Courtney Thorne-Smith (born 1966 or 1967) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Alison Parker on Melrose Place, Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal, and Cheryl on According to Jim, as well as her recurring role on Two and a Half Men as Lyndsey McElroy.
Early life Thorne-Smith was born in San Francisco, California. She attended Menlo-Atherton High School, in Atherton, California, but she graduated from Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, California, in 1985. She performed with the Ensemble Theater Company in Mill Valley while attending high school.
Career Films Thorne-Smith made her first film appearance in the 1986 feature film drama Lucas, alongside Kerri Green, Winona Ryder, Corey Haim, and Charlie Sheen. She was also involved in a number of movies in the late 1980s, such as Welcome to 18 (1986), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Summer School (1987), and Side Out (1990). In 1998, she starred in the box office flop Chairman of the Board with Carrot Top. In 2009, she appeared in Sorority Wars.
Television She appeared on a few mid-1980s television series such as Growing Pains and the short-lived Fast Times, as well as made-for-television movies including The Thanksgiving Promise and Infidelity before landing a regular role in the 1988–1989 sitcom Day by Day with Douglas Sheehan, Linda Kelsey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In 1990, she was featured in six episodes of L.A. Law as Laker Girl Kimberly Dugan.
Her first notable starring television role was as Alison Parker on Melrose Place from 1992 to 1997. During this time, in 1995, she starred in a made-for-television movie Beauty's Revenge which was also marketed in CD and DVD form as "Midwest Obsession". Following this, she went on to play Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal from 1997 to 2000. Thorne-Smith originally auditioned for the title role, which ultimately went to Calista Flockhart. Her character was written out of Ally McBeal at the beginning of season four in 2000, though she returned for occasional guest appearances afterwards. She later said that she left the show in part because of the pressure to stay thin. "I started undereating, overexercising, pushing myself too hard and brutalizing my immune system," she told US Weekly. "The amount of time I spent thinking about food and being upset about my body was insane."
From 2001 to 2009, she starred as Cheryl on According to Jim. In 2007, her real-life pregnancy was hidden on the show at first, but was then written into the plot.Courtney Thorne-Smith's Pregnancy Written into Show , TV Guide, October 22, 2007. On February 18, 2010, she signed on to play Alan Harper's (Jon Cryer) girlfriend, Lyndsey McElroy, in season seven of Two and a Half Men. She appeared in 52 episodes from season seven through twelve.
From 2017 to 2019, Thorne-Smith starred in a series of three television films, the Emma Fielding Mysteries on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel, based on the novels by Dana Cameron.
Writing On September 18, 2007, Thorne-Smith's novel, Outside In, was published by Broadway Books in New York.Outside In reviewed, USA Today Book Review, September 20, 2007.
Other ventures In 1997, she became a spokesperson for cosmetics brand Almay, being the face of their new "Skin Stays Clean" line of make-up. She appeared for Almay's print ads and television commercials until 2001. In 2003, Thorne-Smith appeared on Kellogg's Special K cereal boxes as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign with Kellogg's and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
During her career, she has appeared on the cover of magazines such as Shape, Parade, Self, InStyle Weddings, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Vogue Knitting and Fit Pregnancy.
Personal life On June 2, 2000, Thorne-Smith married genetic scientist Andrew Conrad. The couple separated in January 2001.
On January 1, 2007, she married talent agent Roger Fishman. On January 11, 2008, she gave birth to their son. The couple separated in September 2021, and Thorne-Smith filed for divorce in June 2025.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1986Welcome to 18LindseyLucasAlise1987 Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise Sunny Carstairs Summer School Pam House 1990Side OutSamantha1997The LovemasterDeb1998Chairman of the BoardNatalie Stockwell2005Batman: New Times Catwoman/Ms. Kitka KarenskaVoice, short film2006Whisper of the HeartShiho TsukishimaEnglish dub
Television Year Title Role Notes1986Fast TimesStacey Hamilton7 episodes The Thanksgiving PromiseSheryl Television film1987 Growing Pains Photography class student Episode: "Nude Photos" 1988–1989 Day by Day Kristin Carlson 33 episodes1990 L.A. Law Kimberly Dugan 6 episodes Anything but Love Allison Andrews Episode: "All About Allison"1992Jack's PlaceKim LoganEpisode: "Everything Old Is New Again"Grapevine Lisa Episode: "The Lisa and Bill Story"1992–1997Melrose PlaceAlison ParkerMain Role (seasons 1–5); 165 episodes 1994Breach of ConductHelen LutzTelevision film1995Midwest ObsessionCheryl Ann Davis1996PartnersDanielle Episode: "The Year of Bob?"1997DuckmanHerselfEpisode: "Bonfire of the Panties"Spin CityDanielle BrinkmanEpisode: "Starting Over"1997–2002Ally McBealGeorgia ThomasMain Role (seasons 1–3), Guest star (seasons 4–5); 69 episodes 1999PartnersGina DarrinEpisode: "Always..."Ally Georgia Thomas 12 episodes2000NormRebeccaEpisode: "Norm and the Hopeless Cause"2001–2009According to JimCherylMain Role; 182 episodes 2009Sorority WarsLutie Parker Television film2010–2015Two and a Half Men Lyndsey McElroyRecurring (seasons 7–12); 52 episodes 2016 Robot Chicken Medical Examiner Voice, episode: "Blackout Window Heatstroke" 2016–2017Fresh Off the Boat Anne 2 episodes2017Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding MysteryEmma FieldingTelevision film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)2018Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery2019More Bitter than Death: An Emma Fielding Mystery2020MomSamEpisode: "Beef Baloney Dan and a Sarcastic No"2024He Slid Into Her DMsLeahTelevision movie
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1998Screen Actors GuildOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (shared with rest of cast) Ally McBeal 1999 2000
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