Terry Farrell Biography
Though she has several features and TV movies to her credit, Terry Farrell has thrived primarily as an actress on series television. Born Theresa Lee Farrell Grussendorf in Cedar Rapids, IA, Farrell moved to New York City to become a model. During her several years as a cover girl, she also studied acting and landed her first major role as an actress by playing a model on the short-lived TV series Paper Dolls (1984). While she continued her acting studies, Farrell had a small role in the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Back to School (1986) and appeared in the TV movies Beverly Hills Madam (1986) and The Deliberate Stranger (1986), a well-received docudrama on serial killer Ted Bundy. After she starred in the horror sequel Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), Farrell attracted a following as Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1998). During her five years on Deep Space Nine, Farrell also appeared in the TV adaptation of Danielle Steel’s Star (1993), the B-action movie Red Sun Rising (1994), and the TV thriller Reasons of the Heart (1996). After Deep Space Nine ended, the actress stayed with TV, signing on to play Reggie, the beautiful diner worker and occasionally sharp-tongued foil to Ted Danson’s grumpy doctor on the CBS sitcom Becker (1998).
- Born:
on 11/19/63 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Job Titles:
Actor, Model
Significant Others
- Husband: Brain Baker. met in February 2001 at a gym; married on September 1, 2002 atop the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas
Milestones
- 1980 Hired by Elite modeling agency at age 17
- 1984 Played Laurie Casswell on the short-lived ABC primetime serial drama, “Paper Dolls”
- 1986 First notable feature film role, a small part in “Back to School”
- 1987 First lead in a feature, “Off the Mark”
- 1993 Played Jadzhia Dax on the syndicated sci-fi adventure series, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”
- 1998 Cast in the CBS midseason replacement sitcom “Becker”, starring Ted Danson; played the owner of a diner
- Appeared on covers of MADEMOISELLE and the German edition of VOGUE