Penny Johnson Jerald

Template:Short description Template:Infobox person Penny Johnson Jerald (born March 14, 1961)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show, Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sherry Palmer on the Fox series 24, Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates on the ABC comedy-drama series Castle, and Dr. Claire Finn on the Fox/Hulu science-fiction series The Orville,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="goldbergstone">Template:Cite news</ref> and the voice of Sarafina in The Lion King.

Early life

Johnson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, one of seven siblings.<ref name="kiehl">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She aspired to be an actress as a child.<ref name="kiehl"/> She first attended Western High School before transferring to Park School of Baltimore.<ref name="kiehl"/> Johnson trained at the Juilliard School, where her classmates in 1982 included Megan Gallagher, Jack Kenny, Jack Stehlin, and Lorraine Toussaint.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

Jerald began her career with small guest roles. She made her screen debut on an episode of American Playhouse in 1983.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Her first major role on television was Vivian Conway in The Paper Chase from 1984 to 1986.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She appeared in General Hospital in 1986 and Do the Right Thing in 1989. She portrayed Virginia "Vicki" Harper on short-lived sitcom Homeroom in 1989.<ref name="fearnbanks">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1992, Jerald landed the role of unflappable personal assistant, Beverly Barnes, on The Larry Sanders Show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For her work on Larry Sanders, Jerald received a CableACE Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two years later, she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She continued playing Beverly until the show ended in 1998.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Throughout the 1990s, Jerald guest starred in several television series, including Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Grace Under Fire, Cosby and Family Law. She appeared as Lavinia in television film Class of '61<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and portrayed Lorraine in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Following Larry Sanders, Jerald appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine playing freighter captain Kasidy Yates, the love interest for the series's main character Benjamin Sisko, a recurring role which she played from 1995 to the show's end in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1997, she played Laura Simon in the film Absolute Power. She also had a recurring guest role on ER as Lynette Evans from 1998 to 1999. She then appeared as Roscoe Dellums in the Emmy Award–winning TV movie The Color of Friendship. Jerald also guest starred on Frasier,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Practice, Touched by an Angel and The X-Files.

Jerald's most-recognized role came in 2001 when she appeared in the Kiefer Sutherland-led Fox series, 24, playing Sherry Palmer, the wife of Senator David Palmer.<ref name="owen">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jerald believed it was the first role to test her acting ability, claiming the majority of her previous characters were "easy-going."<ref name="stilson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She appeared in all but two of the first season episodes and multiple episodes of the second and third seasons. She received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2003 alongside her 24 co-stars.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003, Jerald portrayed Condoleezza Rice in DC 9/11: Time of Crisis, a TV movie about the September 11 attacks in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She reprised the role in the miniseries The Path to 9/11, which aired September 10–11, 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jerald also guest-starred on the sitcom Eve, playing Shelly's mother Beverly in four episodes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She portrayed Rebecca Parrish in three episodes of sci-fi series The 4400 in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Jerald had a recurring role on ABC midseason drama October Road for the 2007–08 season.

She made guest appearances on episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Jerald gave voice to Amanda Waller in animated series Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Jerald joined the cast of ABC's Castle in its fourth season as the new captain of the 12th Precinct, Victoria "Iron" Gates, replacing Ruben Santiago-Hudson's deceased character Roy Montgomery as captain of the precinct. In 2015, Jerald announced on Twitter that she had been let go from the series, and was herself "saddened" and "surprised" by the news.<ref name="goldbergstone"/> Regarding Jerald's exit from the series, Castle showrunner Alexi Hawley stated it was "very difficult" writing her out of the series.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

She was later cast in the role of Dr. Claire Finn in the Fox/Hulu science-fiction series The Orville.<ref name=Castle>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2019, Jerald provided the voice of Sarafina in The Lion King,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a remake of the 1994 film.

Personal life

She married Gralin Jerald in 1983.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jerald also teaches acting workshops and produces and directs for Outreach Christian Theater Company, which she and her musician husband founded in 1994.<ref name="stilson"/> The couple have a daughter.<ref name="owen"/>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Swing Shift	Genevieve
	Template:Sortname	Sue
	Template:Sortname	Michelle	Television film
1985	Template:Sortname	Betty
1990	Goin' to Chicago	Darlene
	Kaleidoscope	Paula	Television film
	Night Visions	Luanne
1993	Fear of a Black Hat	Re-Re
	Class of '61	Lavinia	Television film
	What's Love Got to Do with It	Lorraine Taylor
	Empty Cradle	Gail Huddle	Television film
1994	Molly & Gina	Maria
1995	Automatic	Julia Rodriguez
1996	Template:Sortname	Laney Roosevelt	Television film
	Death Benefit	Sylvia Guzman
	Template:Sortname	Geraldine
1997	Absolute Power	Laura Simon
1998	Krippendorf's Tribe	Teacher
1999	The Test of Love	Hope	Television film
2000	Template:Sortname	Roscoe Dellums
	Deliberate Intent	Laura Harmon
2003	DC 9/11: Time of Crisis	Condoleezza Rice
2004	Secrets of the International Spy Museum	Guest
2005	Rent	Bohemian
2015	Justice League: Gods and Monsters	President Amanda Waller	Voice role
2017	Media	Jackie Jones	Television film
2018	Parker's Anchor	Laurie
2019	The Lion King	Sarafina	Voice role
2020	Celeste's Dreams	Penelope	Short
2025	BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983	American Playhouse	Jill Hatch	Episode: "The Files on Jill Hatch: Part 1"
1984	T. J. Hooker	Lisa Cody	Episode: "Anatomy of a Killing"
	Hill Street Blues	Jackie DeWitt	Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green"
1984–86	Template:Sortname	Vivian Conway	Main cast: season 2-4
1985	Template:Sortname	Danelle	Episode: "Last Dance"
	Simon & Simon	Hanna McKenzie	Episode: "Out-of-Town Brown"
1986	General Hospital	Debbie	Episode: "14 & 15 May 1986"
1987	1st & Ten	Phyllis	Recurring cast: season 4
	Women in Prison	Patty	Episode: "Walk This Way"
1988	The Cosby Show	Nurse	Episode: "The Visit"
	Simon & Simon	Evelyn Jacobson	Episode: "Zen and the Art of the Split-Finger Fastball"
1989	Tour of Duty	Jan Hudson	Episode: "For What It's Worth"
	She's the Sheriff	Dorothy	Episode: "Divorce, Wiggins Style"
	Homeroom	Virginia Harper	Main cast
1990	Freddy's Nightmares	Elaine Alamo	Episode: "Life Sentence"
	Coach	Susan Birch	Episode: "The Day That Moses Came to Town"
	Parker Lewis Can't Lose	Ms. Miriam Donnelly	Episode: "Teacher, Teacher"
1991	Columbo	Maxine Jarrett	Episode: "Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health"
1992–98	Template:Sortname	Beverly Barnes	Main cast
1994	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Dobara	Episode: "Homeward"
1995	Sweet Justice	Marcy Lerner	Episode: "Greener Grass"
1995–99	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Kasidy Yates	Recurring cast: season 3-7
1996	Grace Under Fire	Bailey Alford	Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor" & "Pregnant Pause"
1997	Cosby	Penny	Episode: "Brave New Hilton"
	Template:Sortname	Elizabeth	Episode: "Pilot"
1998–99	ER	Lynette Evans	Supporting cast: season 5
2000	Family Law	Christine Webber	Episode: "Family Values"
2001	Template:Sortname	Dr. Hellura Lyle	Episode: "Medusa"
	Template:Sortname	Atty. Laura Garrett	Episode: "Awakenings"
	Citizen Baines	Denise Willis	Episode: "A Day Like No Other"
2001–04	24	Sherry Palmer	Recurring cast: season 1 & 3, main cast: season 2
2002	Touched by an Angel	Eleanor	Episode: "The Impossible Dream"
2003	Frasier	Carol	Episode: "Maris Returns"
2005–06	Eve	Beverly Williams	Recurring cast: season 3
2006	Law & Order	Ms. Booker	Episode: "Choice of Evils"
2007	Template:Sortname	Rebecca Parrish	Recurring cast: season 4
2007–08	October Road	Dean Leslie Etwood	Recurring cast
2009–10	NCIS	Joanne Torrence	Episode: "Endgame" & "Flesh and Blood"
2010	Bones	Rachel Adams	Episode: "The X in the File"
	Tyler Perry's House of Payne	Maxine	Recurring cast: season 6
2011–15	Castle	Capt. Victoria Gates	Main cast: season 4-7
2015	Gods and Monsters Chronicles	President Amanda Waller (voice)	Episode: "Bomb"
2017–2022	The Orville	Dr. Claire Finn	Main cast
2018	Sideswiped	Cynthia	Episode: "The Rock Star"
2024	Ted	Principal	Episode: "Just Say Yes" & "Desperately Seeking Susan"

External links

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