Megan Gallagher (born February 6, 1960) is an American theater and television actress. Having studied at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

under the supervision of

John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director ...

, Gallagher began her career on stage, and has appeared in several

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

productions, winning a

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre, Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945� ...

for her role in ''

A Few Good Men ''A Few Good Men'' is a 1992 American legal drama film based on Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play. It was written by Sorkin, directed by Rob Reiner, and produced by Reiner, David Brown and Andrew Scheinman. It stars an ensemble cast including Tom Cru ...

''. From there, Gallagher moved 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 acting in film and television; after making a screen debut in ''

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

'', she graduated to recurring roles in ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'' and ''

China Beach ''China Beach'' is an American war drama television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, nicknamed "China Beach" in English by American and Australia ...

'', and starring roles in ''

The Slap Maxwell Story ''The Slap Maxwell Story'' (sometimes seen in print as ''The "Slap" Maxwell Story'') is a sitcom broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987–88 lineup. It starred Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for ...

,'' ''

The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...

'' and ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

''. The role of Catherine Black in that series had been written with Gallagher in mind.

Early life

Gallagher was born in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

on February 6, 1960, to Aileen and Donald Gallagher. She was the fifth of six children. Her mother had also been an actor in her youth, retiring when she began a family. Gallagher credits her own career to her mother, who would take her to

productions as a child. She has also cited

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

as influences on her career. She attended

Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School is a secondary school serving the Wyomissing Area School District. Located in the borough of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, United States, the school has approximately 950 students in grades seven through twe ...

, where she elected not to attend her high school prom in order to continue her rehearsals at a local community theatre
Genesius Theatre
Gallagher moved to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

to study acting at the

under the tutelage of

. Included in her class were

Penny Johnson Jerald Penny Johnson Jerald (born March 14, 1961) is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series ''The Larry Sanders Show'', Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', Sherry Palmer ...

Lorraine Toussaint Lorraine Toussaint () is a Trinidadian-American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Toussaint began her career in theatre before ...

Jack Kenny Jack Kenny (born March 9, 1958) is an American writer, director, actor, and producer. Early life and education Kenny was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Sally (from Guantanamo, Cuba), a mother and housewife, and Jack, Jr. (from Chicago, I ...

and

Jack Stehlin John Anthony Stehlin III (pronounced "Stay-lin"; born July 21, 1966), known as Jack Stehlin, is an American television and theater actor who has played the role of DEA Captain Roy Till on the Showtime television series '' Weeds''. Early life and ...

. She then relocated to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to further pursue her career; during this time she also took on a job taking care of stray cats.

Career

Gallagher began her career on stage, appearing in a production of

Paul Osborn Paul Osborn (September 4, 1901 – May 12, 1988) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Osborn's original plays are '' The Vinegar Tree'', ''Oliver Oliver'', and ''Morning's at Seven'' and among his several successful adaptations, ''On Borr ...

''Oliver Oliver'' before being cast in the 1989 Broadway production of

Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. Sorkin has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime E ...

's ''

''. Her portrayal of

LCDR LCDR may refer to: * The London, Chatham and Dover Railway * The rank of lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. ...

JoAnne Galloway in the latter production earned her a

, and an

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

. In 1993, she took part in Broadway productions of both parts of ''

Angels in America ''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for O ...

: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes''—''Millennium Approaches'' and ''Perestroika''. Gallagher's television debut was in the miniseries ''

''. She gained the lead role in the pilot ''At Your Service'', and a guest spot in the first episode of ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

''. She then went on to appear as a series regular towards the end of ''

'' run, before going on to play a recurring role in ''

''; she still maintains a friendship with ''China Beach'' co-star

Robert Picardo Robert Alphonse Picardo (born October 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the Cowboy in ''Innerspace'', Coach Cutlip on ''The Wonder Years'', Captain Dick Richard on the ABC series ''China Beach'', the Doctor on '' Star ...

. Gallagher's role of Catherine Black in ''

'' had been written by creator Chris Carter with her in mind specifically, as he had been impressed with her work as Jeannie Sanders on ''

''. Gallagher was also keen to work with Carter, having admired his creation of the character

Dana Scully Dana Katherine Scully, MD, is a fictional character and one of the two Protagonist, protagonists in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox science-fiction, supernatural fiction, supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by Gillian Anders ...

for ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'', whom she saw as a positive example of an intriguing female character on television. Gallagher also appeared in the legal drama '' Suits'', acting alongside her Juilliard classmate

Wendell Pierce Wendell Edward Pierce (born December 8, 1963) is an American actor and businessman. Having trained at Juilliard School, Pierce rose to prominence as a character actor portraying roles both on the stage and screen. He first gained notoriety portra ...

Personal life

Gallagher is married to actor

Jeff Yagher Jeffrey Brian Yagher (born January 18, 1961) is an American actor. Personal life Born in Lawrence, Kansas, he graduated from Ohio State University and then attended the Yale School of Drama, where he appeared in productions of ''The Vultures'', ...

, and has two children—a pair of twins. She is related by marriage to actress

Catherine Hicks Catherine Mary Hicks (born August 6, 1951) is an American actress. She played the character Annie Camden on the long-running television series ''7th Heaven (TV series), 7th Heaven''. Other roles included Dr. Faith Coleridge on the soap opera ''R ...

and make-up artist

Kevin Yagher Kevin Yagher (born June 23, 1962) is an American special effects technician, known for Freddy Krueger's makeup and The Crypt Keeper creature. Career His company, Kevin Yagher Productions, has created effects for '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Footnotes

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Megan 1960 births Living people Actors from Reading, Pennsylvania American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania Juilliard School alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses