Erika Christensen
Erika Jane Christensen (born August 19, 1982) is an American actress whose film appearances include Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002) and The Perfect Score (2004), among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees on ABC.
Biography
Personal life
Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Kathy, a construction manager, and Steven Christensen, an insurance worker/human-resources executive. She has an older half-brother, Nick, two younger twin brothers, Dane (who appeared in the film The Upside of Anger) and Brando. She is not related to Golden Globe Award-nominated Canadian actor Hayden Christensen. She has Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Welsh, and Irish ancestry. Christensen was raised in Los Angeles, California and started out on television in commercials for McDonald’s.
Christensen is a member of the Church of Scientology. Her parents became Scientologists during their 20s and raised her to be a Scientologist as well as home-schooling her.
Career
Christensen had several small roles in various television programs before starting her movie career. These shows include The Geena Davis Show, Frasier, The Practice, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Touched by an Angel. She was named one of People magazine’s “Breakthrough Stars of 2001.” For her performance in Traffic she received the awards for Female Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards, Female Standout Performance at the Young Hollywood Awards, and Outstanding Performance by a Cast Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2005, she briefly went into music as she recorded a version of Let’s Fall In Love with John Stevens for his debut album Red. In 2006, she starred in the series Six Degrees, which debuted on the ABC fall schedule in 2006 but low ratings caused its cancellation after one season. She made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix directed video “Tired of Being Sorry” for Balthazar Getty’s band Ringside. She is part of the cast of the fiim adaptation of Veronika Decides to Die
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Leave It to Beaver | Karen | |
| 1999 | Can of Worms | Kaetlyn | |
| Thanks | Abigail Winthrop | television series | |
| 2000 | Traffic | Caroline Wakefield | |
| 2001 | That ’70s Show | Stacey | television series |
| 2002 | Home Room | Deanna Cartwright | |
| Swimfan | Madison Bell | ||
| The Banger Sisters | Hannah Kingsley | ||
| 2003 | Wuthering Heights | Cate | television movie |
| 2004 | The Perfect Score | Anna Ross | |
| Riding the Bullet | Jessica Hadley | ||
| 2005 | The Upside of Anger | Andy Wolfmeyer | |
| The Sisters | Irene Prior | ||
| Flightplan | Fiona | ||
| Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony | herself | guest appearance in episode 8 | |
| 2006 | Six Degrees | Mae | television series |
| 2007 | Gardener of Eden | Mona | |
| How to Rob a Bank | Jessica | ||
| The Save-Ums | Cloe | television series | |
| 2008 | Law & Order: SVU | Lauren Cooper | television series |
| 2009 | Veronika Decides to Die | Claire |