Quick-witted and charming Cheryl Hines found television stardom while playing the tolerant and sarcastic wife to Larry David’s miserable and annoying self-parody on HBO’s hit comedy, “Curb Your Enthusiasm†(2000 – ). Unlike anything else on television, this critically acclaimed series keeps dialogue fresh and genuine by improvising each episode. In place of scripts, scene outlines are provided for the cast who then make up lines as they go, which help maintain a level of spontaneity and uniqueness. Holding her own while working alongside established performers as David (co-creator of “Seinfeldâ€) and Jeff Garlin, Hines has swiftly proven her sharp knack for comedy and parlayed her passions of being a successful actress into reality.
A Florida native, Hines always had an inkling that acting was in her path, as she studied theater and television production at various institutions including the University of Central Florida, where she graduated. From here, the keen actress saw a move to LA as a chance to gain real experience in the world of comedy, but had little luck with sparse jobs coming her way. It wasn’t until Hines landed a coveted gig as a regular for the Groundlings Theater, which housed many burgeoning improv big-shots, that she got her first break. Trained by experienced comedic talents like Lisa Kudrow, Hines perfected her craft of improvisation and refined her comedic chops while doing several local showcases. Her charismatic and unique presence on stage quickly caught her sights on-screen, as the budding actress showcased her talents on TV. Small bits on popular, Emmy-Award winning sitcoms such as “Friends†(NBC, 1994) and “Everybody Loves Raymond†(CBS, 1996) put Hines front-and-center for exposure and helped catapult her visibility as a serious comedic actress.
While gaining credibility on the small-screen, Hines still performed at the Groundlings Theater, which provided her the much experience required for the role of Cheryl David on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.†It was here, after landing the coveted role, that Hines quickly garnered praise for her cunning improvisational skills and earned herself a Golden Globe nod for Best Supporting Actress (2004), along with 7 other nomination for the show itself. With so much attention on the small-screen, Hines ventured into feature films with a small, but lasting part in the hit comedy “Along Came Polly†co-starring Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller (2004).
Earning respect and kudos for her vast talents, Hines soon found herself sought after by famed exec Jeffrey Katzenberg for the female lead of the new NBC CGI-animated series, “Father of the Pride†(2004). As the voice of mother lion, Kate, Hines was cast alongside veteran performer John Goodman and comedian Orlando Jones in a tale of a family of white lions who work for famed illusionists Siegfried & Roy. She then appeared in the G-rated kiddie feature, “Herbie: Fully Loaded†(2005), starring a cute and loveable Volkswagen Beetle, and Lindsay Lohan. After a sharp performance as a rapier-tongued ad saleswoman in the straight-to-video romantic comedy, “Cake†(2005), Hines appeared in the studio comedy “RV†(2006), playing the wife an over-worked executive who drags his family on a road trip from hell to Colorado in an RV he barely knows how to drive. Along the way, they encounter a clan of fanatical RV enthusiasts, forcing them to band together and become a family again—if they can avoid driving each other insane. Despite poor reviews, “RV†took its opening weekend with a $16 million haul at the box office.
- Born:
on 09/21/1965 in Miami Beach, Florida
- Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Daughter: Catherine Rose Young. born March 8, 2004; father is Paul Young
- Mother: Rosemary Harbolt.
Significant Others
- Husband: Paul Young. married December 30, 2002
Education
- University of Central Florida, radio and television, BA
- Florida State University
- West Virginia University
Milestones
- — Moved to Los Angeles and studied at the groundlings theater; her first teacher there was Lisa Kudrow
- — Will star opposite Patrick Fugit in “Bickford Schmeckler’s Cool Ideas” (lensed 2004)
- 1996 Starred in the independent feature film “Cheap Curry and Calculus”
- 1998 Appeared on an episode of “Suddenly Susan”
- 1999 Cast as Cheryl David in the HBO special “Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a mockumentary about Larry David, the co-creator of “Seinfeld” considering a return to stand-up comedy
- 2000 Portrayed Cheryl David on the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
- 2002 Guest starred on the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”
- 2003 Cast as the trailer park lady in an episode of “Reno 911″
- 2004 Played a catering manager in the comedy “Along Came Polly,” with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston
- 2004 Was the voice of Kate in the animated series “Father of the Pride” (NBC)
- 2006 Cast opposite Jeremy Piven and Garry Marshall in the indie comedy “Keeping Up with the Steins” directed by Marshall’s son Scott
- 2006 Starred in the road-trip comedy “RV” with Robin Williams and Jeff Daniels
