Paget Valerie Brewster ( ;Interview with Paget Brewster on TVLine, 2017-07-25. Michael Ausiello (the interviewer) says Brewster's name at 0:04 in the interview. born March 10, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She first received recognition for her recurring role as Kathy on the fourth season of Friends. She gained wider recognition as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss on CBS's Criminal Minds. Brewster was a recurring cast member of the NBC sitcom Community during its final season.
Early life Brewster was born in Concord, Massachusetts. Both her mother, Hathaway Brewster ( Tew), and father, Galen Brewster, worked as school administrators at Middlesex School. She is a descendant of William Brewster and wife Mary Brewster.
Brewster grew up in Massachusetts and moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. In a later interview discussing this period, she said she very briefly worked as a receptionist in a bordello.As mentioned to Conan O'Brien, she "answered the phones" for three days: Youtube During her first year at the design school, she made her acting debut and eventually dropped out to pursue her acting career. In the mid-1990s, Brewster moved to San Francisco and enrolled in acting classes.
Career In 1995, Brewster hosted a late-night talk show in the San Francisco Bay Area called The Paget Show for 65 episodes at KPIX-TV. She first came to prominent attention in her recurring role as Kathy in the fourth season of NBC's Friends. She appeared in Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Huff. On film she played Ms. Indestructible, the female lead in James Gunn's low-budget superhero comedy The Specials (2000). She played Amy Pierson, a calculus teacher afraid of the water, in the independent film The Big Bad Swim, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2005, she began voice work as Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl, a recurring character on the animated series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (and later played a similar guest character on American Dad!).
Brewster had a long run with the show Criminal Minds, playing multilingual Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss until the show's sixth season, when she and A. J. Cook were released from their contracts by CBS in a cost-cutting move. Owing to complaints from fans, both she and Cook were rehired and kept for the following season. In February 2012, Brewster announced via Deadline that she was leaving Criminal Minds at the end of the season to return to her comedic and sitcom roots. Brewster reprised her role as Emily Prentiss in season nine for the 200th episode, and season 11 as a special guest star. In 2016, Brewster returned to Criminal Minds once again as a series regular with Thomas Gibson's replacement.
Brewster portrayed bureau chief ADA Paula Foster in the Public Integrity Unit of the District Attorney's office in the 14th season (2012) of NBC's long-running police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Her character handled the case against SVU commanding officer Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek), suspected of murder after awakening next to a dead woman in the 13th-season finale.
Brewster was a regular on The Thrilling Adventure Hour, a staged production in the style of old-time radio that was recorded monthly at Largo in Los Angeles. She played the recurring character of Sadie Doyle, the alcoholic socialite who can communicate with the supernatural alongside her husband, Frank (Paul F. Tompkins), in the "Beyond Belief" segments. In early April 2013, Brewster appeared in Modern Family as Trish in episode 20, "Flip Flop", playing an art expert who is dating Gloria's ex-husband, Javier. In August 2013, Brewster appeared in episode 106 of the Drunk History television series on Comedy Central. In January 2015, Brewster began appearing on Community. In February 2014, it was announced that she had been cast in a new ABC comedy called St. Francis. In August 2016, it was announced that she would be reprising her role as Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds and would once again be a series regular after co-star Thomas Gibson was fired by CBS over an on-set altercation. Brewster also regularly appears on Will You Accept This Rose, a podcast hosted by Arden Myrin about The Bachelor franchise.
Personal life On the March 30, 2006, episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Brewster revealed that she had received a handwritten note indicating Hugh Hefner would like her to pose for Playboy. She seriously considered the offer, but even though she said that she admired Playboy more than magazines such as Maxim and FHM, and her parents gave her their blessing, she eventually turned it down.
Brewster has volunteered as an actress with the Los Angeles Young Storytellers Program.
On March 17, 2013, Brewster became engaged to composer Steve Damstra, a member of the bands Folded Light, and Whirlwind Heat. Brewster and Damstra married on November 28, 2014, in Los Angeles, in a ceremony officiated by Matthew Gray Gubler, their close friend and Brewster's Criminal Minds co-star. , the couple lived in Los Angeles.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1998 Let's Talk About Sex Michelle 1999 Desperate But Not Serious Frances 2000 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Jenny Spy The Specials Emily Tilderbrook / Ms. Indestructible 2001 Agent 15 Agent 15 Short film Hollywood Palms Phoebe Skippy Julie Fontaine 2002 Now You Know Lea 2003 Brainwarp Lipstikk Short film 2004 Eulogy Aunt Lily 2005 Man of the House Coach 'Binky' Beauregard My Big Fat Independent Movie Julianne 2006 Cyxork 7 Bethany Feral The Big Bad Swim Amy Pierson Kidney Thieves Melinda Short film Unaccompanied Minors Valerie Davenport 2007 Sublime Andrea Direct-to-video 2012 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Lana LangVoice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 2014 Gumshoe Stiletto Voice, short film 2015 Justice League: Gods and Monsters Lois LaneVoice Uncle Nick Sophie Welcome to Happiness Priscilla 2017 Axis Dr. LynchVoice Batman and Harley Quinn Poison Ivy Voice, direct-to-video 2018 The Witch Files Detective Strauss Also producer 2022HypochondriacDr. Sampson2025Touch Me
Television Year Title Role Notes 1997–1998 Friends Kathy 6 episodes, guest role (Season 4) 1998 Ghost Cop Anette Episode: "Pilot" Max Q Rena Winter Television film 1998–2001 Godzilla: The Series Audrey Timmonds Voice, 11 episodes 1999 The Expert Dr. Jo Hardy Episode: "Pilot" 1999–2000 Love & Money Allison Conklin Season 1 (13 episodes) 2000 Star Patrol Rachel Striker Pilot One True Love Tina Television film 2000–2001 The Trouble With Normal Claire Garletti Season 1 (13 episodes) 2001 DAG Patti Donovan Episode: "Prom" Raising Dad Gracie Episode: "Sex Ed" 2002 George Lopez Ginger Episode: "The Wedding Dance" 2002–2003 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Jessica Green Seasons 1–2 (19 episodes) 2003 The Snobs Pilot Time Belt Col. Jocelyn Anchor Episode: "Oh. shirt. Zombies." 2004 Rock Me, Baby Debbie Episode: "Look Who's Talking" 2004–2006 Huff Beth Huffstodt Seasons 1–2 (25 episodes) 2005 Two and a Half Men Jamie Eckleberry Episode: "A Lungful of Alan" Duck Dodgers Rona Vipra Voice, 2 episodes Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution Carol Carter Television film 2005–2007 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl Voice, 9 episodes 2005–2024 American Dad! Various voices Seasons 1–6, 8, 10, 12, 14–16, 18–19 (32 episodes) 2005–2006 Stacked Charlotte 3 episodes 2006 Drawn Together Child Services Voice, episode: "Captain Girl" A Perfect Day Allyson Harlan Television film 2006–present Criminal Minds Emily Prentiss 204 episodes Main role (seasons 2–7, 12–present)Guest role (season 9, 11) 2007–2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sheila Tierney 1 episode ADA Paula Foster 2 episodes 2008 Lost Behind Bars Lauren Wilde Television film 2009 King of the Hill Myrna Voice, episode: "Lucky See, Monkey Do" 2011–2013 Dan Vs. Elise / Various voices Main role; Seasons 1–3 (53 episodes) 2011 My Life As an Experiment Stacie Wilder Pilot 2013 Modern Family Trish Episode: "Flip Flop" Spy Erica Pilot The Birthday Boys Keri Episode: "Going All the Way" 2013–2015 The Venture Bros. Amber Gold / Various voices Voice, 3 episodes 2013–2019 Drunk History Herself / Emma Folsom 8 episodes2014 Community Debra Chambers Season 5 (1 episode) The Boondocks Various voices Episode: "The New Black" Saint Francis Stephanie Quinlan Pilot Key & Peele Det. Sally Ferguson Episode: "Sex Detective" 2014–2016 Adventure Time Viola, Pat Voice, 2 episodes 2015 Down Dog Amanda Asher Pilot Kroll Show Bobby's Mom Episode: "The In Addition Tos" Community Francesca "Frankie" Dart Season 6 (13 episodes) Moonbeam City Charisma Miller, Sophistica Miller Voice, episode: "Lasers & Liars" W/ Bob & David Charlene Boyeur Episode: "Episode 1" Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles Lois Lane Voice, episode: "Bomb" 2015–2018 Another Period Dodo Bellacourt Seasons 1–3 (22 episodes) 2015–2016 Grandfathered Sara Kingsley Season 1 (22 episodes) 2016–2023 Family Guy Gretchen Mercer, others Voice, 5 episodes 2016 Future-Worm! Mrs. Claus Voice, episode: "Lost in the Mall" 2017 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Emily Prentiss Episode: "Type A" 2018 Mighty Magiswords Veronica Victorious Voice, episode: "Mall of Shame" 2018–2021 DuckTales Della Duck Voice, main castNominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program 2019 Mom Veronica Stone Season 7 (3 episodes) 2019–2020 BoJack Horseman Paige Sinclair Voice, 4 episodes 2020 Magical Girl Friendship Squad Gloriana Voice, episode: "The Real World" Hollywood Tallulah Bankhead 2 episodes 2021–2022 Birdgirl Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl Voice, main role 2021–2026 Behind the Attraction Narrator Voice, 18 episodes 2022–2023 How I Met Your Father Lori 4 episodes 2022 Tuca & Bertie Voice, episode: "Leaf Raking" The Great North Ms. Anderson Voice, episode: "Arranger-ous Minds Adventure" 2024 Twilight of the Gods Jarnglumra Voice, episode: "The Bride-Price" 2025 Krapopolis Chira Voice, 2 episodes The Simpsons FBI Profiler Voice, episode: "The Day of the Jack-up" Big City Greens Spider Fang Voice, 2 episodes 2026 Rock, Paper, Scissors Veronica Web Voice, episode: "Spider Court" Rick and Morty Rachel Voice, episode: "Erickerhead"
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2008 Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl
Web Year Title Role Notes 2021 Alpha Betas Allison / Emily Voice, episode: "This Is Alpha Team"
Discography Albums Year Artist Album Label Format Notes 1992 Mechanical Bride Swamp Thing! Lungcast Records 7", Ltd, White Vinyl Lead singer 1993 Roger Manning Roger Manning Shimmy-Disc CD, Cassette, Album, Stereo Harmony vocals
Singles Year Artist Song Label Format Notes 1991 The Sleeping Pills "Aquarius" Hangman Records CD, Single Credited as Fabu 2020 Paget Brewster "Drove to the Ocean" Self-released Digital Brewster and Steve Damstra co-wrote the song
References
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