Early life

Acker was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, to a homemaker mother and a lawyer father. She graduated from Lake Highlands High School in Dallas. She subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Southern Methodist University.

In her junior year of college, Acker modeled for J. Crew catalog. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the same year. She worked as a stage actress for several seasons, including a stint at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Career

Acker made her major television debut when she starred as Winifred "Fred" Burkle in Angel (seasons 2-5), and also as the character of Illyria for part of the show's fifth and final season. She won the 2003 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her portrayal.

She joined the cast of Alias in 2005 for its final season, playing villainess Kelly Peyton. Acker graduated from guest star to fully credited cast member as the show entered the final episodes in April and May 2006. Also in 2005, Acker provided voice acting for the character of Huntress on the animated series Justice League Unlimited. She went on to make a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother, in which she was reunited with Angel co-star, Alexis Denisof (the real-life husband of HIMYM star Alyson Hannigan), who had a recurring role on the show.

She portrayed Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey, a recurring character, on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Acker guest-starred in 10 of the 13 episodes of the first season and three episodes of the second.

In 2010, she was a series regular in the ABC drama Happy Town, portraying the character Rachel Conroy. That same year, she starred in the season-one finale of the Fox series Human Target, as the mysterious Katherine Walters. On May 25, 2010, she appeared on CBS's The Good Wife. She appeared in the horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, released April 13, 2012. In 2012, she made guest performances in Warehouse 13, Once Upon A Time, and Grimm. In 2012, she starred as Beatrice in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing.

Acker appeared in the sitcom Husbands's third season as Claudia, the ex-fiancée of Brady Kelly who unexpectedly shows up. In March 2014, Acker was cast as Audrey, a former lover to Phil Coulson in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Personal life

On April 25, 2003, Acker wed actor James Carpinello in California. The couple have two children.

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	Wishbone	Catherine Morland	Episode: "Pup Fiction"
1999	To Serve and Protect	Melissa Jorgensen	Episode: "1.2"
1999	Wishbone	Priscilla Venus	Episode: "A Bone of Contention" Episode: "A Roamin' Nose"
2001	Special Unit 2	Nancy	Episode: "The Invisible"
2001-04	Angel	Winifred 'Fred' Burkle/Illyria	Recurring role (season 2); main role (seasons 3-5); 70 episodes
2003	Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt	Bonnie Lindsay	Movie
2005	Supernatural	Andrea Barr	Episode: "Dead in the Water"
2005-06	Justice League Unlimited	Huntress/Helena Bertinelli	4 episodes
2005-06	Alias	Kelly Peyton	Main role (season 5); 13 episodes
2006	How I Met Your Mother	Penelope	Episode: "Come On"
2007	Drive	Kathryn Tully	3 episodes
2007	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Leslie LeZard	Episode: "Smile"
2007	Ghost Whisperer	Tessa	Episode: "Weight of What Was"
2008	A Near Death Experience	Ellie Daly	Movie; a.k.a. Voices
2008	Fire and Ice: The Dragon Chronicles	Princess Luisa	Movie
2008	October Road	Girl in Blue Uniform	Episode: "Dancing Days Are Here Again"
2008	October Road	Jenny Bristol	Episode: "Hat? No Hat?"
2008	Private Practice	Molly Madison	Episode: "A Family Thing"
2009-10	Dollhouse	Dr. Claire Saunders (Whiskey)	Recurring role; 14 episodes
2010	Human Target	Katherine Walters	Episode: "Christopher Chance"
2010	Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife	Trish Arkin	Episode: "Running"
2010	Happy Town	Rachel Conroy	Main role; 8 episodes
2010	No Ordinary Family	Amanda Grayson	2 episodes
2011	Dear Santa	Crystal Carruthers	Movie
2011, 2013	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Sandy Colfax	2 episodes
2012	Grimm	Lena Marcenko	Episode: "Tarantella"
2012	Once Upon a Time	Astrid/Nova	Episode: "Dreamy"
2012	Warehouse 13	Tracey	Episode: "The Ones You Love"
2012-present	Person of Interest	Root/Samantha Groves	Recurring role (seasons 1-2); main role (season 3-present)
2013	Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated	Nova	4 episodes
2013	Husbands	Claudia
2014	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	Audrey Nathan, the Cellist	Episode: "The Only Light in the Darkness"
2015	A Novel Romance	Sophie	Movie
2015	Suits	Esther Edelstein (née Litt)	Episodes: "No Puedo Hacerlo", "Hitting Home"

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	The Energy Specialist	Claire
2001	The Accident	Nina
2002	Groom Lake	Kate
2002	Catch Me If You Can	Miggy
2005	Mr. Dramatic	Jodi	Short film
2006	The Novice	Jill Yarrut
2009	21 and a Wake-Up	Caitlin Murphy
2011	Vile	Whitney Richards
2011	Sironia	Molly
2012	The Cabin in the Woods	Wendy Lin
2012	Much Ado About Nothing	Beatrice
2014	Let's Kill Ward's Wife	Geena
2015	The Energy Specialist	Claire

Web

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Who Cut the Cake?	Ellen	Episodes: "Who the Fu@k’", "Thanks For Coming", "2 Girls 1 CupSize"
2015	Con Man	Dawn Jones	Episodes: "Full Release", "Found and Lost", "Too Much Closure for Comfort"

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
2003	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actress on Television	Angel	Won
2004				Nominated
2014	Indie Series Awards	Best Guest Star - Comedy	Husbands	Won

[ Source: Wikipedia ]