Rena Sofer

Infobox actor


name = Rena Sofer
caption = Rena Sofer as Marilyn Bauer in "24"
birthdate = birth date and age|1968|12|2
location = Arcadia, California
notable role = Marilyn Bauer in "24"
emmyawards = Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress 1995 "General Hospital"

Rena Sherel Sofer (born December 2, 1968 in Arcadia, California) is an American actress.

Early life

Sofer was born to an Orthodox Jewish rabbi father and a psychology teacher mother; her family subsequently moved to Pittsburgh, where she was raised after her parents' divorce. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0812133 Rena Sofer ] ]

Sofer attended the Frisch School, a Yeshiva high school in Paramus, New Jersey. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20031008185419/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=8438 Sofer Sex] , "The Jewish Week", September 19, 2003]

Career

Daytime television

Sofer's first high profile role was as Rocky on the daytime soap opera "Loving", a role she played from 1988 to 1991. She is perhaps best known for her role as Lois Cerullo on "General Hospital" from 1994 to 1996. Her portrayal of the outrageous Lois won Sofer a Daytime Emmy Award in 1995 for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series."

Primetime television

Sofer has appeared in several high profile prime-time TV series in a guest star/supporting cast member roles: "Melrose Place", "The Chronicle", "Ed", "Friends", "Blind Justice", "24", and "Seinfeld".

Sofer was the subject of controversy in the early 2000s when she briefly joined the cast of the NBC sitcom "Just Shoot Me!", playing the character Vicky Costa. [Sandell, Scott. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/200721691.html?dids=200721691:200721691&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Oct+01%2C+2002&author=SCOTT+SANDELL&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=TUNED+IN%3B+A+New+Face%2C+but+the+Usual+'Shoot'&pqatl=google "TUNED IN; A New Face, but the Usual 'Shoot'"] , "Los Angeles Times", October 1, 2002. Accessed June 23, 2008.] It was widely reported that NBC executives forced the producers of the series to add Sofer to the cast, due to executives liking Sofer and wanting to showcase the actress in hopes of making her a break-out star for the network. Sofer's addition to "Just Shoot Me!" was widely panned. With the show being canceled midway through the season, she was quietly written out of the series halfway through the final season; however they had specially written a goodbye episode to her which never appeared during the show's first run but appears in syndication. The network later cast Sofer in the short-lived US remake of the UK series "Coupling".

More recently, Rena Sofer has appeared in the NBC TV series "Heroes" as the recurring character Heidi Petrelli, wife of aspiring politician Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar). She will be on Two and a Half Men in the fall. [Waldman, Allison. [http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/08/08/rena-sofer-booked-on-two-and-a-half-men/ "Rena Sofer booked on Two and a Half Men"] , "TV Squad", August 8, 2008. Accessed August 12, 2008.]

Film

In film, she has appeared as an involuntary love interest of Ben Stiller in the film "Keeping the Faith", starring Jenna Elfman, Stiller, and Edward Norton (who also directed).

She also appeared as a bride to-be in Melanie Griffith's movie A Stranger Among Us.

She also appreared in Penelope Buitenhius's movie The Secret of Hidden Lake.

Personal life

Sofer and "General Hospital" love interest and co-star Wally Kurth became involved as their character's storyline progressed. In 1995, the actors were married, and the couple have a daughter, Rosabel Rosalind Kurth. In 1997, Sofer and Kurth divorced.

Sofer married TV director/producer Sanford Bookstaver in 2003. On August 5 2005, Sofer gave birth to her first child with Bookstaver, named Avalon Leone, in Los Angeles. Sofer and her husband are expecting their second child. ["ABC Soaps Indepth", via celebrity baby blog, February 25, 2008.]

Daughter of a Rabbi, Sofer has a strong Jewish background, and is a fervent supporter of Israeli causes.Fact|date=June 2008

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0812133|name=Rena Sofer