Rachael Harris (born January 12, 1968) is an American actress and comedian. The accolades she has received include nominations for an Independent Spirit Award and a Saturn Award.

In film, Harris has had lead roles as Susan Heffley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series (2010–2012) and Linda White in Natural Selection (2011). She has also had notable supporting roles in For Your Consideration (2006), The Hangover (2009), Bad Words (2013), Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), Old Dads (2023), and Mother of the Bride (2024).

In television, Harris has had main cast roles as Cooper on the ABC sitcom Notes from the Underbelly (2007–2008), Joanne Dunlevy on the Fox sitcom Surviving Jack (2014), Dr. Linda Martin on the Fox and Netflix fantasy series Lucifer (2016–2021), and Nora on season 1 of the Disney+ and Hulu horror series Goosebumps (2023). She had a recurring role as Sheila Sazs on the USA Network series Suits (2012–2019).

Early life, family and education

Harris was born in Worthington, Ohio. She graduated from Worthington High School in 1986. Her first award in the arts came during a first grade talent show, performing "Please Mr. Postman" by the Carpenters, winning the talent show with the performance due to her brother stuffing the ballot box.

While attending Otterbein College, Harris acted onstage in dramas such as 'night, Mother and The Cherry Orchard. A professor recommended Harris perform comedy instead of drama. Initially, she resisted; her intent was to be a stage actress. She graduated in 1989, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre.

Career Harris' first acting job during college was in Cincinnati on the showboat Majestic, playing Maria from The Sound of Music.

After college, Harris moved to New York City and secured a commercial agent. She worked as a hostess at restaurants along Broadway and the Upper East Side. Meanwhile, she auditioned for theater roles, eventually landing a job performing children's theater.

Harris made her film debut in 1992 as the Treehouse Mom in Treehouse Trolls. She recalled the experience during the audition: "Treehouse Trolls, that just came out of an audition in this shitty theater. Like, it wasn't even a theater. It was a room. Near Times Square. And I was like, "I hope this is a legitimate audition. I could be going in for a porn. I don't know." She debuted on television on SeaQuest DSV in 1993.

Harris' agent was relocating to Los Angeles and recommended that Harris come along for commercials and TV. In LA, she performed at the Tamarind Theatre. After an appearance on Star Trek: Voyager in 1997, Harris went on to a recurring role in The WB's Sister, Sister through 1998.

A friend recommended Harris to come and watch the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. She enjoyed the group so much she decided to take classes and eventually landed a gig with the main company in 2000. She went on to teach for a time with The Groundlings school also. Working with the Groundlings helped for mockumentary screenwriter and director Christopher Guest to notice Harris. In 2000, she had a role in Guest's feature film Best in Show.

In 2002, Harris performed on the sitcom on Friends, appeared in I Love the '80s, and landed TV commercial work which included ads for Avis and GEICO. Amongst the early commercial work, this was credited as helping Harris land a career in Hollywood. She had a stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show's 2002–2003 season which was considered a breakout role for her into comedy. In 2003 she had roles in A Mighty Wind, Daddy Day Care, and started appearances on Reno 911! from 2003 to 2022. In 2004 Harris hosted The Smoking Gun, made multiple appearances on such VH1 documentaries as I Love the '90s, Best Week Ever, The West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and an Expedia commercial.

Harris played the supporting role of Kevyn Shecket, Kirstie Alley's personal makeup artist, on the Showtime series Fat Actress in 2005. She was also in Monk, Kicking & Screaming, and commercials for Quaker Oats and T-Mobile.

Harris worked again with Christopher Guest in 2006 in his feature film For Your Consideration. She became the voice of turtle Karolyn Slowsky in the Comcast Slowskys television commercials until 2009, with reboots of the commercial series in 2011 and 2019.

Harris had guest roles on The Sarah Silverman Program in 2007 and 2008 and played Cooper in the ABC sitcom Notes from the Underbelly from 2007–2010. In 2008, she acted in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Desperate Housewives.

In 2009 Harris had a role in the comedy The Hangover, playing Melissa, the domineering, abusive girlfriend to Ed Helms's character Stu. She also made an appearance on ABC's Cougar Town, playing Shanna, a woman who was the "nemesis" of Jules.

In 2010 she was in The Good Guys, a Super Bowl commercial for the 2010 Census, and Off-Broadway, she performed in Love, Loss, and What I Wore. From 2010–2012, she played Susan Heffley in the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid film trilogy. On ABC, she made a guest appearance in the Modern Family 2011 episode "Caught in the Act" as Amelia, a restaurateur and mother to a playmate of Lily Pritchett. She appeared in Suits from 2012–2019 as Sheila Sazs, Louis Litt's on-and-off again love interest. She was in an episode of The Office in 2013.

In March 2014, Harris began a new role in the series Surviving Jack with Chris Meloni. In March 2015, Harris was cast as Linda, Lucifer's therapist in the Netflix original series Lucifer.

In 2018, Harris appeared alongside Cheryl Hines on the reality TV series Hell's Kitchen. They both sat at the blue team's chef's table in the episode "Hell Freezes Over".

Personal life Harris was married to actor Adam Paul from 2003 to 2008.

Harris and violinist Christian Hebel married on April 30, 2015. They have two sons, born in 2016 and 2018. Harris filed for divorce from Hebel in 2019.

Filmography

Film + Film Year Title Role Notes 1992Treehouse Trolls Treehouse MomFirst acting role, VHS Video 1996 The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson Fornaio Waitress #2 2000 Best in Show Winky's Party Guest 2002 Showtime Teacher Stuart Little 2 Additional voices 2003 A Mighty Wind Steinbloom's Assistant Daddy Day Care Co-Worker Elaine The Haunted Mansion Mrs. Coleman 2004 Starsky & Hutch Mrs. Feldman's Friend After the Sunset June 2005 Kicking & Screaming Ann Hogan 2006 For Your Consideration Debbie Gilchrist 2007 Matters of Life and Dating Carla License to Wed Janine Evan Almighty Ark Reporter 2009 The Hangover Melissa The Soloist Leslie Bloom 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Susan Heffley 2011 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Natural Selection Linda 2012 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Susan Heffley Wreck-It Ralph Deanna Voice 2013 Bad Words Eric Tai's Mother 2014 Lovesick Roberta Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Madeline Phelps 2015 Barely Lethal Mrs. Larson Freaks of Nature Mrs. Mosely 2016 Brother Nature Aunt Pam 2019 International Falls Dee 2023 Old Dads Dr. Lois Shmieckel-Turner 2024 Unfrosted Anna Cabana Mother of the Bride Janice

Television + Television Year Title RoleNotes 1993 SeaQuest DSV Rose 1 episode 1997 Star Trek: Voyager Martis Episode: "Before and After" 1998 Sister, Sister Simone 5 episodes 1999 Serial Experiments Lain Female Knight Voice: English version 2000 The Amanda Show 1 episode Two Guys and a Girl Pregnant Damsel 1 episode 2001 Grosse Pointe Reporter 1 episode Three Sisters Sal 1 episode 2002–2003 The Daily Show Correspondent 2002 Judging Amy Alumni Volunteer #2 1 episode Friends Julie Episode: "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby (Part 1)" 2003 Frasier Erin Episode: "Guns N' Neuroses"Stuart Little Margalo Episode: "A Model Driver" 2003–2009 Reno 911! Debbie Dangle-Frost, Claire the Madam 6 episodes 2004 Curb Your Enthusiasm Joanne 2 episodes According to Jim Mindy 1 episode The West Wing Corrine McKenna Episode: "The Hubbert Peak" 2005 Fat Actress Kevyn Shecket 7 episodes Monk Alice Westergren Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa" Committed Ruby 1 episode 8 Simple Rules Margaret Brandenbauerbern 1 episode 2007 The New Adventures Of Old Christine Claire 1 episode Notes from the Underbelly Cooper Main cast Matters of Life and Dating Carla TV movie 2007–2008 The Sarah Silverman Program School Teacher 2 episodes 2008 Desperate Housewives Sandra Birch Episode: "City on Fire" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Megan 1 episode - Two and a Half Deaths Pushing Daisies Georgeann Heaps 1 episode Suburban Shootout Natalie Davenport Pilot Hollywood Residential Rachael Voice, 3 episodes Frisky Dingo A.L.E.X. 2 episodes Emily's Reasons Why Not Lila Cox-Weiner 1 episode 2008–2009 Worst Week Julie 2 episodes 2008–2010 The Life & Times of Tim Adam's Date Voice, 3 episodes 2009 Cougar Town Shanna 1 episode True Jackson, VP Kitty Monreaux 1 episode In the Motherhood Blair 5 episodes 2010 My Boys Marcia 3 episodes Glenn Martin, DDS Melissa the Wedding Planner Voice, 1 episode Childrens Hospital Mrs. Throman 1 episode The Good Guys Cynthia Savage 1 episode Party Down Marguerite Tayler 1 episode Gary Unmarried Rachael 1 episode 2011 Modern Family Amelia Episode: "Caught in the Act" Archer Rona Thorne 1 episode $#*! My Dad Says Soledad Cho 1 episode 2012 New Girl Tanya Lamontagne 4 episodes Happy Endings Suzanne Episode "Sabado Free-Gante" 2013 Newsreaders Wendy Hayflack 1 episode The Office Rachael 1 episode 2012–2019 Suits Sheila Sazs 27 episodes (Guest: seasons 2–5; Recurring: seasons 7–9) 2014 Surviving Jack Joanne Dunlevy Series regular Maron Herself 1 episode Bad Judge Dana McCoy 1 episode 2015 Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street Mayor 1 episode BoJack Horseman Cardigan Burke (voice) 1 episode RuPaul's Drag Race Herself/Judge 1 episode 2016–2021 Lucifer Dr. Linda Martin Main cast2016-2020Mike Tyson MysteriesVarious voices3 episodes 2018 Hell's KitchenHerself Co-VIP guest diner for the blue team; Episode: "Hell Freezes Over" 2020 Make It Work! Television special 2022 Ghosts Sheryl 1 episode2023 Fantasy Island Tara Bendetti 1 episode Goosebumps Nora Main role (Season 1)2025Leverage: RedemptionJudge Marlene Gannon1 episode2026Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCaptain Ch'Rol1 episode

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult2012Independent Spirit AwardsBest Female LeadNatural Selection2022Saturn AwardsBest Guest Starring Role on TelevisionGhosts

References

External links