Amy Acker
Encyclopedia
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...

as Winifred Burkle
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...

 and Illyria and on Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

as Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton is a fictional character played by Amy Acker on the television series Alias. She works for a terrorist organization known as Prophet Five, which is the focus of the fifth and final season of the series.-Character biography:...

. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...

.

Early life

Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she graduated Lake Highlands High School
Lake Highlands High School
Lake Highlands High School is a secondary school serving grades 10-12 located in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas, Texas, United States, primarily serving the Lake Highlands community. The school is part of the Richardson Independent School District and is located centrally within Lake Highlands...

. She subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

.

In her junior year of college, Acker enjoyed a short stint of modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

 work for the J. Crew clothing catalog. In 1999, she was nominated for a Leon Rabin award
Leon Rabin Awards
Named after the Leon Rabin, an arts patron who devoted his life to the development of Dallas based arts and artists, the Leon Rabin Awards , the Awards served as an avenue to recognize the numerous artists who support these theatres, as well as a way to showcase the vast and diverse talent that...

 for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role" for her performance in the play Thérèse Raquin
Thérèse Raquin
Thérèse Raquin is the title of a novel and a play by the French writer Émile Zola. The novel was originally published in serial format in the journal L'Artiste and in book format in December of the same year.-Plot introduction:Thérèse Raquin tells the story of a young woman, unhappily married to...

. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...

 degree in the same year. She worked as a stage actress for several seasons, including a stint at American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre is a classical theater located just south of Spring Green, Wisconsin. It includes a 1,148-seat outdoor amphitheater....

 in Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,444 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Spring Green.-Geography:Spring Green is located at ....

.

Career

Acker made her major television debut when she starred as Winifred "Fred" Burkle
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...

 on the second through fifth seasons of Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...

and also as the character of Illyria
Illyria (Buffyverse)
Illyria is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker. She is a regular during the last third of season five, after she possesses Fred Burkle's body.-Character history:...

 for part of the show's fifth and final season. She won the 2003 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
The following are a list of Saturn Award nominees & winners for Best Supporting Actress on Television:*1999: Justina Vail - Seven Days**Charisma Carpenter - Angel**Virginia Hey - Farscape**Heather Matarazzo - Now and Again...

 for her portrayal.

In 2005, she joined the cast of Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

for its final season, playing the villainous character Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton is a fictional character played by Amy Acker on the television series Alias. She works for a terrorist organization known as Prophet Five, which is the focus of the fifth and final season of the series.-Character biography:...

. Acker graduated from guest star to fully credited cast member as the show entered the final episodes in April and May 2006.

Also in 2005, Acker provided voice acting for the character of Huntress on the animated series Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...

.

Acker guest starred on fellow Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...

 actress Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...

's show How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...

, in which she was reunited with Angel co-star Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof is an American actor who is known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.-Early life:...

 (Hannigan's real-life husband), who had a recurring role on the show.

She portrayed Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey, a recurring character on Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

's Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...

. Acker guest starred in ten out of the thirteen episodes of the first season and three episodes of the second season.

In 2010, she was a series regular in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 drama Happy Town
Happy Town (TV series)
Happy Town is an American drama television series that premiered on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, and ended on June 16, 2010 on ABC. It was created by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg...

, portraying the character Rachel Conroy. She will also co-star in Whedon's upcoming comedy/horror movie The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods is an upcoming American tongue-in-cheek thriller-horror film, co-written and directed by Drew Goddard and co-written and produced by Joss Whedon. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Amy Acker.-Plot:...

in 2011. Also in 2010, she starred in FOX series Human Target season one finale as the mysterious Katherine Walters. On May 25, 2010 she appeared on CBS's The Good Wife.

Personal life

On April 25, 2003, Acker and actor James Carpinello
James Carpinello
James Carpinello is an American film, television, and Broadway actor who came to national attention with his appearances in Tori Spelling's VH1 sitcom So NoTORIous. He is also in Rock of Ages.-Broadway productions:...

 were married in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. On January 22, 2005 she gave birth to a son, Jackson James Carpinello, and on September 1, 2006 to a daughter, Ava Grace.

Film

Title Year Role
The Accident 2001 Nina
Groom Lake
Groom Lake (film)
Groom Lake aka The Visitor is a 2002 film directed by William Shatner and starring Amy Acker....

2002 Kate
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...

2002 Miggy
The Novice 2004 Jill
Mr. Dramatic
Mr. Dramatic
Mr. Dramatic is a 2005 American short comedy film. It was directed and written by John Stalberg, Jr..- Cast :* Oliver Hudson ... as Mr. Dramatic* Amy Acker ... as Jodi * Rachel Nichols ... as Girl at Bar* Katharine Towne ... as Elizabeth...

2005 Jodi
Crossroads 2006 Jill
A Near Death Experience 2008 Ellie/Elly
Fire and Ice: The Dragon Chronicles
Fire and Ice: The Dragon Chronicles
Fire & Ice is a 2008 action film by MediaPro Pictures and the Sci Fi Channel directed by Jean-Christophe Comar.The special effects and the CGI were entirely created in Romania.-Cast:* Amy Acker - Princess Luisa* Tom Wisdom as Gabriel...

2008 Princess Luisa
21 and a Wake-Up
21 and a Wake-Up
21 and Wake-Up is a 2010 American war film starring Amy Acker, Danica McKellar, Faye Dunaway, and was directed and written by producer, director, and writer Chris McIntyre....

2008 Caitlin Murphy
Sironia
Sironia
Sironia is a drama film directed by Brandon Dickerson. It stars Amy Acker, Wes Cunningham, Tony Hale, Robyn Lively, and Carrie Preston shot on location in Waco, Texas and Los Angeles, California.-Plot:...

2010 Molly
Dear Santa
Dear Santa
Dear Santa was a Christmas TV special that aired December 9, 2005 on Fox and November 28, 2006 on ABC Family.-Plot:The special focused on Santa Claus granting the wishes of children via letters from Operation Santa of the United States Postal Service, and having the kids' favorite celebrities,...

2011 Crystal
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods is an upcoming American tongue-in-cheek thriller-horror film, co-written and directed by Drew Goddard and co-written and produced by Joss Whedon. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Amy Acker.-Plot:...

2012 Wendy Lin
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing (2012 film)
Much Ado About Nothing is an independent film made by Joss Whedon and based on the Shakespeare play of the same name. The film is due to be released in 2012.-Production:...

2012 Beatrice

Dear Santa
Dear Santa
Dear Santa was a Christmas TV special that aired December 9, 2005 on Fox and November 28, 2006 on ABC Family.-Plot:The special focused on Santa Claus granting the wishes of children via letters from Operation Santa of the United States Postal Service, and having the kids' favorite celebrities,...

|| 2011 || Crystal

Television

Title Year Role Notes
Wishbone
Wishbone (TV series)
Wishbone is a television show which aired from 1995 to 1998 and reruns from 1998 to 2001 in the United States featuring a Jack Russell Terrier of the same name. The main character, the talking dog Wishbone, lives with his owner Joe Talbot in the fictional modern town of Oakdale, Texas...

1995–1997 Catherine Morland / Priscilla / Venus 3 episodes
To Serve and Protect 1999 Melissa Jorgensen
Special Unit 2
Special Unit 2
Special Unit 2 is a short-lived, American sci-fi/comedy television series, filmed in Vancouver, BC and aired on UPN for two seasons from April 2001 through February 2002...

2001 Nancy 1 episode "The Invisible"
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show. It stars the original stars of the series Adam West and Burt Ward as themselves, with Jack Brewer and Jason Marsden portraying the young West/Batman and Ward/Robin...

2003 Bonney Lindsey (Mrs. Burt Ward)
Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...

2001-2004 Winifred "Fred" Burkle
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...

 / Illyria 
71 episodes
Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...

2005 Andrea Barr 1 episode "Dead in the Water"
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...

2005-2006 Huntress
Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)
Huntress is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Based upon the Earth-Two character Helena Wayne, she is one of several DC characters to bear the Huntress name...

 
4 episodes (voiceover)
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...

2006 Penelope 1 episode "Come On"
Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

2005-2006 Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton
Kelly Peyton is a fictional character played by Amy Acker on the television series Alias. She works for a terrorist organization known as Prophet Five, which is the focus of the fifth and final season of the series.-Character biography:...

 
13 episodes
Drive
Drive (TV series)
Drive is a short-lived American action drama television series created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen, produced by Minear, Queen, and Greg Yaitanes, and starring Nathan Fillion, four episodes of which aired on the Fox network in April 2007...

2007 Kathryn Tully  3 episodes
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...

2007 Leslie LeZard 1 episode- "Smile"
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...

2007 Tessa 1 episode - "Weight of What Was"
October Road
October Road (TV series)
October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...

2008 Girl in Blue Uniform / Jenny Bristol 2 episodes
Private Practice 2008 Molly 1 episode - "A Family Thing")
Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...

2009-2010 Dr. Claire Saunders / Whiskey  14 episodes
Happy Town
Happy Town (TV series)
Happy Town is an American drama television series that premiered on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, and ended on June 16, 2010 on ABC. It was created by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg...

2010 Rachel Conroy 8 episodes
The Good Wife 2010 Trish Arkin 1 episode - "Running"
Human Target 2010 Katherine Walters 1 episode
No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family is an American television series on ABC. The 45-minute science fiction comedy-drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–11 television season. The series ran from September 28, 2010 to April 5, 2011, on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT...

2010 Amanda 2 episodes
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...

2011 Sandy Colfax 1 Episode -"Man up"

External links

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