JoAnna García Swisher (born August 10, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is known for her roles as Sam in ''

Are You Afraid of the Dark? ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' is a children's horror anthology television series created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The original series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from August 15, 1992 to February 3, 1996, and also o ...

'' (1994–96), Vicki Appleby in ''

Freaks and Geeks ''Freaks and Geeks'' is an American teen comedy-drama television series created by Paul Feig and executive-produced by Judd Apatow that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season. The show is set in a suburban high school near ...

'' (1999–2000), and Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery on

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

/ CW sitcom '' Reba'' (2001–07). She has also gained popularity with her acting roles in '' Privileged'' (2008–09), ''

Better with You ''Better with You'' is an American television sitcom created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan that aired on ABC from September 22, 2010, to May 11, 2011. It stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, Kurt Fuller, and ...

'' (2010–11), ''

Animal Practice ''Animal Practice'' is an American sitcom television series which aired on NBC from August 12 to November 28, 2012, on the network's Thanksgiving 2012 television schedule. The series premiered after the end of the 2012 Olympic games (which the n ...

'' (2012), ''

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 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'' (2013–18), ''

The Astronaut Wives Club ''The Astronaut Wives Club'' is an American period drama television series developed by Stephanie Savage for American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It was based on Lily Koppel's 2013 The Astronaut Wives Club (book), book of the same name. The serie ...

'' (2015), ''Fist Fight'' (2017) and '' Sweet Magnolias'' (2020–present). García also stars as Lindsey Johnson in

Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. ...

's ''As Luck Would Have It'' (2021). She hosted '' The Ultimatum: Queer Love'' on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in 2023.

Early life

García was born to Loraine, a homemaker and former elementary school teacher, and Jay García (1945–2019), a

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

from

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

.Deggans, Eric
"'Reba' has a touch of Tampa"
''St. Petersburg Times'', February 1, 2002.

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

discovered her, but her parents put school first and she acted in local plays to keep up with her passion. She was the

homecoming queen Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...

Joanna García
at superiorpics.com at Florida's

Tampa Catholic High School Tampa Catholic High School is a diocesan, Catholic, coeducational high school located in Tampa, Florida, United States, founded in 1962. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Its motto is "Veritas et Caritas," which means "T ...

Career

While in Florida, García guest starred in ''

seaQuest DSV ''SeaQuest DSV'' (stylized as ''seaQuest DSV'' and also promoted as simply ''seaQuest'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon for NBC. It aired between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was re ...

'', ''

Second Noah ''Second Noah'' is a television drama that was broadcast in the United States on ABC television from February 5, 1996, to June 8, 1997. Premise The series stars Daniel Hugh Kelly as Noah Beckett, whose wife Jesse (Betsy Brantley) is a veteri ...

'', and ''

Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...

'' and several films of the week. While attending high school, she was re-discovered by

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

and starred for three seasons as Samantha on ''

''. She commuted from Florida to Montreal, Canada, where the show was filmed. She was cast at the age of fifteen on the 1994 television drama ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...

'', playing the recurring character Hallie. She had a recurring role on ''

'' (1999–2000) portraying the character of Vicki Appleby, the popular freshman

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

who spent

seven minutes in heaven Seven minutes in heaven (or seven minutes in the closet) is a kissing party game mostly played at teenage parties. The game may also be played with a different duration. Game Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space ...

with the ultimate geek, Bill Haverchuck ( Martin Starr). She then briefly attended college at

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

where she was a member of the

Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international collegiate Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity. It was founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. History File:S ...

sorority, but later quit school to pursue acting full-time, moving to Los Angeles, California. García went on to portray the character of Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Reba's (

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...

) oldest daughter on

/ CW sitcom '' Reba'' (2001–07). She was featured on the short-lived

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

comedy '' Welcome to the Captain''. Beginning in the fall of 2008, she starred as Megan Smith in the CW series ''Privileged'' (originally known as ''How to Survive the Filthy Rich''). On the big screen, García was seen in the comedy spoof ''

Not Another Teen Movie ''Not Another Teen Movie'' is a 2001 American teen parody film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. It features Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Er ...

''. She has also appeared in the original television films ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' () is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an en ...

'' (1998) and ''Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder'' (1997). She also appeared in the

ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...

television film '' The Initiation of Sarah'', which premiered in October 2006. In 2008, she had a role in ''A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride'', playing Roxanne. She had a leading role in the

television film ''

Revenge of the Bridesmaids ''Revenge of the Bridesmaids'' is a 2010 ABC Family Original Movie that premiered on July 18, 2010. It stars Raven-Symoné as Abigail and JoAnna García as Parker, undercover bridesmaids with a mission to break up a wedding. In addition, the f ...

'' alongside

Raven-Symoné Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday (; born December 10, 1985), also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and director. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Raven-Symoné, several accolades, including five ...

. In 2009, García had a recurring role on The CW drama ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...

'' playing the role of Bree Buckley, an irreverent evil

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

-type who is politically progressive but from a conservative Southern family. She appeared in four episodes in season three. In December 2009, she guest starred as Maggie,

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 ...

's college buddy on ''

How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...

''. García starred in the ABC sitcom ''

''. The show centers on two sisters who were at different points in their romantic relationships: one was unmarried and in a long-term relationship, and the other (García) got married after getting pregnant from a

one-night stand A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...

. It was canceled on May 13, 2011. Garcia guest-starred on ''

The Penguins of Madagascar ''The Penguins of Madagascar'' is an American animated television series produced by DreamWorks Animation in collaboration with Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It stars nine characters from DreamWorks' animated film ''Madagascar'': the penguin ...

'' in the episode "The Officer X Factor/Love Hurts", which aired on February 12, 2011. In 2012, Garcia appeared in four episodes of the

USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...

dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

Royal Pains ''Royal Pains'' is an American comedy-drama television series that ran on the USA Network from 2009 to 2016. The series is based in part on contemporary concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies and follows Hank Lawson, ...

'' as a

nephrologist Nephrology is a specialty for both adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function (renal physiology) and kidney disease (renal pathophysiology), the preservation of kid ...

treating Jack O'Malley (

Tom Cavanagh Thomas Cavanagh (born October 26, 1963) is a Canadian actor. He is known for a variety of roles on American television, including starring roles in ''Ed (TV series), Ed'' (2000–2004), ''Love Monkey'' (2006) and ''Trust Me (American TV series) ...

).Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 7, 2011)
Exclusive: JoAnna Garcia Scrubs In As Mysterious ''Royal Pains'' Doc
. tvline.com In 2013, during season three of the series ''

'' she began playing the recurring role of Ariel from ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

''.

Business ventures

On May 9, 2022, she launched a

home decor A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be pe ...

collection titled "Clover by Jo" for

HSN HSN, Inc. an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group), which also owns Catalog merchant, catalog company Cornerstone Brands. It is ...

. The line includes bedding, pillows, mirrors, lamps, lanterns and planters. During her career, she has graced the covers of numerous magazines such as '' Latina'', ''Miami Living'' and ''

Southern Living ''Southern Living'' is a lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the Southern United States featuring recipes, house plans, garden plans, and information about Southern culture and travel. It is published by Birmingham, Alabama Alabama ...

s first-ever digital issue, ''The Dream Homes'' ''Issue''. In 2004, she appeared in a promotional campaign and television commercial for retailer

Kmart Kmart ( ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation, now operated by Transformco, is a department-store chain and online retailer in the United States and Territories of the United States, its territories. It operates four remaining Kma ...

. In October 2023, Garcia Swisher teamed up with McCormick for back-to-school social media ads and events.

Personal life

In 2008, García became engaged to Trace Ayala, the personal assistant and childhood friend of

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

who co-founded the clothing company

William Rast William Rast is an American clothing line. It was founded by Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala in 2005 and is currently owned by Yehuda Shmidman. The name "William Rast" is a combination of Timberlake's grandfather's first name and Ayala's gran ...

. In August 2009, ''People'' magazine reported that García was dating baseball player

Nick Swisher Nicholas Thompson Swisher (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a switch hitter who threw left-handed, and played for the Oakland Athletics, Chica ...

. They became engaged in May 2010, and married on December 11, 2010, at the Breakers Hotel & Resort in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach, Florida, ...

. Bridesmaids for García included friends and fellow actresses

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' from 1999 to 2007. Early life Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter ...

, Melissa Peterman, and

. Since her marriage, she has been credited as Joanna García Swisher. They have two daughters, one born in 2013 and the other in 2016.

Causes and interests

García volunteers as a teacher for children who are learning

English as a second language English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

. She is involved with the organization Make the Commitment, whose purpose is to raise awareness about

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...

.TV Star Joanna Garcia Brings Nationwide Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign to Chicago
, MakeTheConnection.org, 2005.TV Star Joanna Garcia Brings Nationwide Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign to Miami
, MakeTheConnection.org, 2005.Rybak, Hollie (October 4, 2005)
Actress spreads awareness of cervical cancer at U. South Florida-area event
''The Oracle''. usforacle.com She has an organization called We Reach, a charity which has assembled an advisory board in the entertainment industry to help young girls around the country organize charity events in their hometowns. The charity also has the goal of empowering young women.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

Accolades

References

External links

*
JoAnna Garcia
at

Country Music Television Country Music Television, often abbreviated to CMT, is an American pay TV network that launched on March 5, 1983. It is currently owned by Paramount Global through the MTV Entertainment Group unit of its networks division. CMT was the first na ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swisher, JoAnna Garcia 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Tampa, Florida American child actresses American educators American entertainers of Cuban descent American film actresses American people of Spanish descent American stage actresses American television actresses Florida State University alumni Hispanic and Latino American actresses Living people University of Florida alumni 1979 births Tampa Catholic High School alumni