Judy Greer

Biography:

Judy Greer was born on July 20, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan. Her mother, Mollie Ann Greer, worked as a hospital administrator, while her father, Rich Evans, was a mechanical engineer. Her mother had previously been a nun before being dismissed from the convent after eight years for what was described as rebellious behavior, including owning a red swimsuit. Greer was raised in a Roman Catholic household and spent her early years in Redford Township and Livonia. She attended Churchill High School, where she participated in the Creative and Performing Arts Program. In 1997, she graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. To distinguish herself professionally, she adopted her mother’s maiden name after discovering that several actresses shared her birth name, Judy Evans.

Greer’s film career began in 1998 with a role in the horror movie Stricken, in which she portrayed a college student involved in a deadly prank. That same year, she appeared briefly in Kissing a Fool, a romantic drama filmed in Chicago. Her first major breakthrough came with Jawbreaker (1999), a dark comedy directed by Darren Stein, where she played Fern Mayo, a socially awkward teenager who uncovers the murder of a fellow student by her classmates. She followed this success with supporting roles in the romantic comedies What Women Want (2000) and The Wedding Planner (2001). In 2002, she was cast alongside Stephen Colbert in an NBC pilot, Untitled Ken Finkleman Project, adapted from the Canadian series The Newsroom, where she portrayed Colbert’s sister.

Greer became widely recognized for her recurring role as Kitty Sanchez in the acclaimed Fox comedy Arrested Development (2003–2005, 2013, 2018), appearing in ten episodes across its original seasons. She later remarked in interviews that it remained one of her most recognizable performances. Around the same time, she played a supporting role in Adaptation (2002).

Her career gained further momentum in 2004 when she co-starred with Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30, portraying Lucy, an untrustworthy fashion editor. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning over $96 million globally. That same year, she appeared in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller The Village, which, despite mixed reviews, grossed $256 million worldwide. Greer also appeared in LolliLove, directed by Jenna Fischer, a satire that premiered to favorable reviews at the St. Louis International Film Festival before going directly to DVD.

In 2005, she starred as a werewolf in Wes Craven’s Cursed, a film that performed poorly with critics and audiences alike. She subsequently appeared in The Great New Wonderful, a post-9/11 drama exploring the lives of several New Yorkers, earning critical praise for her portrayal of a troubled mother. After smaller roles in In Memory of My Father and Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown (2005), Greer appeared in Paul Weitz’s American Dreamz and Jake Kasdan’s The TV Set (2006), where her performance as a relentlessly upbeat manager earned particular acclaim. That same year, she starred in the CBS dramedy Love Monkey. Over the next few years, she continued appearing in independent films such as The Go-Getter and The Grand (2007) and began collaborating regularly with producer Chuck Lorre, featuring in his sitcoms Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mom.

Greer’s film work in 2008 included Visioneers, opposite Zach Galifianakis, and 27 Dresses, where she played the protagonist’s best friend in a commercially successful romantic comedy. She later took the lead in the short-lived ABC sitcom Miss Guided, portraying a well-meaning high school counselor. She also appeared in Apple’s “Get a Mac” commercials and began voice acting, most notably as Cheryl Tunt in the long-running animated series Archer and as Wendy Park in Glenn Martin, DDS.

In 2010, Greer played the lead in Barry Munday, followed by roles in Marmaduke, Henry’s Crime, and Peep World, earning strong reviews for her emotional depth. She appeared in Love & Other Drugs the same year, another commercial success. The following year, she acted in The Key Man and gained significant critical recognition for her role in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants (2011), which earned her several ensemble nominations. Her moving performance was praised for its emotional authenticity. She also starred alongside Ed Helms in Jeff, Who Lives at Home, receiving the John Cassavetes Award at the Denver Film Festival.

Greer continued her television career with CBS’s Mad Love and hosted an online health series, Reluctantly Healthy, later adapted for television. She made her Broadway debut in Dead Accounts (2012), appeared in the Carrie remake (2013), and took on motion-capture roles in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and its sequel War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), both critically acclaimed and financially successful.

In 2014, she directed Quiet Time, a short film for AOL, and released her memoir I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star, which received positive reviews for its humor and humility. She starred in FX’s Married (2014–2015), earning praise for her chemistry with co-star Nat Faxon.

Her career reached new commercial heights in 2015 with roles in Jurassic World and Marvel’s Ant-Man, both major box-office successes. She reprised her role in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). She also earned praise for performances in Grandma and Addicted to Fresno, demonstrating her versatility across comedy and drama.

Between 2016 and 2017, Greer appeared in All We Had, Ordinary World, and Adventures in Public School, with critics commending her consistent charm and comedic talent. Her directorial feature debut, A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2017), featured an ensemble cast including Jennifer Garner and Allison Janney.

Greer’s later filmography includes The 15:17 to Paris, Driven, Halloween (2018), and its sequel Halloween Kills (2021), where she played Laurie Strode’s daughter. Her performance was singled out as one of the franchise’s emotional anchors. She also starred in Showtime’s Kidding (2018–2020) alongside Jim Carrey, earning praise for her nuanced portrayal of a conflicted ex-wife.

From 2019 onward, Greer appeared in Buffaloed, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Playing with Fire, and Uncle Frank, showcasing her adaptability across genres. She later took leading roles in Into the Dark: Good Boy (2020) and Lady of the Manor (2021), both of which drew critical attention for her strong performances.

In 2022, she appeared in The Thing About Pam, The First Lady, and Hulu’s Reboot, receiving particular acclaim for her depth and comedic timing. She joined HBO’s White House Plumbers and appeared in stage productions at Steppenwolf Theatre. She was also announced to star in Flint Strong and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024), followed by the Apple TV+ series Stick (2025).

Greer married Dean E. Johnsen, executive producer of Real Time with Bill Maher, in 2011, becoming stepmother to his two children. Though raised Catholic, she stopped practicing the faith in adulthood. In 2014, she began practicing transcendental meditation to manage stress. Greer is also an active member of the board of Project Chimps, a sanctuary for former research chimpanzees, and is a registered Democrat.