Jessalyn Gilsig


Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in television series, e.g. as Lauren Davis in Boston Public, Gina Russo in Nip/Tuck, Terri Schuester in Glee, and as Siggy Haraldson on the History Channel series Vikings.

Early life

She was born on November 30, 1971 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the daughter of Claire, a writer and translator, and Toby Gilsig, an engineer. She began her acting in a voice work part at age 12 for a National Film Board of Canada production, Masquerade. She is Jewish.

Education

Gilsig attended McGill University in Montreal, from 1989 to 1993, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1993. She later pursued her acting studies further at Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theater Training.

Career

Gilsig began her career as a voice actress. She has done voices in the films such as Masquerade, and for television series such as Young Robin Hood.
She moved to New York City in 1995 where she appeared in several off-Broadway plays. However, it was her association with David E. Kelley that led to her starring role in Boston Public.
After guest-starring in two episodes of Kelley's The Practice, Gilsig was cast in two episodes of another Kelley program, the short-lived Snoops. Although the series was cancelled before Gilsig's episodes were broadcast, Kelley wrote the part of Lauren Davis in Boston Public specifically for her, a series that premiered in September 2000 on FOX; Gilsig would leave the series after the end of the second season in May 2002.
Following her departure from Boston Public, Gilsig joined the cast of Nip/Tuck in 2003 as Gina Russo, a role she continued until 2008. In 2004, she appeared in five episodes of NYPD Blue, followed by four episodes of FOX's Prison Break in 2005.
In addition to her extensive credits in television and theatre, Gilsig has appeared in film, beginning with a small role in the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer. She then provided the speaking voice for Kayley in the animated film Quest for Camelot, with Andrea Corr performing the character's songs. In 2004 she appeared in Chicks with Sticks, as well as See This Movie, and in one of the lead roles in the 2007 movie Flood.
In 2007-2008 she had recurring roles in two television series, playing Shelley, the sister of Tami Taylor, on NBC's Friday Night Lights, and Claire Bennet's biological mother, Meredith Gordon, on Heroes. Gilsig went on to play the main role of Terri Schuester on the Fox show, Glee, from 2009-2012.
In 2013, Gilsig was a series regular, portraying Siggy Haraldson, wife of Earl Haraldson and paramour of Ragnar Lothbrok's brother, Rollo, on the History Channel series Vikings until 2015. In 2017 she joined the cast of Scandal.
On January 24, 2020, Gilsig joined the cast of the Disney+ sports comedy-drama series Big Shot'' as Bertha Russell with John Stamos to replace Shiri Appleby.

Personal life

Gilsig met and briefly dated her future husband Bobby Salomon as a high school student - he was the football team quarterback she described as a "cool guy". Salomon, a film producer, moved to Hollywood in 2002, and the two began dating again. They were married on January 1, 2005 in a traditional Jewish wedding. Gilsig and Salomon have a daughter who was born in September 2006.
Gilsig filed for divorce from Salomon on September 8, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences, having been separated since 2009. In 2013 Gilsig became an American citizen.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984MasqueradeShort film
1989'Short film
1989JacknifeHis Girlfriend
1998The Horse WhispererLucy
1998Quest for CamelotKayley
2004Chicks with SticksPaula Taymore
2004See This MovieAnnie Nicole
2007FloodSamantha 'Sam' Morrison
2008Prom NightAunt Karen Turner
2009'Julie King
2011About FiftyJessica
2013Somewhere SlowAnna Thompson
2020SpreeAndrea

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991'Tina TV series
1991–1992Young Robin HoodGertrude of Griswald 26 episodes
1992Gulliver's TravelsFolia TV series
1998To Have & to HoldPaulaEpisode: "Stuck in the Blizzard with You"
1998ViperAlyssaEpisode: "Family Matters"
1999Seven DaysCarla BoylesEpisode: "Last Card Up"
1999'RJ ShannonEpisode: "The Real Deal"
1999'CallieTV movie
1999'ADA JenniferEpisode: "Loser's Keepers"
Episode: "Victimless Crimes"
2000SnoopsSuzanne ShiversEpisode: "Swan Chant"
Episode: "The Stolen Diskette"
2000–2002Boston PublicLauren Davis44 episodes
2002HauntedElise MartinEpisode: "Three Hour Tour"
2003Without a TraceWhitney RidderEpisode: "Confidence"
2003–2008Nip/TuckGina RussoSeasons 1-2 - Recurring
Season 3 - Series regular
Seasons 4-5 - Guest star
17 episodes
2004NYPD BlueDet. Kelly Ronson5 episodes
2005Fathers and SonsDianne TV movie
2005Prison BreakLisa Rix4 episodes
2006Law & OrderAngela BurquetteEpisode: "Heart of Darkness"
2007Backyards & BulletsEileenTV movie
2007'Dr. Carolyn RossTV movie
2007–2008Friday Night LightsShelley Hayes6 episodes
2007–2008HeroesMeredith Gordon10 episodes
2008'Christine RydellTV movie
2008Jordan Gates3 episodes
2008XIIIKim RowlandTV miniseries
2008-2009Imaginary BitchesJessalynEpisode: "A New Leper in the Colony"
Episode: "Three Bitches Is an Imaginary Crowd "
Episode: "Bitches Emmy Special"
2009–2012,
2015		GleeTerri SchuesterSeasons 1-2 - Series Regular
Season 4,6 - Guest Star
22 episodes
2012Smart CookiesJulie SterlingTV movie
2013–2015VikingsSiggyMain cast
Nominated - Golden Maple Award for Best Actress in a TV series broadcast in the U.S
2013The Good WifeJanie Ludwig1 episode
2014Angels and OrnamentsCorrine NelsonTV movie
2015Evil MenAdelaTV movie
2016ScandalVanessa Moss5 episodes
2018The SweetheartSamanthaTV movie
2019Grand HotelRoxanneEpisode: "A Perfect Storm"
TBABig ShotHollyMain role