Deirdre Lovejoy

Deirdre Lovejoy
Born (1962-06-30) June 30, 1962
EducationUniversity of Evansville (BFA)
New York University (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1983–present

Deirdre Lovejoy (born June 30, 1962)[1] is an American actress.

She is best known for her role as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO’s The Wire.[2] She is also known for her roles as serial killer Heather Taffet (aka "The Gravedigger") on the Fox series Bones[3] and White House Counsel Cynthia Panabaker on NBC's series The Blacklist.[4]

Early life

Lovejoy was born in Abilene, Texas.[5][6][7] Her father was in the Air Force, and was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base.[7]

Lovejoy lived in Connecticut, then Pittsburgh, before moving with her mother to Elkhart, Indiana, while Lovejoy was still in the fourth grade.[4][7] Her mother, Marcia Fulmer, met her second husband in Elkhart and worked as Arts and Entertainment editor at The Elkhart Truth.[4][7][8] While in the fifth grade, Lovejoy played her first acting role as one of Big Daddy's grandchildren in an Elkhart Civic Theatre production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in which her mother played the part of Mae (dubbed "Sister Woman").[4][7][8] Lovejoy subsequently appeared in several productions at the Elkhart Civic Theatre, often alongside her mother.[8]

In 1980 Lovejoy graduated from Elkhart Memorial High School.[4][8] In 1984 she graduated from the University of Evansville with a double major in Theater and Communications.[4][8] She also earned a Master of Fine Arts from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts three years later.[4][8]

Career

In 1990 Lovejoy appeared in her first television role as Rosemary Kennedy in the ABC mini-series The Kennedys of Massachusetts.[8] Throughout the 1990s and 2000s she appeared on such series as Law & Order, Third Watch, Spin City, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Cold Case and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[9]

From 2002 to 2008 Lovejoy starred as Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman on HBO’s The Wire.[2][4][6] From 2009 to 2011 she played the recurring role of the serial kidnapper and murderer Heather Taffet (aka "The Gravedigger") on the television series Bones. In 2011 Lovejoy also appeared in the role of the mother of a student in the film Bad Teacher starring Cameron Diaz.

Lovejoy has also guest starred or held recurring roles on such TV series as Lie to Me, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Criminal Minds, Body of Proof, Girls, Orange Is the New Black, American Gothic, The Blacklist, and Shameless.[4][2][3][10]

Lovejoy has also appeared in several Broadway productions, including Six Degrees of Separation (1990), Getting and Spending (1998), The Gathering (2001) and Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy starring Tom Hanks (2013).[4][5]

In 2019, Lovejoy took part in Promethea in Prison, a theatrical project that involved a reading of the ancient Greek play Prometheus Bound. It featured an all-female cast that also included Sonja Sohn, one of Lovejoy's co-stars in The Wire.

Also in 2019, Lovejoy starred in a one-person play she wrote, titled Bird Elephant China.[4][5] The autobiographical play dealt with a series of unexplained seizures that Lovejoy experienced in 2009.[4][5] The seizures affected her memory and her ability to walk and talk for almost a year.[4][5] She also experienced hallucinations during this time.[4][5] Lovejoy has been seizure free since 2009.[4]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1996Rescuing DesireBookstore salesgirl
1998Number OneJeanShort film
Sour GrapesNurse Wells
1999Random HeartsOfficer Isabel
The Talented Mr. RipleyFighting neighbor
2000ShaftPolice OfficerUncredited
2001My Sister's WeddingBeverly Modina
Thirteen Conversations About One ThingStudent teacher
2006Step UpNora's mom / Katherine Clark
2009Gloria & EricGloriaShort film
The StepfatherDetective Tylar
2011Bad TeacherSasha's mother
2013Killing VivianToasterShort film
LionheadDetective Lundgren
2014ThirstyDoris Townsend
2016Billy Lynn's Long Halftime WalkDenise Lynn
2017The PostDebbie Regan
Beauty MarkPastor Hodges
2021SpikedChief Collins
2024LillyJocelyn Samuels

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1990The Kennedys of MassachusettsRosemary Kennedy3 episodes
1994Law & OrderJudith CrockitEpisode: "Virtue"
1997Law & OrderCSU TechnicianEpisode: "Thrill"
1998SeinfeldCustomer #3Episode: "The Dealership"
1999TrinityKaren SealeyEpisode: "Breaking In, Breaking Out, Breaking Up, Breaking Down"
Third WatchNancyEpisode: "Patterns"
1999–2000Spin CityReporter3 episodes
2000Perfect Murder, Perfect TownDetective Linda ArndtMiniseries
2000–2001Law & Order: Special Victims UnitHernandez2 episodes
2001EdMs. Tiana DiamondEpisode: "Closure"
2002Without a TraceMrs. Kathy PetersonEpisode: "In Extremis"
Law & Order: Criminal IntentPenny HalliwellEpisode: "Malignant"
2002–2008The WireAsst. State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman45 episodes
2003Strong MedicineTaylorEpisode: "Orders"
Touched by an AngelCourtneyEpisode: "A Time for Every Purpose"
KingpinUnknownEpisode: "Black Magic Woman"
The Lyon's DenMs. Felicity EastonEpisode: "The Fifth"
Judging AmyState AttorneyEpisode: "The Long Goodbye"
2004NYPD BlueMichelle FosterEpisode: "Chatty Chatty Bang Bang"
The West WingLisa Wolfe2 episodes
2005Nip/TuckAllie TedescoEpisode: "Hannah Tedesco"
2006The CloserMelissa LangnerEpisode: "Heroic Measures"
Numb3rsDaria SamsonEpisode: "Waste Not"
2006–2007Close to HomeEllen Porter2 episodes
2007Cold CaseRegie KunzeEpisode: "Justice"
2008UnderDetective June-Mary CavanaughTelevision movie
SharkMonica WellsEpisode: "One Hit Wonder"
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitPenelope FieldingEpisode: "Cold"
Eli StoneA.D.A. Samantha Jarrells2 episodes
2009Lie to MeHolly SandoEpisode: "Unchained"
Saving GraceLinda HallEpisode: "What Would You Do?"
Law & Order: Criminal IntentAgent Carmen MartinoEpisode: "Revolution"
The ForgottenZoe JenksEpisode: "Pilot"
MediumDr. Betty Messner2 episodes
2009–2011BonesHeather Taffet3 episodes
2010OutlawKaren RukheyserEpisode: "In Re: Officer Daniel Hale"
2011Criminal MindsAgent Jenny BatesEpisode: "The Thirteenth Step"
Brothers & SistersMarissa CrandallEpisode: "Father Unknown"
The ProtectorUnknownEpisode: "Affairs"
2012Body of ProofJeannie Morris2 episodes
Private PracticeSean PetrucciEpisode: "Apron Strings"
2013American Horror Story: AsylumLana's hostEpisode: "Continuum"
2014GirlsAunt MargoEpisode: "Flo"
Those Who KillUnknownEpisode: "Surrender"
Orange Is the New BlackChris Maser2 episodes
2016American GothicDetective Linda Cutter9 episodes
ShamelessRita Smith3 episodes
2016–2023The BlacklistCynthia Panabaker28 episodes
2017ElementaryCarrie TraubEpisode: "Be My Guest"
BullRebecca WhelanEpisode: "A Business of Favors"
I Am Elizabeth SmartWanda BarzeeTelevision movie
2018NCIS: New OrleansClaire McDermottEpisode: "Mind Games"
The Good FightFBI Agent AnnabelleEpisode: "Day 492"
2019Raising DionCharlotte TuckRecurring role (8 episodes)
2020RunMary DixieEpisode: "Fuck"
Big DogsRonny Radiant3 episodes
Manhunt: Deadly GamesRudolph's attorneyEpisode: "Open Season"
2021Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDr. MackieEpisode: "Post-Graduate Psychopath"
2024Station 19ConnieEpisode: "Good Grief"
2025 Chicago Med Angela Tucker Episode: "Poster Child"
2026 Daredevil: Born Again Chief Justice 3 episodes

References

  1. ↑ "Today In History". Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Associated Press. June 30, 2016. p. A4. Retrieved April 15, 2019 – via NewspaperArchive.com. Actress Deirdre Lovejoy is 54.
  2. 1 2 3 Cobb, Kayla (July 6, 2016). "Deirdre Lovejoy Talks 'The Wire' And This Year's Murder-Filled Summer Drama, 'American Gothic'". Decider. New York City, New York, United States: New York Post. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Phelan, Paige (October 24, 2014). "'The Wire': Where Are They Now". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California, United States: Lynne Segall. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Lesar, Geoff (January 19, 2019). "Artist Spotlight: Actress Deirdre Lovejoy circles back to Bristol stage". The Goshen News. Goshen, Indiana, United States. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Elkhart Civic Theatre presents Deirdre Lovejoy's 'Bird Elephant China'". The Elkhart Truth. Elkhart, Indiana, United States. January 17, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Elkhart Civic Theatre presents masterclasses, play". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana, United States. January 6, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Staff, Charles (December 30, 1993). "Lovejoy's Odd Job". The Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. p. E1. Retrieved April 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kronemyer, Bob (January 7, 1992). "Elkhart-born actress keeping a busy pace". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana, United States. Retrieved April 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Deirdre Lovejoy at IMDb
  10. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (September 22, 2011). "Deirdre Lovejoy lands 'Body of Proof' role". Digital Spy. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved April 15, 2019.