Jennifer Marie Morrison is an American actress, director, producer, and former child model. She is mainly known for her roles as Dr.
Allison Cameron
Allison Cameron, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama ''House'', portrayed by American actress Jennifer Morrison. An immunologist, Cameron was a member of Dr. Gregory House's team of handpicked specialists at Princeton-Pla ...
in the medical-drama series ''
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
'' (2004–2012) and
Emma Swan
Emma Swan is a fictional character in ABC's television series '' Once Upon a Time'' and the protagonist of seasons 1-6. She is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison as an adult, by Abby Ross as a teenager, and by Mckenna Grace as a child. Emma appears ...
in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
adventure-fantasy series ''
Once Upon a Time
"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...
'' (2011–2018). She has also portrayed Zoey Pierson, one of
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn Mosby is a fictional character and the protagonist in the American sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', portrayed by Josh Radnor. He serves as the show's narrator from the future, voiced by Bob Saget, as he tells his children the " ...
's love interests, on the comedy series ''
How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
'',
Winona Kirk, mother of
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...
in the 2009 science-fiction film ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', and Tess Conlon in the 2011 sports drama film ''
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
''. She made her feature-film directorial debut with ''
Sun Dogs'' (2017).
Early life
Morrison was born in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, and grew up in
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a municipality in Cook County with a small portion in Lake County in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of the city's downtown. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 77,676. Per the ...
. She is the oldest of three children; her sister, Julia, is a singer-songwriter and music band therapist, and her brother, Daniel, is a high-school band director. Her father, David, is a retired music teacher and high-school band director who was named Teacher of the Year by the
Illinois State Board of Education in 2003.
Morrison attended South Middle School, and then graduated from
Prospect High School (where her parents worked) in 1997. She was an All-State
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
player in the school's marching band, sang in the choir, and was a cheerleader in the school
pep squad
Pep is energy or high spirits; it may refer to:
* Pep band, an ensemble of instrumentalists
* Pep, the dog in ''Putt-Putt'' (series)
* Neilson Dairy confectionery brand
* Pep, New Mexico
* Pep, Texas
* Pep Cereal, by Kellogg
* Pep Comics, by MLJ ...
.
She attended
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...
, where she majored in
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
and minored in English, graduating in 2000. She studied at the
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Unitarian church on Half Day Road in Deerfield, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on ...
before moving to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
to pursue a career in acting.
Career
Beginnings and film roles (1992–2010)
Morrison started her career as a
child model {{unsourced, date=August 2020
A child model refers to a child who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art, such as photography, painting and sculpture.
Practice
Artists have used ...
, appearing in print advertisements for
JCPenney
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
and
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
, and commercials for
Rice Krispies
Rice Krispies (known as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand) is a breakfast cereal, marketed by Kellogg's in 1927 and released to the public in 1928. Rice Krispies are made of crisped rice (rice and sugar paste that is formed into rice ...
and Mondo. She was featured on the cover of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
for Kids'' with basketball star
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in May 1992. Morrison made her feature-film debut at the age of 14 in the 1994 film ''
Intersection
In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their i ...
'', and later appeared as Samantha in ''
Stir of Echoes'' (1999). Morrison's first leading role came in the 2000 film ''
Urban Legends: Final Cut'', and she has since gone on to appear in films including ''
Grind
A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (me ...
'' (2003), ''
Surviving Christmas
''Surviving Christmas'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell, written by Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan, Jennifer Ventimilia, and Joshua Sternin, based on a story by Elfont and Kaplan, and starring Ben Affleck, Jam ...
'' (2004), and ''
Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005).
In 2004, Morrison won the role of
immunologist Dr. Allison Cameron on ''House''. She played the role for the first six seasons of the show, from 2004 to 2009. Morrison's character left in the 2009 episode "
Teamwork
Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This concept is seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of interdependent individual ...
", but returned in the 2010 episode "
Lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
" to conclude Cameron's story. Morrison returned for the series finale "
Everybody Dies" in 2012. In 2006, Morrison starred in and produced the
independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
''
Flourish''. She is also one of the producers who found ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' during its early draft and brought it to attention of writer
Ryan Murphy, who adapted it into a television series. Morrison did not stay involved creatively, but is credited as an associate producer on the first season for her involvement in finding it and helping it get into the right hands.
In 2007, Morrison appeared as
Kirce James in the computer game ''
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars'', a character who frequently interacts with the player during the course of the GDI campaign. Her film projects that year included ''
Big Stan'' and ''
The Murder of Princess Diana
''The Murder of Princess Diana'' is a 2007 Lifetime Television movie, directed by John Strickland and starring Jennifer Morrison as an American reporter. The film was based on the book by Noel Botham. Reg Gadney and Emma Reeves wrote the telepl ...
'', a television film based on the book of the same name by
Noel Botham
Noel Botham (23 January 1940 – 23 November 2012) was a British tabloid journalist and prolific author.
He wrote books on the love-life of Princess Margaret (''Margaret: The Untold Story'' and ''Margaret: The Last Real Princess'') and the dea ...
. Produced by
Lifetime and
Working Title Television, Morrison portrays an American journalist who witnesses
the car crash that took the life of
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
. In 2009, Morrison returned to the big screen, appearing in the opening scene of
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
' ''Star Trek'' reboot as James T. Kirk's mother, Winona. After her contract on ''House'' was not renewed, it was announced in December 2009 that Morrison had won the role of Kate Keller,
Helen Keller's mother, in the Broadway-bound revival of ''
The Miracle Worker
''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography '' The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and st ...
''.
''Once Upon A Time'' and television (2011–present)
In the fall of 2010, Morrison appeared as a guest star in the fourth episode of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
Chase
Chase or CHASE may refer to:
Businesses
* Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York
* Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company
* Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England
* Chase Co ...
''. She played the role of Faith, a single mother-turned-fugitive, who embarks on a bloody killing spree across
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
with her little daughter. She then joined the cast of
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's ''
How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
'' as recurring character Zoey Pierson, a mischievous architecture nerd and love interest of main character
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn Mosby is a fictional character and the protagonist in the American sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', portrayed by Josh Radnor. He serves as the show's narrator from the future, voiced by Bob Saget, as he tells his children the " ...
's, and "the biggest female character we've maybe ever added to the show in Ted's life", according to executive producer
Craig Thomas.
In 2011, Morrison appeared in ''
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
'', a film about two estranged brothers who enter a
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
tournament and are forced to confront their struggling relationship with each other and with their father. Morrison plays the wife of
Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton (born 23 June 1974) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his appearance in the ''Star Wars'' films ''Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and ''Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) as a young Owen Lars, a role he reprised i ...
's character, struggling to keep her family together.
Starting in October 2011, Morrison had a starring role in ABC's ''Once Upon a Time''. She played the role of
Emma Swan
Emma Swan is a fictional character in ABC's television series '' Once Upon a Time'' and the protagonist of seasons 1-6. She is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison as an adult, by Abby Ross as a teenager, and by Mckenna Grace as a child. Emma appears ...
, a bail-bonds collector who turns out to be the daughter of
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
and
Prince Charming
Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, incl ...
.
In April 2016, Morrison launched her own film production company, Apartment 3C Productions,
named after the apartment she shared with her friends during her time at
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...
. She directed her first feature film, ''Sun Dogs'', under this label during the summer of 2016.
[ In December 2017, ]Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
announced it had acquired worldwide streaming rights to the film.
In March 2017, it was announced that Morrison was cast as Stephanie in an off-Broadway revival of the play ''The End of Longing
''The End of Longing'' is a Black comedy, dark comedy Play (theatre), play written by Matthew Perry. The play, which marked Perry's playwriting debut, made its West End theatre, West End and world premiere at the Playhouse Theatre in February 2016 ...
''. The performance lasted from May 18 to July 1, 2017. On May 8, 2017, Morrison announced via social media that she would not be returning to ''Once Upon a Time'' as a series regular for season seven, while also noting that she had agreed to return as a guest for one episode. That episode was the season's second, which aired in October 2017. However, she ultimately returned for the series finale, which aired in May 2018.
Morrison co-starred in '' Amityville: The Awakening'' as Candice. Originally shot in 2014, the film was released on Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...
on October 12, 2017, with a limited theatrical release on October 28, 2017. In 2017, she made her feature film directorial debut with '' Sun Dogs'', starring Michael Angarano
Michael Anthony Angarano (born December 3, 1987) is an American actor. He became known for his roles in the film '' Music of the Heart'' (1999) and the television series '' Cover Me'' (2000–2001), as well as for playing a recurring role as Ell ...
, Melissa Benoist
Melissa Marie Benoist ( ; born October 4, 1988) is an American actress, singer and producer. Her first major role was Marley Rose on the Fox musical comedy drama ''Glee'' (2012–2014), where she was a series regular during the fifth season. S ...
, and Allison Janney
Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. In a career spanning three decades, she is known for her performances across multiple genres of screen and stage. Janney has received various accolades, including an Academ ...
. In June 2019, Morrison was confirmed to join the cast of ''This Is Us
''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It s ...
'' in a recurring role for the fourth season as Cassidy Sharp, an alcoholic and Marine veteran grappling with her return to civilian life. She returned to guest star in season 5 and 6.
Personal life
Morrison began dating her ''House'' co-star Jesse Spencer
Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1994–2000, 2005, 2022), Robert Chase on the American medical drama ...
in 2004. Spencer proposed to Morrison at the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
on December 23, 2006, but in August 2007, they called off their engagement. Morrison started dating ''Prison Break
''Prison Break'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial drama television show, television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purce ...
'' star Amaury Nolasco
Amaury Nolasco Garrido (born December 24, 1970) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the Fox television series '' Prison Break'', and for his role in ''Transformers''.
Early life
Nolasco was born ...
in 2009; the relationship reportedly lasted three years. In summer 2012, Morrison and Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan (born August 13, 1982) is a Romanian-American actor. He gained recognition for his role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise beginning with the film '' Captain America: The First Ave ...
began dating, having met on the ''Once Upon A Time'' set. They dated for a year, breaking up in mid-2013. She began dating Gerardo Celasco in 2019. On March 14, 2022, they were seen sporting wedding bands at the ''Swimming with Sharks
''Swimming with Sharks'' (also known as ''The Boss'' and ''Buddy Factor'') is a 1994 American black comedy / thriller drama film written and directed by George Huang and starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley and Michelle Forbes.
Plot
Buddy Acker ...
'' premiere at the 2022 South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
in Austin, TX. On April 8, 2022, Morrison confirmed they had married.
Filmography
Film
Television
Director
Music videos
Video games
Theatre
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Jennifer
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Chicago
American child actresses
American child models
Female models from Illinois
American stage actresses
American people of Irish descent
American film actresses
American television actresses
Loyola University Chicago alumni
People from Arlington Heights, Illinois
Year of birth missing (living people)