Sara Rue

Sara Rue (born January 26, 1979)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her performances as Carmen Ferrara on Popular, as Claude Casey on Less than Perfect, and as the Attorney General in Idiocracy. In 2011, she hosted The CW reality series Shedding for the Wedding. She had a recurring role in the comedy Rules of Engagement, as Brenda, the softball teammate and good friend of Jeff Bingham.[a] She had a regular role as Kim on the short-lived ABC sitcom Malibu Country, and appeared in the main cast of the TV Land comedy series Impastor. She is also known for her role as Olivia Caliban in the second season of the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Sara Rue
Rue in September 2010
Born
Sara Schlackman

(1979-01-26) January 26, 1979 (age 45)
OccupationActress
Years active1988–present
Spouses
Mischa Livingstone
(m. 2001; div. 2007)
Kevin Price
(m. 2011)
Children2

Early life

Sara Rue was born Sara Schlackman in New York City, the daughter of Joan Schlackman (née Rue), a municipal employee and former actress, and Marc Schlackman, a stage manager.[2] The elder of two daughters, she was raised in New York, where her parents were active in Broadway theatre. She is Jewish.[3]

Career

Rue began her acting career at the age of nine, appearing in the 1988 film Rocket Gibraltar as Kevin Spacey's daughter. Rue played a very young Roseanne in the first meeting of Roseanne and Dan at a dance on the TV show Roseanne.[4]

She starred in the comedy Grand, before going on to work on Phenom; Minor Adjustments; Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane; ER; The Division and Popular. From 2002 to 2006, she starred in the main role of Claude Casey on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfect. She has appeared in several films, including A Map of the World, Can't Hardly Wait, A Slipping Down Life, Idiocracy, Gypsy 83. She also had a small part as a babysitter in Gore Verbinski's adaptation of The Ring. She impressed director Michael Bay so much that a role was written into the movie Pearl Harbor for her.

Rue appeared uncredited in the 2006 Mike Judge film Idiocracy, in the role of the Attorney General. In 2006, Rue starred in the stage musical Little Egypt with French Stewart, Jenny O'Hara and Gregg Henry at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. She guest-starred in Two and a Half Men as Berta's pregnant youngest daughter. She had a stint on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, playing Dr. Leonard Hofstadter's physician girlfriend Dr. Stephanie Barnett for three episodes. Her first appearance on the show occurred on November 17, 2008. In 2009, Rue appeared in the movies Man Maid and For Christ's Sake. She starred on the short-lived 2009 series Eastwick, based on the novel and movie The Witches of Eastwick. In December 2009, she became a spokesperson for weight loss company Jenny Craig.[5][6]

In October 2010, Rue joined the cast of Rules of Engagement in a recurring role as Brenda, Jeff and Audrey's surrogate.[7]

It was announced in December 2011 that Rue would be writing and starring in a new show on The CW called Poseurs, about a young woman named Lucy whose life is upended when her fiancé moves out and her fresh-from-rehab collegiate best friend, Alexandra, moves in. The two friends pose as a lesbian couple and actually get married in order to stay in the nice apartment building that only allows married couples.[8]

Rue starred in the ABC show Malibu Country as Reba McEntire's upbeat trophy wife neighbor, Kim Sallinger.[9] Malibu Country ran for one season (2012–13). Rue had the title role of Deb Dorfman in the movie Dorfman in Love (2012).[10]

In 2014, Rue appeared in a recurring role as Candace, fiancee of Christy's ex-husband on the CBS sitcom Mom. In 2015, she was cast as main character Dora in the TV Land comedy Impastor.[11] The show was cancelled after its second season in 2016. Rue had a recurring role as Nancy Granville on ABC's American Housewife which was canceled after five seasons. [12]

In 2017, Rue was cast in the recurring role of Olivia Caliban on the second season of the Netflix comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events.[13]

Personal life

Rue married filmmaker Mischa Livingstone in 2001, although they divorced in 2007.[14] Rue married teacher Kevin Price[15] on May 21, 2011, in a traditional Jewish wedding.[16][17] She gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Talulah, in February 2013.[18] She and Price adopted a second daughter, Adelaide, in November 2016.[19]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988Rocket GibraltarJessica Hanson
1992Passed AwayMegan Scanlan
1998Can't Hardly WaitEarth Girl
1998Nowhere to Goa.k.a. Silent Hearts (USA: TV title)
1999A Slipping-Down LifeViolet
1999A Map of the WorldDebbie
2001Pearl HarborNurse Martha
2001Gypsy 83Gypsy Vale
2002The RingBabysitter
2005Barbara JeanBarbara JeanShort film
2006Danny Roane: First Time DirectorCharlotte Lewis
2006IdiocracyAttorney General "Fun Bags" (Uncredited)
2008Man MaidTorry
2009Not Since YouSarah 'Doogs' Doogins
2010For Christ's SakeCandy
2011Dorfman in LoveDeb Dorfman
2013Miss DialSam
2020American Pie Presents: Girls' RulesEllenDirect-to-video

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990GrandEdda PasettiMain role (26 episodes)
1992RoseanneTeenage RoseanneEpisode: "Halloween IV"
1993–94PhenomMonicaRecurring role (14 episodes)
1995BlossomAngieEpisode: "Mating Rituals"
1995Family Reunion: A Relative NightmareJacquelynTelevision movie
1995–96Minor AdjustmentsDarby GladstoneMain role (20 episodes)
1996ERJaneEpisode: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
1996PearlBertha SugsEpisode: "Ticket to Ride "
1996For My Daughter's HonorKimberly JonesTelevision movie; a.k.a. Indecent Seduction
1997Ned & StaceyAmyEpisode: "Prom Night"
1997Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildYounger Sister (voice)Episode: "The Golden Goose"
1998Chicago HopeRhonda FritzEpisode: "The Ties That Bind"
1998The Simple LifeMelanieEpisodes: "Pilot", "Sara's Ex", and "The Luke & Sara Show"
1999Zoe, Duncan, Jack & JaneBreeny KennedyEpisodes: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Zoe", "To Jack, from Zoe", and "Sympathy for Jack"
1999–2001PopularCarmen FerraraMain role (43 episodes)
2000, 2018Will & GraceJoyce AdlerEpisodes: "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (season 3), "One Job" (season 9)
2002–03The DivisionAmanda McCaffertyEpisodes: "Hide and Seek", "Remembrance", and "Acts of Betrayal"
2003MADtvThe BabysitterEpisode #9.11
2002–06Less than PerfectClaudia "Claude" CaseyLead role (81 episodes)
2003This Time AroundGabby CastellaniTelevision movie
2006Play NiceTelevision movie
2006–07Two and a Half MenNaomiEpisodes: "Repeated Blows to His Unformed Head" and "Castrating Sheep in Montana"
2007NursesChris KorenekTelevision movie
2008The Big Bang TheoryDr. Stephanie BarnettEpisodes: "The Lizard-Spock Expansion", "The White Asparagus Triangulation" and "The Vartabedian Conundrum"
2008Nightmare at the End of the HallCourtneyTelevision movie
2008SpacedAprylTelevision movie
2009LeverageMarissa DevinsEpisode: "The Mile High Job"
2009–10EastwickPenny HigginsMain role
2010Private PracticeShira ColeEpisode: "Til Death Do Us Part"
2010–13Rules of EngagementBrendaRecurring role (12 episodes)
2011My Future BoyfriendElizabeth BarrettTelevision movie
2011Shedding for the WeddingHerself – HostRegular (5 episodes)
2011RuPaul's Drag Race 3Herself – Guest JudgeEpisodes: "Face, Face, Face of Cakes" and "RuPaul Rewind"
2012PsychAmy AllerisEpisode: "Heeeeere's Lassie"
2012–13Malibu CountryKim SallingerMain role
2014–16MomCandace HayesRecurring role (7 episodes)
2014–17Celebrity Name GameHerself / Celebrity player15 episodes
2015–16ImpastorDora WinstonMain role
2015Don't Wake MommyBethTelevision movie
2016–17BonesKaren DelfsRecurring role (7 episodes)
2017All For LoveJoTelevision Film (Hallmark Channel)
2017–2020American HousewifeNancy GranvilleRecurring role
2018A Series of Unfortunate EventsOlivia CalibanRecurring role (7 episodes)
2018–2019, 2022, 2024The RookieNell Forester6 episodes
2019True Love BloomsVikkiTelevision Film (Hallmark Channel)
2020–2021B PositiveJulia DunbarMain role
2020–202225 Words or LessHerself / Contestant15 episodes
2024That Girl Lay LayMs. HooperEpisode: "School of Rap"

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyAwardWorkResult
2004Indianapolis International Film FestivalSpecial Jury Prize: Performance (Shared with Lili Taylor)A Slipping-Down LifeWon
2009Ashland Independent Film FestivalBest Acting Ensemble: Feature (Shared with Phillip Vaden, Jane Lynch, Steve Hytner and John Doe)Man MaidWon
2013LA Femme International Film FestivalComedic Actress AwardWon

References

Notes