Anna Chlumsky

Anna Maria Chlumsky (; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress. She began acting as a child, and first became known for playing Vada Sultenfuss in the film '' My Girl'' (1991) and its sequel, ''My Girl 2''. Following her early roles, she went on hiatus from 1999 to 2005 to attend college.

Chlumsky returned to acting with roles in several independent films, including ''Blood Car'' (2007) and '' In the Loop'' (2009). She portrayed Amy Brookheimer on the HBO television series ''Veep'' (2012–2019), which earned her six nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, among other accolades.

Early life

Chlumsky was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Nancy (''née'' Zuncic), a singer, actress, and former flight attendant, and Frank Chlumsky Jr., a chef and saxophone player. She was raised in a Catholic family. She is of Czech and Croatian descent.

Career

1989–1998: First roles

Chlumsky entered show business at an early age, modeling with her mother in an advertising campaign, though her roles in '' My Girl'' (1991) and ''My Girl 2'' (1994) brought her fame. She also starred in '' Trading Mom'' (1994) with Sissy Spacek, and in '' Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain'' (1995) with Christina Ricci. In the mid- to late 1990s, she appeared and starred in several television films and series.

1999–2005: University and hiatus from acting

Chlumsky took a break from acting to attend the University of Chicago, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in 2002. After college, she was hired as a fact-checker for the Zagat Survey and moved to New York City, which was followed by a position as an editorial assistant for a HarperCollins science fiction-fantasy imprint. However, she felt her career in the publishing industry was lackluster and unsatisfying, and ultimately returned to acting after she completed formal training at the Atlantic Acting School in Manhattan.

2006–present: Return to acting

Chlumsky appeared as Mary Calvin in a season 17 episode of ''Law & Order'', first airing on January 12, 2007; and as Lisa Klein in a season 20 episode, first airing on March 15, 2010. In March 2007, she appeared in the ''30 Rock'' episode " The Fighting Irish" as Liz Lemler, a romantic rival of protagonist Liz Lemon, who receives flowers meant for Lemler. Chlumsky was in four episodes of the ABC dramedy ''Cupid'' in 2009. Later that year, she starred in the Lifetime Television movie '' 12 Men of Christmas'' as Jan Lucas.

She starred in the Off Broadway production of ''Unconditional'' by Brett C. Leonard at The Public Theater, which opened in February 2008; it was produced by the LAByrinth Theater Company. She also starred in Lanford Wilson's ''Balm in Gilead'' in November 2005 at the American Theatre of Actors in New York City.

In 2009, she appeared in Armando Iannucci's BBC Films political satire '' In The Loop'', co-starring with Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison, James Gandolfini, and Mimi Kennedy, a quasi-spinoff of Iannucci's BBC
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