Michelle Clunie

Michelle Clunie

Clunie in 2008
Born Michelle Renee Clunie
(1969-11-07) November 7, 1969
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles, California
New York City, New York
Occupation Actress
Years active 1992–present
Partner(s) Bryan Singer (2014-present)
Children 1

Michelle Renee Clunie (born November 7, 1969) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Melanie Marcus on Showtime's critically acclaimed series Queer as Folk and as Ellen Beals on Make It or Break It. She is currently a star on MTV’s Teen Wolf as Mrs. Finch.[1]

Early life

Clunie was born in Portland, Oregon, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, and violin.[2] She was awarded a scholarship to The Academy of Professional Ballet where she studied and apprenticed throughout her teenage years. At 19 years old she sold her violin for $200 and moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue her acting career.[3]

Career

At 23 years old Clunie’s Los Angeles stage debut earned her a Dramalogue Award for Best Actress in in Dean Orion’s A Comedy of Eros performed at the Skylight Theatre.

Additional stage highlights include her portrayal of Abby in Neil LaBute’s West Coast premiere of The Mercy Seat at the Ford Theatre,[4] for which she won the Backstage Readers Best Performance Award,[5] and the world premiere and Off-Broadway production of US, written and performed by Clunie at New York City’s Lion Theatre at Theatre Row. US is a 21st-century love story set against the backdrop of the 2008 Presidential election and examines the power struggles in both politics and the bedroom. It dissects how people meet, communicate, copulate and fall in love in the age of constant media and technology.[6]

In 1995 Clunie was cast in the Academy Award winning The Usual Suspects[7] and shortly thereafter played a supporting role in Lost & Found starring David Spade and Martin Sheen.[8] She became a series regular on The Jeff Foxworthy Show and guest starred on ER, The Tony Danza Show, House M.D., Without a Trace, NCIS, among several others.[1]

Her big break came when she booked the part of "Melanie Marcus", a smart, determined and activist-minded lesbian attorney in the first-of-its-kind series, Queer as Folk.[9] Clunie plays the biology teacher, Mrs. Finch, on MTV’s most successful scripted series to date, Teen Wolf.

Personal life

In January 2015 at the age of 45, Clunie gave birth to Dashiell Julius William Clunie-Singer with film director, producer and screenwriter Bryan Singer.[10][11]

She splits her time between Los Angeles and New York City and lives with her French Bulldog, Jimi, and her son, Dashiell.

Activism

Clunie has always been one to speak out for things she passionately believes in. During her five seasons on Queer as Folk she became a vocal advocate for Human Rights, and for the last 15 years has dedicated much of her time to fighting for Full Equality.[12] She hosted the first fundraiser for the 2009 National Equality March on Washington and was honored to speak from the stage to the 200,000 attendees.[13] She has organized Get Out the Vote campaigns for key Democrats on both a national and local level, and in 2015 became a global ambassador for Pride Nation’s “Global March to Equality.”

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday Deborah
1993 Sunset Strip Jonesy
1995 The Usual Suspects Sketch Artist
1996 Space: Above and Beyond Jennifer Brandt 1 episode
1996 The Jeff Foxworthy Show DeeDee Landrow 5 episodes
1997 Boy Meets World Kelly 1 episode
Night Man Megan Farrell 1 episode
1998 The Tony Danza Show Maggie 1 episode
1999 Lost & Found Gail
1999 V.I.P. Mary Tepsin 1 episode
2000 Diagnosis: Murder Maeve Michaels 1 episode
2000 Battery Park Mrs. Fleishman 1 episode
2000–2005 Queer as Folk Melanie Marcus 83 episodes
2002 Judging Amy Nancy
2005 The Unseen Kathleen
2006 House M.D Judy 1 episode
2006 Without a Trace Cindy Peterson 1 episode
2007 The Closer Dr. Leonard 1 episode
2008 Solar flare Jamie
2008 Leaving Barstow Sandra
2009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Paulla Kingsley 1 episode
2010 The Mentalist Tara Harrington 1 episode
2010–2011 Make It or Break It Ellen Beals Recurring role
2010 Lie to Me Jane Prescott 1 episode
2011 Detroit 1-8-7 Alex Bergman 1 episode
2011 In Plain Sight Sage Lorne/Britt Parnell 1 episode
2012 Magic Mike Dallas' Girl
2013 NCIS Meredith Dunn 1 episode
2014 Death Clique Tina
2014 Bones Suzanne Levitt 1 episode
2015 Teen Wolf Mrs Finch (AP Biology Teacher) Recurring role
2015 A Sort of Homecoming Amy Hartinger Independent film

References

  1. 1 2 "Michelle Clunie". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  2. Baker, Jeff (April 28, 2014). "18 actors you (maybe) didn't know were from Portland". Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  3. Michelle Clunie Biography
  4. "Theater Review: THE MERCY SEAT (Vs. Theatre Company at [Inside] the Ford in Los Angeles)". www.stageandcinema.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  5. "Theater review: 'The Mercy Seat' at [Inside] the Ford". LA Times Blogs - Culture Monster. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  6. "US, New Play By and Starring "Queer As Folk" Actress Michelle Clunie, Opens Off-Broadway Sept. 9". Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  7. "The Usual Suspects (1995) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. IMdb. 06/10/15. Retrieved 06/10/15. line feed character in |title= at position 26 (help); |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help); Check date values in: |access-date=, |date= (help)
  8. "Lost & Found (I) (1999) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. IMdb. 06/10/15. Retrieved 06/10/15. line feed character in |title= at position 24 (help); |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help); Check date values in: |access-date=, |date= (help)
  9. "Bryan Singer expecting first child via surrogate Queer As Folk actress". Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  10. "Bryan Singer Expecting First Child With Best Friend Michelle Clunie". Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  11. "Bryan Singer and Best Friend Michelle Clunie Welcome Baby Boy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  12. "WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Queer as Folk". Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  13. "GLAAD". GLAAD. Retrieved 2015-10-06.

External links

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