Early life

Martin was born in Riverside, California, the daughter of Debbie, a kindergarten teacher, and Doug Martin, a department store buyer and retail executive. Martin loved to perform for her close-knit family. She began her acting career at age seven, when her aunt, who was a nanny for actor Michael Landon's children, helped her land a guest spot on the Landon produced series Father Murphy. At the age of eleven, she was a contestant during Young People's Week on Card Sharks.

Career

Beginning

Martin had a recurring role on season three of Valerie's Family: The Hogans (1987-88). She also contributed the voice of Daphne Blake on the animated series A Pup Named Scooby-Doo in 1988-91. In 1989, Martin began the role of Rebecca "Becca" Thacher on the family drama Life Goes On, which ran on ABC for four seasons. She also played the role of Emily in 1989's Troop Beverly Hills, starring Shelley Long.

1990s

From 1991 to 1995, Martin supplied the voice of Molly Tasmanian Devil on Taz-Mania. In 1993, she played Sherry in Matinee, starring John Goodman, and made a guest appearance as Cleo Walker on an episode of seaQuest DSV titled "Brothers and Sisters". In 1994, she starred on her own series, acting alongside Tyne Daly in the CBS period drama Christy. The series was based on a popular spiritually-themed novel by the author Catherine Marshall and told the story of a young missionary teacher in an isolated community in the Appalachian Mountains. The show was well received and had an avid fan base, but its ratings suffered from being moved around the television schedule in unpredictable time slots. She also reunited with her Troop Beverly Hills co-star Emily Schulman on this series.

In 1994, she starred on the Lifetime movie A Friend to Die For (also known as Death of a Cheerleader) in a lead role. In 1995, she starred on The Face on the Milk Carton, a TV film based on the book by Caroline Cooney about a teenager who finds out she was kidnapped from her real family 13 years prior and had been raised by the parents of her kidnapper. She also was on A Goofy Movie as the voice of Roxanne, Max's love interest. In 1996, Martin starred as deaf abuse victim Laura Keyes on Lifetime's TV movie "After the Silence (aka Breaking Through)" and in 1997, she starred on the short-lived NBC drama Crisis Center, which lasted only six episodes.

From 1998 to 2000, Martin appeared on the medical drama ER as medical student Lucy Knight. Martin was still going to Yale at the time and postponed her education so that she could join the cast.

2000s

In 2003, Martin starred on Mystery Woman, a Hallmark Channel movie about the owner of a mystery bookshop who solves actual crimes. It proved a popular vehicle for Martin; since 2005 she has gone on to make ten more Mystery Woman movies for Hallmark, two of which she directed. Also in 2003, Martin had a supporting role on the comedic film Malibu's Most Wanted.

In 2006, Martin starred in the Lifetime movie Live Once, Die Twice, followed by No Brother of Mine in 2007. Also in 2007, Martin provided the voice for the adult-version of Barbara Gordon on "Artifacts", an episode of The Batman.

In 2009 Martin was a guest on Grey's Anatomy, episode "No Good at Saying Sorry." She also guest starred in the Ghost Whisperer episode "Stage Fright" as Cally O'Keefe. More recently, she has guest starred on the Private Practice episode "The Way We Were".

In 2012, Martin played Army Captain Nicole Galassini on the Lifetime Network television series Army Wives.

Recognition

In 1993, Martin was nominated for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series for her work in Life Goes On.

Personal life

Martin graduated from Yale University in 2001 with a degree in art history. She was a member of Saybrook College. She married Keith Christian on May 15, 1999 in his hometown of Polson, Montana. The pair have two daughters, Margaret "Maggie" Heather (Born November 5, 2006) and Olivia James (Born February 13, 2016). Maggie is named after Martin's sister Heather, who died due to lupus erythematosus at age 19. Martin owns and operates her own toy store ROMPstore.com and has authored a novel, MADAM: A Novel of New Orleans from Plume.

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Father Murphy	Flossie	Episode: "Sweet Sixteen"
1984	Highway to Heaven	Lisa Ratchett	Episode: "Another Song for Christmas"
1985	Canterville Ghost, TheThe Canterville Ghost	Unknown	Television movie
1986	Wonderful World of Disney	Linda	Episode: "Help Wanted: Kids"
1986	Wonderful World of Disney	Veronica	Episode: "The Richest Cat in the World"
1986	Dallas	Brenda Crane	Episode: "J.R. Rising"
1986	Life With Lucy	Patty	2 episodes
1986	Potato Head Kids	Lolly	Unknown episodes
1987-88	My Two Dads	Rebecca	2 episodes
1987-88	Hogan Family, TheThe Hogan Family	Tracy Nash	5 episodes
1988	thirtysomething	Robin Kramer	2 episodes
1988	Tracey Ullman Show, TheThe Tracey Ullman Show	Kari	Episode: "2.21"
1988	Fantastic Max	Additional Voices	Unknown episodes
1988	ABC Weekend Specials	Karen	Episode: "Runaway Ralph"
1988	Superman	Unknown	Episode: "The Birthday Party"
1988	Secret Witness	Jennie Thomas	Movie
1988-91	Pup Named Scooby-Doo, AA Pup Named Scooby-Doo	Daphne Blake	19 episodes
1989	Charles in Charge	Heather Curtis	Episode: "Adam See, Adam Do"
1989	Mr. Belvedere	Miriam	Episode: "The Election"
1989	Baywatch	Chelsea Carroll	Episode: "Panic at Malibu Pier"
1989-93	Life Goes On	Rebecca 'Becca' Thacher	83 episodes Won - Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series
1991-95	Taz-Mania	Molly Tazmanian Devil	22 episodes
1993	SeaQuest DSV	Cleo Walker	Episode: "Brothers and Sisters"
1993	ABC Afterschool Specials	Samantha Wheeler	Episode: "Montana Crossroads"
1994	Aladdin	Sadira	4 episodes
1994	Christy	Christy Huddleston	Movie
1994-95	Christy	Christy Huddleston	20 episodes
1994	Friend to Die For, AA Friend to Die For	Angela Delvecchio	Television movie
1995	If Someone Had Known	Katie Liner	Television movie
1995	Face on the Milk Carton, TheThe Face on the Milk Carton	Jennifer Sands / Janie Jessmon	Movie
1995	Her Hidden Truth	Billie Calhoun	Movie
1996	Hidden in Silence	Fusia Podgorska	Movie
1996	Her Last Chance	Alex Saxen	Movie
1996	Breaking Through	Laura Keyes	Movie
1997	On the Edge of Innocence	Zoe Taylor	Movie
1997	Crisis Center	Kathy Goodman	6 episodes
1998	About Sarah	Mary Beth McCaffrey	Movie
1998- 2000	ER	Lucy Knight	36 episodes Won - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
1998-2000	The Powerpuff Girls	Additional Voices	16 episodes
2001	Man in the Kitchen	Unknown	Movie
2002	Fiona	Det. Fiona Fitzgerald	Movie
2003	Mystery Woman	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2003	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Melinda Granville	Episode: "Tragedy"
2005	Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2005	Mystery Woman: Snapshot	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2005	Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2005	Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2005	Mystery Woman: Game Time	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2006	Mystery Woman: At First Sight	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2006	Live Once, Die Twice	Nicole Lauker	Movie
2006	Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2006	Mystery Woman: Oh Baby	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2006	Mystery Woman: Redemption	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2007	Batman, TheThe Batman	Oracle (voice)	Episode: "Artifacts"
2007	Mystery Woman: In the Shadows	Samantha Kinsey	Movie
2007	No Brother of Mine	Nina St. Clair	Movie
2009	Ghost Whisperer	Cally O'Keefe	Episode: "Stage Fright"
2009	Grey's Anatomy	Julie Zelman	Episode: "No Good at Saying Sorry"
2009	Private Practice	Michelle Larsen	Episode: "The Way We Were"
2010	Drop Dead Diva	Joan Feiner	Episode: "Senti-Mental Journey"
2010	Jensen Project, TheThe Jensen Project	Claire Thompson	Movie
2011	Smooch	Gwen Cole	Movie
2012	Army Wives	Army Captain Nicole Galassini	8 episodes
2012	I Married Who?	Jordan Grady	Movie
2013	The Christmas Ornament	Kathy	Movie
2014	Dear Viola	Katherine	Movie
2015	So You Said Yes	Annabelle Blanche	Movie
2014	Mad Men	Carolyn Glaspie	Episode: "Waterloo"
2014	Satisfaction	Jennifer	Episode: "...Through Self Discovery"
2015	Hello, It's Me	Annie	Movie, Hallmark

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Jumpin' Jack Flash	Kristi Carlson
1986	Body Slam	Missy Roberts
1988	Doin' Time on Planet Earth	Sheila
1989	Troop Beverly Hills	Emily Coleman
1989	Flamingo Kid, TheThe Flamingo Kid	Lauren Brody	Short film
1993	Matinee	Sherry
1995	Goofy Movie, AA Goofy Movie	Roxanne	Voice role
2001	All You Need	Beth Sabistan Starnes
2003	Malibu's Most Wanted	Jen
2004	Open House	Debbie Delaney
2004	Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas	Additional Voices	Voice role
2005	Thru the Moebius Strip	Allana	Voice role

[ Source: Wikipedia ]