Elizabeth Ann Behrs (born December 26, 1985) is an American actress known for her starring role as Caroline Channing in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

comedy series ''

2 Broke Girls ''2 Broke Girls'' (stylized ''2 Broke Girl$'') is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 19, 2011, to April 17, 2017. The series was produced for Warner Bros. Television and created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cum ...

''. The show ran for six seasons and earned Behrs praise and nominations for the

Teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

and the

People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...

s. Having made her screen debut in the 2009 comedy film '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'', she later ventured into television roles. After ''2 Broke Girls'', Behrs returned to feature films with the 2015 productions '' Chasing Eagle Rock'' and ''

Hello, My Name Is Doris ''Hello, My Name Is Doris'' is a 2015 American coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Laura Terruso and Showalter, about a woman in her 60s who tries to act on her attraction to a younger co-w ...

''. She voiced Carrie Williams in the animated film ''

Monsters University ''Monsters University'' is a 2013 American computer-animated monster comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Dan Scanlon (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Kori ...

'' (2013) and Moochie in the television series '' Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh''. In 2018, she was cast in her second major TV role, playing Gemma Johnson in the

sitcom '' The Neighborhood''. In addition to her acting career, Behrs has authored a self-help book and wrote the young-adult

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be c ...

''Dents''. She is also a philanthropist and the founder of the SheHerdPower Foundation, which helps victims of sexual assaults.

Early life

Behrs was born on December 26, 1985, 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 amon ...

, the elder daughter of David Behrs, a college administrator, and Maureen Behrs, a first-grade teacher. She has a sister who is six years younger. In 1989, her family moved to Springfield, Virginia, and later to

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mounta ...

, where she was raised. She began performing in

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

at age four and played

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

while growing up. She was a student at E.C. Glass High School. At age 15, Behrs relocated with her family to

Marin County, California Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

. She began attending

Tamalpais High School Tamalpais High School (often abbreviated as Tam) is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises almost above Mill Valley. Tamalpais High Scho ...

in 2001, and was accepted into the school's highly regarded drama program. She graduated from that high school in 2004. Behrs studied at the

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 Americ ...

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 ...

, and went on to perform in the musical ''Dangling Conversations: The Music of Simon and Garfunkel'', and the plays ''Korczak's Children'' and ''

A Bright Room Called Day ''A Bright Room Called Day'' is a play by American playwright Tony Kushner, author of ''Angels in America''. Synopsis The play is set in Germany in 1932 and 1933, and concerns a group of friends caught up in the events of the fall of the Weimar R ...

''. She was classically trained as a singer. Behrs moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, in 2004, to study acting at the

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in Los Angeles, California. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leadi ...

. In 2005, she played Sandy Dumbrowski in a production of '' Grease'' at San Francisco's

Ray of Light Theatre Ray of Light Theatre is a musical theatre company in San Francisco. History Ray of Light Theatre was started by the founding artistic director, Shane Ray, and founding board co-chair, Adrienne Abrams, in 2000. Production highlights & honors: I ...

, and was named Miss Marin County in 2006. She began auditioning for roles in her senior year and graduated in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in critical studies. Behrs was awarded a Young Musician's Foundation Vocal Scholarship after graduating from the college.

Career

Behrs landed her first film role in the teen comedy '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'', which she filmed in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

for seven weeks beginning in March 2009. The seventh in the '' American Pie'' series, the film was released

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...

on December 22, 2009. She next starred in '' Adventures of Serial Buddies'', an independent comedy about an inept group of

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

s produced by TV personality

Maria Menounos Maria Menounos (, gr, Μαρία Μενούνος ; born June 8, 1978) is an American journalist, television presenter and actress. She has hosted '' Extra'' and ''E! News''; she was a TV correspondent for ''Today'', ''Access Hollywood'', and co ...

. The film also starred

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford ( née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is ...

, and

Artie Lange Artie is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Arthur. Notable people with the given name include: People * Artie Bettles (1891–1971), Australian rules footballer * Artie Butler (born 1942), American popular music arranger, songwrite ...

. In late 2010, Behrs shot the independent feature, ''Route 30, Too!'', in

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the ...

, playing an alien girl. Behrs began working in television with guest appearances on '' NCIS: Los Angeles'' and ABC's ''

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

''. In 2011, she was working as a

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

and at the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...

in Westwood, when she auditioned for the

sitcom ''

''. She landed the lead role after seven auditions. Behrs stars as Caroline Channing, an heiress from

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 ...

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the we ...

, who is forced to become a waitress at a diner in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. As of the 2020 United ...

after her father is arrested for financial wrongdoing. Her character is a graduate of the

Wharton School The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in ...

who teams up with a waitress named Max ( Kat Dennings) in a business venture. The series is produced by comedian

Whitney Cummings Whitney Cummings (born September 4, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, director, producer, investor and podcaster. A native of Washington, DC, Cummings pursued a comedy career in Los Angeles after graduating from the Univer ...

and ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

''-producer

Michael Patrick King Michael Patrick King (born September 14, 1954) is an American director, writer, and producer. He is best known for directing and writing for ''Sex and the City'' and its film adaptations, and for co-creating the television comedies '' The Comeb ...

. In March 2016, CBS renewed the series for a sixth season. On May 12, 2017, the series was canceled after six seasons. Beginning in 2018, Behrs starred as Gemma Johnson in the CBS sitcom ''The Neighborhood''. In 2013, Behrs appeared on ''

It's a Brad, Brad World ''It's a Brad, Brad World'' is an American reality documentary television series on Bravo. The series debuted on January 12, 2012. On August 29, 2012, Bravo announced that the series has been renewed for a second season which debuted on March ...

'', a Bravo

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...

series featuring fashion stylist Brad Goreski. Behrs was also a presenter at the 2013

Academy of Country Music Awards The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academ ...

. She voiced sorority girl Carrie Williams that year in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

animated film ''

'', a prequel to 2001's '' Monsters, Inc.''. She starred alongside

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...

and

Max Greenfield Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Primetime Em ...

in the independent comedy, ''

'', directed by

Michael Showalter Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer. He first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's ''The State'', which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the ''Wet Hot ...

. Behrs made her Manhattan stage debut in June 2016 at the

Lucille Lortel Theatre The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior is largely unch ...

Halley Feiffer Halley Feiffer (born November 20, 1984) is an American actress and playwright. Early life and education Feiffer was raised in a Jewish family, the daughter of famed satirist and cartoonist Jules Feiffer, and writer, actor, and comedian Jenny Alle ...

's comedic play, ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City''. Behrs is also an author. Since 2016, she co-creates the young-adult

''Dents'' with childhood friend Matt Doyle. Inspired by ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

'' comics, the webcomic explores themes such as

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied wit ...

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

and

environmental issues Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

. Behrs released the book ''The Total Me-Tox: How to Ditch Your Diet, Move Your Body & Love Your Life'' in May 2017, in which she shares her personal journey towards health and happiness.

Personal life

Behrs and actor

Michael Gladis Michael Gladis (born August 30, 1977) is an American actor. He played Paul Kinsey in the television series ''Mad Men''; he appeared in the series' first three seasons, and as a guest star in the show's fifth season. Early life Gladis grew up ...

were engaged on July 10, 2016, after a six-year relationship. They appeared in a short film together, ''The Argument'', in 2012, for the comedy website

Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a re ...

. On July 21, 2018, she married Gladis at Moose Creek Ranch in

Victor, Idaho Victor is the largest city in Teton County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,928 at the 2010 census, up from 840 at 2000.Jackson Hole Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho, in Teton County, one of the richest counties in the Unit ...

. Behrs and Gladis have a daughter, Emma George Gladis, born in June 2022. While the date of birth was not revealed, Behrs announced the news in an

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

post on June 13. Behrs is a fan of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

and has presented awards at the ACM, CMT and

CMA Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony ...

and appeared in

Lady A Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar), ...

's "

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

" music video. In 2020, she began hosting ''Harmonics with Beth Behrs'', a podcast where she interviews country and bluegrass singers and songwriters with guests including

Glennon Doyle Glennon Doyle (born March 20, 1976) is an American author and activist known for her #1 ''New York Times'' bestsellers '' Untamed,'' ''Love Warrior,'' and ''Carry On, Warrior''. Doyle is also the creator of the online community Momastery, and is ...

Geeta Novotny Geeta Novotny (born Geeta Bhatnagar) is an American singer, actor, writer and columnist. As a classical singer, Novotny has performed principal roles nationally with opera companies and symphony orchestras at Carnegie Hall, the American Ballet Th ...

Mickey Guyton Mickey Guyton (; born Candace Mycale Guyton; June 17, 1983) is an American country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material subsequently incorporates elements of contemporary cou ...

Brandi Carlile Brandi Marie Carlile ( ; born June 1, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and producer whose music spans many genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. , Carlile has released seven studio albums. She has ...

Tichina Arnold Tichina Rolanda Arnold (; born June 28, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) and '' How I Got into College'' (1989) before being cast a ...

Allison Russell Allison Russell is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist. Prior to her solo music career, Russell performed as a member of various music groups including Po' Girl, Birds of Chicago, Our Native Daughters and Sisters of the Strawbe ...

and

Mary Gauthier Mary Veronica Gauthier ( ; born March 11, 1962) is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George and Jimmy Buffett. She ...

. Behrs began

equine therapy Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) encompasses a range of treatments that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health. The use of EAT has roots in antiquity, and EAT applies to physical health issues in ...

in 2011 to help manage

panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...

s and anxiety that she had experienced since she was a teenager. Behrs founded SheHerdPower Foundation, which pairs women with horses, to provide therapy to victims of sexual assault.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Behrs, Beth 1985 births 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania Actresses from the San Francisco Bay Area Actresses from Virginia American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Living people Musicians from Lancaster, Pennsylvania People from Lynchburg, Virginia People from Mill Valley, California Tamalpais High School alumni UCLA Film School alumni Actors from Lancaster, Pennsylvania