Missi Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in a number of successful films, including ''

Galaxy Quest ''Galaxy Quest'' is a 1999 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. A parody of and homage to science-fiction films and series, especially ''Star Trek'' and its fandom, the fi ...

'' (1999), '' Big Fish'' (2003), ''Bringing Down the House'' (2003), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' (2004), '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), ''

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay ''Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay'' is a 2008 American buddy stoner comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' (2004), it is the second installment in the ...

'' (2008), '' The Artist'' (2011), '' Gone Girl'' (2014), ''Captain Fantastic'' (2016), and '' Ma'' (2019). Pyle has also appeared in various television series, such as '' Cleaners'' (2013–2014), ''

Jennifer Falls ''Jennifer Falls'' is an American sitcom created by Matthew Carlson, and starring Jaime Pressly in the title role. The series premiered on TV Land on June 4, 2014, and is the first single-camera comedy series for the network. It was cancelled on ...

'' (2014), ''

Another Period ''Another Period'' is an American period sitcom television series created by and starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome. It followed the lives of the Bellacourts, the first family of Newport, Rhode Island, at the turn of the 20th century. Lil ...

'' (2015–2018), ''Bordertown'' (2016), '' The Soul Man'' (2016), ''Mom'' (2017), ''Impulse'' (2018), '' The Mentalist'' (2010) and ''Dirty John'' (2020). In addition to acting, Pyle has also worked as a singer. With actress

Shawnee Smith Shawnee Rebecca Smith (born July 3, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her portrayal of Amanda Young in the Saw (franchise), ''Saw'' franchise (2004–2010), which established her as a "scream queen" and as an influential f ...

, she served as half of

Smith & Pyle Smith & Pyle was an American country music duo from Los Angeles, California, composed of actresses Shawnee Smith and Missi Pyle. History Shawnee Smith and Missi Pyle met in 2007 while filming an ABC comedy pilot titled '' Traveling in Packs''. A ...

, a

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

duo.

Early life

Pyle attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

, and graduated in 1995. For her achievements, Pyle was honored by the Poplar Pike Playhouse at her alma mater Germantown High School in Germantown, Tennessee.

Career

Pyle has guest starred on many television shows, including ''

Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

'', '' Mad About You'', ''

Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...

'', '' Frasier'', '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', and ''

2 Broke Girls ''2 Broke Girls'' (stylized ''2 Broke Girl$'') is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 19, 2011, to April 17, 2017. The series was produced for Warner Bros. Television and created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cumm ...

''. She started her film career with a minor role in '' As Good as It Gets'', starring

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...

and Jack Nicholson. After her breakout role in ''

'', she had supporting roles in '' Bringing Down the House'' (for which she and

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

were nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight), ''

Josie and the Pussycats Josie and the Pussycats (sometimes simply known as The Pussycats) are a fictional girl group rock band created by Dan DeCarlo. Appearances They have been featured in a number of different media since the 1960s: * ''Josie and the Pussycats'' (comic ...

'', ''

Home Alone 4 ''Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House'' is a 2002 American made-for-television Christmas family comedy film directed by Rod Daniel, which first aired on ABC on November 3, 2002, as the first episode of the forty-seventh season of ''The Wonderful ...

'', ''

Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * ''The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...

'', '' Big Fish'', ''

Along Came Polly ''Along Came Polly'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg and starring Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston. The story follows Reuben Feffer who finds his life taking a different turn when he reconnects and fall ...

'', ''

Soul Plane ''Soul Plane'' is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Jessy Terrero (in his feature film directorial debut). The film stars Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man and Snoop Dogg. Supporting actors include Mo'Nique, Loni Love, K.D. Aubert, D.L. ...

'', '' Stormbreaker'', and '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory''. She was also the female lead in ''BachelorMan''. She also appears in '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''. She also had a brief appearance in ''

50 First Dates ''50 First Dates'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Peter Segal and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin and Dan Aykroyd in supporting roles. It follows the story of Henry, a womanizing m ...

'' and starred in '' A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song''. Pyle played Jake's elementary school teacher Ms. Pasternak on '' Two and a Half Men''. The role was recast in 2009 for undisclosed reasons, however it is believed that it was to show the emotional change she went through after Charlie dumped and hurt her ource IMDB Pyle returned to the series in the same role in 2011 and again in the series finale "

Of Course He's Dead "Of Course He's Dead" is the series finale of the long-running sitcom ''Two and a Half Men,'' which ran for 12 seasons. The finale aired on CBS on February 19, 2015, an hour-long program constituting the series' 261st and 262nd half-hour episodes ...

" in 2015. In 2008, Missi starred in the Broadway play '' Boeing-Boeing'' opposite

Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurenc ...

Greg Germann Gregory Andrew Germann ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series '' Ally McBeal'', which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" ...

Paige Davis Paige Davis is an American television personality and actress. She is best known as the host of the TLC home improvement reality television program ''Trading Spaces'' from 2001 until 2008, and hosted the morning talkshow ''Home and Family'' o ...

and

Rebecca Gayheart Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s and subsequently appeared in a student short film by Brett Ratner, with whom she had an extensive relationship. In the ea ...

. The play closed in January 2009. Pyle was scheduled to ring the closing bell for the trading day at the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...

on September 29, 2008, to promote ''Boeing-Boeing'', but backed out minutes before the close of trading in order to not associate herself with ending a calamitous day of financial turmoil which resulted in the

Dow Jones Industrial Average The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity inde ...

losing 778 points, the largest point loss ever in a session in the wake of the

financial crisis of 2007–2008 Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...

. She watched from the floor as an NYSE staffer pushed the button and gaveled the end of trading instead. She was part of a country music group with actress

called

. The two actresses met while filming an

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 ...

comedy pilot titled ''Traveling in Packs''. The band started after Smith invited Pyle to join her in attending the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

. While stuck in traffic, Pyle talked about her dream to be a rock star and Smith agreed to form a band with her. Their first album, "It's OK to Be Happy", was released digitally through

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

and

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

in July 2008. The debut album was recorded in

Joshua Tree, California Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census. At approximately above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding c ...

Rancho De La Luna Rancho De La Luna is a recording studio in Joshua Tree, California that was founded in 1993 by Fred Drake and David Catching. After Drake's death in 2002 to cancer, the studio was operated by David Catching and Drake's collaborators Tony Mason, Te ...

and was produced by

Chris Goss Christopher Ryan Goss (born August 17, 1958) is an American record producer and musician. Best known for producing records for Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, he is regarded as an important figure in the development of stoner rock and deser ...

. The two actresses have also become business partners and formed their own record label called Urban Prairie Records, under which "It's OK to be Happy" was released. According to an interview Smith did with pretty-scary.net in August 2008, a Smith & Pyle television or webisode series might be in the works. Smith also mentioned the idea of a series on Fangoria radio with

Dee Snider Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955)Tayler, LettaTwisted Sister's Dee Snider remembers his challenging Long Island upbringing "Newsday", March 15, 2016Archived here/ref> is an American singer, songwriter, radio personality, and actor. He w ...

. Currently there are three videos posted on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

that show the making of the record. They also have a 10-minute "making of" video on

Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...

called ''Smith & Pyle: Desert Sessions''.

Personal life

Pyle was married to author

Antonio Sacre Antonio Sacre (born September 23, 1968) is an American author, solo performer, and storyteller. He writes and performs internationally, in English and Spanish. Personal life Sacre was born in Boston, Massachusetts to an Irish American mother and ...

from 2000 to 2005. Pyle married naturalist

Casey Anderson Charles Henry "Casey" Anderson (October 5, 1934 – November 11, 1989) was an American blues and folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. From 1959 to 1976, he recorded ten albums and some fifteen singles on various labels, most notably Elektra ...

on September 12, 2008. The wedding was country-western themed and took place in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. Wedding guests included bandmate

and comedian

Steve Agee Steven Douglas Agee (; born February 26, 1969) is an American comedian, actor, writer and musician, known for roles including Steve Myron on the Comedy Central series ''The Sarah Silverman Program'' and as John Economos in the 2021 superhero fil ...

. Anderson's pet grizzly bear, Brutus, served as his best man in the ceremony. Pyle and Anderson appeared in "Grizzly Dogs", the October 22, 2010, episode of ''

Dog Whisperer The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

'', in which they sought the help of Cesar Millan to rehabilitate their dog. Pyle confirmed their breakup in 2013. She has one daughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Appearances

Stage credits

Discography

Albums

* ''It's OK to Be Happy'',

(2008)

Singles

* "One Night Stand",

(2010) * "Rafael",

(2010)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyle, Missi Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Houston Actresses from Nashville, Tennessee American country singer-songwriters American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American women country singers Country musicians from Tennessee Country musicians from Texas Musicians from Houston People from Germantown, Tennessee Singers from Nashville, Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Texas Singer-songwriters from Tennessee 1972 births