors from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Actresses from Pennsylvania 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Juilliard School alumni