Rena Sofer

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Rena Sofer
Rena Sofer 2014.jpg
Sofer in 2014
Born Rena Sherel Sofer
(1968-12-02) December 2, 1968 (age 55)
Arcadia, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1988–present
Spouse(s) Wally Kurth (m. 1995–97)
Sanford Bookstaver (m. 2003)
Children 2

Rena Sherel Sofer (born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, primarily known for her appearances in daytime television, episodic guest appearances, and made-for-television movies. In 1995, Sofer received a Daytime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Lois Cerullo in the soap opera General Hospital.

Early life

Sofer was born in Arcadia, California, the daughter of Susan (née Franzblau), a psychology professor, and Martin Sofer, a Conservative Jewish rabbi.[1][2] Her family subsequently moved to Pittsburgh, where she was raised after her parents' divorce.[1] Sofer attended the Frisch School, a Jewish high school in Paramus, New Jersey.[3] She lived in North Bergen, New Jersey, where her father was Rabbi of Temple Beth El, and graduated from North Bergen High School, before beginning classes at Montclair State College.[4][5]

Career

Early daytime television

Sofer first played Lois Marie Cerullo on General Hospital. Her first appearance was in 1993 as a band manager.

Daytime television

Sofer's first high-profile role was as Rocky on the daytime soap opera Loving (1988–91). She is perhaps best known for her role as Lois Cerullo on General Hospital (December 15, 1993 – September 24, 1996). She would later return as a guest star (February 7–17, 1997; September 30-October 2, 1997). Her portrayal of the outrageous Lois won Sofer a Daytime Emmy Award in 1995 for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series."

In May 2013, it was announced that Sofer would join the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, in a newly created role of Quinn Fuller, and first aired on July 12.[6]

Primetime television

Sofer has appeared in several high-profile prime time television series in a guest star/supporting cast member roles: Seinfeld, Melrose Place, The Chronicle, Ed, Friends, Spin City, Blind Justice, Ghost Whisperer, 24, NCIS, and Two and a Half Men.

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.[7] It was widely reported[by whom?] 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.[citation needed] 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. A farewell episode for her character had been produced, but it was not shown during the show's first run. It aired in syndication. The network later cast Sofer in the short-lived US remake of the UK series Coupling.

In recent years, 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 appeared on Two and a Half Men in 2008, as a former girlfriend of the character Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen).[8] Rena also has guest starred on Dirty Sexy Money playing an intrepid reporter[9] and played a ghost on Ghost Whisperer. In early 2010, Sofer began a recurring role on NCIS as Attorney Margaret Allison Hart, who is a potential love interest for the character Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). She had a brief guest role on Bones as a love interest for the character Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz).

In 2013, Sofer had a publicized appearance on Once Upon A Time, playing Snow White's mother.

Film

In film, she appeared as a love interest of Ben Stiller's character in the film Keeping the Faith, starring Jenna Elfman, Stiller and Edward Norton (who also directed). She also played a bride to-be with Melanie Griffith in Sidney Lumet's movie A Stranger Among Us and in Penelope Buitenhuis's movie The Secret of Hidden Lake.

She played the P.E. teacher Ms. Desjarden in the television film adaptation of Carrie in 2002.

She starred in the television movie Always and Forever which aired October 24, 2009 on the Hallmark Channel.

She also starred as Andrea Larson in the television movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style.

Personal life

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

Sofer married television 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.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
Film
1992 A Stranger Among Us Shayna
1992 Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Andrea Larson TV Movie
1994 Twin Sitters Judy
1996 Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story Kerry Ellison TV Movie
1997 The Stepsister Darcy Canfield Ray TV Movie
1998 Nightmare Street Penny Randolph
2000 Keeping the Faith Rachel Rose
2000 Traffic Helena's Friend
2001 March Hedy Pullman
2002 Carrie Miss Desjarden TV Movie
2006 The Secret of Hidden Lake Maggie Dolan TV Movie
2009 Rock Slyde Sara
2009 Always and Forever Grace Holland TV Movie
2010 Sarah Teenage Sarah
2010 The Devil's Teardrop Joan TV Movie
2011 Another Man's Wife Hadley Warner TV Movie
Television
1987 Another World Joyce Abernathy
1988-1991 Loving Amelia McKenzie Domeq
1992 Freshman Dorm Veronica Episode: "Sex, Truth, and Theatre"
Episode: "The Last Sonnet"
1993 Herman's Head Stephanie Episode: "When Hermy Met Crawford's Girlfriend"
1993-1997 General Hospital Lois Cerullo
1996 Caroline in the City Risa Glickman Episode: "Caroline and the Nice Jewish Boy"
1997 Seinfeld Mary Anne Episode: "The Muffin Tops"
1998 Glory, Glory Elizabeth TV Pilot
1998 Ellen Jean Episode: "Womyn Fest"
1998 Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place Lauren Henderson Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Recovery"
1998 Timecop Dr. Carrie Ann Trent Episode: "D.O.A."
1998-1999 Melrose Place Eve Cleary 25 episodes
1999 Oh, Grow Up Suzanne Vandermeer 12 episodes
2000 Opposite Sex Ms. Gibson Episode: "Pilot"
2000 Spin City Sam Episode: "Lost and Found"
2001 The Weber Show Dawn Cheswick Episode: "Dog Eat Dog"
2001 Ed Bonnie Hane 7 episodes
2001-2002 The Chronicle Grace Hall 22 episodes
2002 Friends Katie Episode: "The One with the Cooking Class"
2002-2003 Just Shoot Me! Vicki Costa 14 episodes
2003 CSI: Miami Alison Episode: "Grave Young Men"
2003 Coupling Susan Freeman 9 episodes
2005 Blind Justice Christie Dunbar 13 episodes
2006-2007 Heroes Heidi Petrelli 5 episodes
2007 24 Marilyn Bauer 12 episodes
2008 Ghost Whisperer Tammy Episode: "Ball & Chain"
2008, 2010 Two and a Half Men Chrissy Episode: "Taterhead is Our Love Child"
Episode: "Gumby with a Pokey"
2009 Dirty Sexy Money News Reporter Episode: "The Facts"
2009 Monk Kim Kelly Episode: "Mr. Monk's Favorite Show"
2009 Criminal Minds Erika Silverman Episode: "The Slave of Duty"
2010 Bones Dr. Catherine Bryar Episode: "The Predator in the Pool"
2010 NCIS Margaret Allison Hart 6 episodes
2010 Royal Pains AJ Episode: "Open Up Your Yenta Mouth and Say Ah"
2010 Medium Dr. Natalie Salem Episode: "Native Tongue"
2011-2012 Covert Affairs Geena Episode: "Bang and Blame"
Episode: "Letter Never Sent"
Episode: "This is Not America"
2012 House M.D. Marlene Reese Episode: "Man of the House"
2012 The Glades Alexis Cane Episode: "Old Times"
2012 Beauty & the Beast Sabrina Meyer Episode: "Bridesmaid Up!"
2013 Once Upon a Time Queen Eva Episode: "The Queen is Dead"
2013–present The Bold and the Beautiful Quinn Fuller Main role, 283 + Episodes
2014 Chicago PD Doctor Episode: "Chin Check"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Result Ref
1995
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series General Hospital Won
[10]
1995
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress General Hospital Won
[11]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Rena Sofer at the Internet Movie Database
  2. http://www.cityviewnc.com/a-woman-apart-by-nomee-landis
  3. Dickter, Adam. Sofer Sex, The Jewish Week, September 19, 2003.
  4. "Rena Sofer", Oh, Grow Up, WCHS. Accessed September 22, 2011. "Born in Arcadia, California, Rena moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following her parents' divorce, and later to North Bergen, New Jersey, where she finished high school."
  5. Lipton, Michael A. "Heart Condition: For Rena Sofer, Checking into General Hospital Meant Finding a Healing Love with Costar Wally Kurth", People (magazine), October 31, 1994. Accessed September 22, 2011. "Neither parent remarried, and today Sofer maintains close relations with both her father, who presides at Temple Beth El in North Bergen, N.J., and her mother, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of North Carolina in Fayetteville.... She took a drama class during her senior year at North Bergen High School and then, after less than a semester at Montclair State College, took acting lessons in New York."
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  7. Sandell, Scott. "TUNED IN; A New Face, but the Usual 'Shoot'", Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2002. Accessed June 23, 2008.
  8. Waldman, Allison. "Rena Sofer booked on Two and a Half Men", TV Squad, August 8, 2008. Accessed August 12, 2008.
  9. Shhh! Rena Sofer Has a Dirty Sexy Little Secret!" TV Guide. November 10, 2008. Retrieved on November 12, 2008.
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External links