Editing A. J. Langer

{{short description|American actress (born 1974)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name               = The Countess of Devon
| birth_name         = Allison Joy Langer
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1974|5|22}}
| birth_place        = [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], [[Ohio]], U.S.
| occupation         = Actress
| years_active       = 1990–2007, 2011–2013
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon]]|2004<!--DO NOT add an end year without RS of a finalized divorce. Filing for divorce does not end a marriage; the couple have purportedly asked to dismiss the divorce filing-->}}
| children           = 2<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Simon |last1=Perry |url=https://people.com/royals/my-so-called-life-star-a-j-langer-countess/|title='My So-Called Life' Star|date=November 21, 2017|website=people.com}}</ref>
}}

'''Allison Joy Courtenay, Countess of Devon''' (née '''Langer'''; born May 22, 1974),<ref name="CIwAJ">{{Cite news|title=Checking In With A.J. Langer|author=|date=May 13, 2003|work=The Stuart News|page=3|quote=Full name: Allison Joy Langer.  Born: May 22, 1974, in Columbus, Ohio.|id={{ProQuest|2605752539}}}}</ref> commonly known by her [[stage name]] '''A. J. Langer''', is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rayanne Graff on the American television series ''[[My So-Called Life]]'' and Caroline Larkin on the American television series ''[[Baywatch]]''. In 2004, she married [[Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon]] and took on the management of [[Powderham Castle]], the [[House of Courtenay|Courtenay]] family seat in [[Exminster]].

==Early years==
Born in [[Columbus, Ohio]],<ref name="CIwAJ"/> Allison Joy Langer moved to the [[San Fernando Valley]] with her family at age five. When she joined an otherwise all-boys baseball league at age eight, her teammates considered the name "Allison" to be too feminine, and began calling her by her initials, "A.J."<ref name=EscapeFromTV>{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Calvin |title=Escape from TV |url=https://people.com/archive/escape-from-tv-vol-46-no-6/ |accessdate=March 1, 2020 |work=People magazine |date=August 5, 1996 |language=EN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301183324/https://people.com/archive/escape-from-tv-vol-46-no-6/ |archive-date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> She has one older brother, Kirk.<ref name=EscapeFromTV/>

==Career==
After many guest starring roles on several television shows, including ''[[The Wonder Years]]'', and her first series regular in ''[[Drexell's Class]]'', Langer was cast as Rayanne Graff on ''My So-Called Life''. She also starred as a series regular in the sitcoms ''[[It's Like, You Know...]]'' and ''[[Three Sisters (American TV series)|Three Sisters]]'', as well as the [[drama]] [[Television program|series]] ''[[Eyes (TV series)|Eyes]]''. Her film appearances include [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Escape from L.A.]]'' and [[Wes Craven]]'s horror film ''[[The People Under the Stairs]]''.

In 2011, after a six-year acting hiatus, Langer appeared in 14 episodes of ''[[Private Practice (TV series)|Private Practice]]'' in the recurring role of Erica Warner. She left the show in 2012 following the death of her character.

==Personal life==
Langer married attorney [[Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon|Charles Courtenay]], the son of [[Hugh Courtenay, 18th Earl of Devon]], in a [[civil ceremony]] in 2004.<ref name="people">{{cite news|title=AJ Langer's Son Becomes Heir to Royal Title|url=http://people.com/babies/aj-langers-son-becomes-heir-to-royal-title/|access-date=14 December 2016|work=People|date=27 August 2009}}</ref> A formal wedding took place on April 30, 2005, in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Titled Match|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20147577,00.html|work=[[People Magazine]]|accessdate=July 14, 2011|archive-date=March 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110330125915/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20147577,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Until the death of her father-in-law, Langer held the [[Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom|courtesy title]] of Lady Courtenay. Following his death, and upon her husband's succession as 19th [[Earl of Devon]], she assumed the title of [[Countess]] of Devon. In January 2014, she and her husband permanently relocated their family to [[London]], and to the family seat at [[Powderham Castle]] in May 2015. The couple announced their separation, and intention to divorce, in November 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Earl of Devon to divorce 'Devon's Meghan Markle' AJ Langer |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/earl-devon-divorce-devons-meghan-8883931 |website=Devon Live |date=November 4, 2023 |access-date=5 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gibbons |first=Katie |date=2024-02-22 |title=Earl of Devon files for divorce from Baywatch star AJ Langer |newspaper=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/earl-of-devon-files-for-divorce-from-baywatch-star-aj-langer-c0f0fkj8l |access-date=2024-02-22 |language=en |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> In February 2024, the couple filed to dismiss their earlier divorce application.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theblast.com/580696/my-so-called-life-star-a-j-langers-husband-files-to-dismiss-divorce/|title='My So-Called Life' Star A.J. Langer's Husband Files To Dismiss Divorce|first=Afouda|last=Bamidele|date=February 25, 2024|access-date=September 1, 2024|website=The Blast}}</ref>

The couple have two children, a daughter and a son:
* Lady Joscelyn Skye Courtenay<ref>{{cite journal|title=Passages|journal=People|volume=67|number=9|date=5 March 2007|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20062910,00.html}}</ref>
* Jack Haydon Langer Courtenay, Lord Courtenay<ref name="people"/>

In her spare time, Langer raises awareness and money for the research and treatment of [[fibromyalgia]], from which she herself suffers.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-04-09-langer-fibromyalgia.htm |title=A.J. Langer mellows out to fight fibromyalgia |last1=Morgan |first1=John  |date=April 9, 2001 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=December 30, 2007 |last2=Shoop |first2=Stephen A. }}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1991
|''{{sortname|The|People Under the Stairs}}''
|Alice Robeson
|
|-
|1991
|''[[And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird]]''
|Beth Allen
|
|-
|1993
|''Lightning in a Bottle''
|Mitzi Furber
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Ghost Brigade]]''
|Thomas, the drummer boy
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Arcade (film)|Arcade]]''
|Laurie
|Video
|-
|1996
|''[[Escape from L.A.]]''
|Utopia
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Meet the Deedles]]''
|Lt. Jesse Ryan
|
|-
|2001
|''On Edge''
|J.C. Cain
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1990
|''[[Dragnet (franchise)|Dragnet]]''
|Martha Gibson
|Episode: "Pretty Girl"
|-
|1991
|''[[Parker Lewis Can't Lose]]''
|Melissa
|Episode: "Jerry's First Date"
|-
|1991, 1994
|''[[Baywatch]]''
|Caroline Larkin, Rachel / Nancy / Linda
|Episodes: "The Trophy: Parts 1 & 2", "Guys & Dolls"
|-
|1991–1992
|''[[Drexell's Class]]''
|Melissa Drexell
|Main role
|-
|1992
|''[[Blossom (American TV series)|Blossom]]''
|Sherry, Sheila
|Episodes: "Wake Up Little Suzy", "All Hallows Eve"
|-
|1992
|''[[Camp Wilder]]''
|Lydia
|Episode: "Boy Loses Girl"
|-
|1992
|''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]''
|Darlene
|Episode: "Cheers"
|-
|1992
|''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV series)|In the Heat of the Night]]''
|Megan Fowler
|Episode: "A Frenzied Affair", "Discovery"
|-
|1992
|''Sega Star Kids Challenge @ Universal Studios Hollywood/Florida''
|Herself
|Played for [[United Cerebral Palsy]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6sfcE3wax4 | title=Sega Star Kids Challenge at Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida (1992) | website=[[YouTube]] | date=March 24, 2022 }}</ref>
|-
|1993
|''{{sortname|The|Wonder Years}}''
|Mary Jo Genaro
|Episode: "Eclipse"
|-
|1993
|''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]''
|Denise
|Episode: "Radar Love"
|-
|1993
|''[[Return to Zork]]''
|Rebecca Snoot
|Video game
|-
|1994–1995
|''[[My So-Called Life]]''
|Rayanne Graff
|Main role
|-
|1995
|''[[CBS Schoolbreak Special]]''
|Carla Leone
Lead
|Episode: "Between Mother and Daughter"
|-
|1995
|''[[Diagnosis: Murder]]''
|Ashley York
|Episode: "An Innocent Murder"
|-
|1995–1996
|''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]''
|Julie
Recurring role
|Episodes: "She's Having Our Baby: Part 2", "Her Boyfriend's Back", "Somebody's Baby"
|-
|1996
|''[[Seinfeld]]''
|Abby
|Episode: "The Fatigues"
|-
|1997
|''[[Touched by an Angel]]''
|Olivia Marland
|Episode: "Labor of Love"
|-
|1997
|''[[Johnny Bravo]]''
|Mary (voice)
|1 episode
|-
|1997–1998
|''[[Brooklyn South]]''
|Kathleen Doyle
|Recurring role
|-
|1998
|''[[Fame L.A.]]''
|Emily Callaghan
|Episode: "Duet"
|-
|1998
|''[[Poltergeist: The Legacy]]''
|Elissa
|Episode: "Fallen Angel"
|-
|1999–2001
|''[[It's Like, You Know...]]''
|Lauren Woods
|Series Regular
|-
|2001–2002
|''[[Three Sisters (American TV series)|Three Sisters]]''
|Annie Bernstein-Flynn
|Series Regular 
|-
|2002
|''{{sortname|The|Drew Carey Show}}''
|Dawn
|2 episodes
|-
|2003
|''Platonically Incorrect''
|Darlene O'Dair
Main role
|TV film
|-
|2005–2007
|''[[Eyes (TV series)|Eyes]]''
|Meg Bardo
|Series Regular
|-
|2011–2012
|''[[Private Practice (TV series)|Private Practice]]''
|Erica Warner
|Recurring role (season 5)
|-
|2013
|''[[Kristin's Christmas Past]]''
|Debbie
|TV film
|-
|2017
|''[[Mary Berry|Mary Berry's]] Country House Secrets''
|Herself
| Episode: "Powderham Castle"
|}

===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Return to Zork]]''
| Rebecca Snoot
|
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0486277}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Langer, A. J.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American child actresses]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American expatriate actresses]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Courtenay family|A.J.]]
[[Category:English countesses|Devon]]