Darby Leigh Stanchfield (born April 29, 1971) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Abby Whelan in the ABC political drama series Scandal (2012–2018). Stanchfield is also known for roles as Shannon Gibbs in the CBS military procedural NCIS, April Green in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series Jericho (2006–07), and as Helen Bishop in the AMC period drama series Mad Men (2007–08). In 2020, she began starring as Nina Locke in the Netflix fantasy horror series Locke & Key.
Early life Stanchfield was born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, where her father was a commercial fisherman. She later moved to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, and finally Mercer Island, near Seattle. She attended the University of Puget Sound, graduating in 1993 with a degree in Communications and a minor in theater. She graduated from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Career 2000–2011 Stanchfield began her career in theater. For a time, she did regional theatre work in the greater Seattle area including acting with the Encore Playhouse in Bellevue, Washington. She made her television debut in an episode of CBS crime drama, Diagnosis: Murder in 2000. She later appeared in a number of television shows, including dramas Angel, Monk, American Dreams, Strong Medicine, Without a Trace, Nip/Tuck, Bones, Cold Case, and The Mentalist, and well as sitcoms That '80s Show, It's All Relative and How I Met Your Mother. In feature films, she had the female lead role opposite Josh Duhamel in the 2004 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and co-starred as Nathan Fillion's character wife in the comedy-drama Waitress (2007). She later has appeared in a number of independent films.
From 2006 to 2007, Stanchfield was a regular cast member in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series Jericho as April Green. In 2007 she played Amelia Joffe (replacing Annie Wersching for two weeks in May) in the ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital. She later was cast in the recurring role as Helen Bishop on Mad Men, appearing on five episodes. She also played Shannon Gibbs, Mark Harmon's character's first wife, in the CBS procedural NCIS appearing in seven episodes from 2006 to 2015. Stanchfield also guest starred as Meredith, the title character's first ex-wife, on the ABC comedy-drama series Castle in 2009 and in 2013.
2012–present In March 2011, Shonda Rhimes cast Stanchfield in her political drama series Scandal. Before Scandal, Stanchfield had guest role on Shonda Rhimes' Private Practice in 2008. The series debuted on ABC on April 5, 2012. She plays the role of Abby Whelan, the investigator in the lead character firm, and later the White House Press Secretary. The series ran for seven seasons and 124 episodes ending in 2018. In 2017, she directed all six episodes of Gladiator Wanted, a web series that debuted prior to the sixth-season premiere and features Guillermo Diaz as Huck, Katie Lowes as Quinn, Cornelius Smith Jr. as Marcus and George Newbern as Charlie. In 2018, she directed one episode of the final season titled "The Noise".
During her Scandal years, Stanchfield co-starred in a number of films. She appeared in the crime horror thriller Carnage Park (2016), that premiered at Sundance Film Festival, and co-starred opposite Raza Jaffrey and Stana Katic in The Rendezvous (2017). She starred alongside Emily Bett Rickards and Meaghan Rath in the mystery-horror The Clinic. In 2018, she was cast as a lead character's mother in the drama Justine. She also played lead character's mother in the 2020 romance drama film Stargirl directed by Julia Hart.
On January 30, 2019, it was announced that Stanchfield had been cast in the series regular role of Nina Locke on the Netflix supernatural drama series Locke & Key. The first season premiered on February 7, 2020 to positive reviews from critics.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2005The Picture of Dorian GraySibyl Vane2007WaitressFrancine Pomatter2008Rachel LehrerFirst film with Darby Stanchfield as a lead role2008Loretta JohnsonMonaco International Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress2009Open HouseBeth DunneShort film2011ClayWomanShort film2011Finding HopeLoretta 2011Karen 2011Fixing PeteCynthia 2015LoservilleEvelyn MacDonald 2016Carnage Park Ellen San Diego 2016The Rendezvous Ruthie 2018The Clinic Emily 2019Justine Alison Green 2020StargirlGloria Borlock2020MosquitoClementine Bell2023Willie and MeRebecca
Television Year Title Role Notes2000Diagnosis: MurderNoraEpisode: "Hot House"2001AngelDeniseEpisode: "Happy Anniversary"2002That '80s ShowSpokesmodel #1Episode: "Road Trip"2002American DreamsAmyEpisode: "The Fighting Irish"2003MonkErin HammondEpisode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame"2004It's All RelativeJordan F.Episode: "Who's Camping Now"2004Good Girls Don't...RedheadEpisode: "Whatever Happened to Jane's Baby?"2004Strong MedicineHilary DavisEpisode: "Code"2004Single Santa Seeks Mrs. ClausStore ClerkTelevision film2005Without a TraceKimEpisode: "End Game"200524ShariEpisode: "Day 4: 5:00 a.m.-6:00 a.m."2005New GirlEpisode: "New Girl in Town"2005Nip/TuckAimee BoltonEpisode: "Tommy Bolton"2006Campus LadiesMikkaEpisode: "Night of the Condom"2006–2007JerichoApril Green15 episodes2006–2015NCISShannon Gibbs7 episodes2007BonesConnie LopataEpisode: "The Bodies in the Book"2007General HospitalAmelia Joffe10 episodes2007Cold CaseMelissa CarterEpisode: "Thick as Thieves"2007Exes and OhsSienna3 episodes2007–2008Mad MenHelen Bishop5 episodes2008Private PracticeTess MilfordEpisode: "Tempting Faith"2009Exes & OhsSiennaEpisode: "Fish in a Barrel"2009Stevie CaidEpisode: "Paint It Red"2009Ghost WhispererGreer ClarksonEpisode: "Delusions of Grandview"2009LifeElla HoldenEpisode: "Initiative 38"2009CSI: NYDawn HigginsEpisode: "It Happened to Me"2009, 2013CastleMeredithEpisodes: "Always Buy Retail" and "Significant Others"2010How I Met Your MotherMarissa HellerEpisode: "Robots Versus Wrestlers"2011CSI: MiamiLinda HillEpisode: "F-T-F"2011Burn NoticeSadie ForteEpisode: "Eye for an Eye"2012–2018ScandalAbby WhelanSeries regular, 120 episodesTV Guide Award for Fan Favorite Cast in a Drama Series (2013)2020–2022Locke & KeyNina LockeMain role; 28 episodes
Web Year Title Role Notes 2017 Gladiator Wanted N/A Director, 6 episodes
References
External links