Elizabeth Ann Behrs (born December 26, 1985) is an American actress known for her starring role as Caroline Channing in the
CBS 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 Cumm ...
''. The show ran for six seasons and earned Behrs praise and nominations for the
Teen and the
People's Choice Awards. 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
''Chasing Eagle Rock'' is a 2015 film directed by Erick Avari and starring Michael Welch, Erick Avari, Rafael Morais, Edgar Morais, and Robert Cicchini.
Cast
* Michael Welch as J.R.
* Erick Avari as Cam Avery
* Mary-Margaret Humes as Mag ...
'' and ''
Hello, My Name Is Doris''. 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
CBS sitcom ''
The Neighborhood''.
In addition to her acting career, Behrs has authored a
self-help book and wrote the young-adult
webcomic ''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
First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade.
Examples by ...
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 (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...
, where she was raised.
She began performing in
theater 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 across ...
.
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 Sch ...
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 ...
in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, 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 List of Ca ...
, 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 ...
''. 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 largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...
, 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, 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
A critical theory is any approach to social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to reveal, critique and challenge power structures. With roots in sociology and literary criticism, it argues that social problems stem more from socia ...
. 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. Th ...
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 wa ...
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 ...
.
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, songwr ...
. 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
CBS sitcom ''
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 Cumm ...
''. 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, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
's
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street (Man ...
, 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 Unit ...
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 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 St ...
''-producer
Michael Patrick King.
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'', a
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
* Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compan ...
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 19 ...
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 academy ...
. 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 ''
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 ...
'', 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 F ...
and
Max Greenfield in the independent comedy, ''
Hello, My Name Is Doris'', 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 unc ...
in
Halley Feiffer'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
webcomic ''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 ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...
'' 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 wi ...
,
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 Unite ...]
. 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, o ...
and has presented awards at the
ACM
ACM or A.C.M. may refer to:
Aviation
* AGM-129 ACM, 1990–2012 USAF cruise missile
* Air chief marshal
* Air combat manoeuvring or dogfighting
* Air cycle machine
* Arica Airport (Colombia) (IATA: ACM), in Arica, Amazonas, Colombia
Computing
* ...
,
CMT and
CMA Awards 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 distric ...
" 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,
Geeta Novotny,
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 as ...
,
Allison Russell and
Mary Gauthier.
Behrs began
equine therapy 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