Born: February 20, 1978
Age: 46
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Lauren Ambrose (born February 20, 1978) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She is known for her television roles as Claire Fisher in Six Feet Under (2001-2005), for which she won two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and as Jilly Kitzinger in Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011). Her film credits include Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and Psycho Beach Party (2000).
Ambrose was born Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso in New Haven, Connecticut. She is the daughter of Anne (née Wachtel), an interior designer, and Frank D'Ambruoso, a caterer. She is of Italian descent on her father's side and German, English, and Irish on her mother's. Ambrose attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, Wilbur Cross High School, High School in the Community, and the ACES Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven. She is also a trained opera singer who studied voice and opera at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
Ambrose began her career in New York theater, mainly in Off-Broadway productions. Her early career also included television appearances, most notably playing supporting guest roles on Law & Order, and a feature guest role on the show in the 1998 episode "Damaged" as Valerie Maxwell, a mentally-challenged young woman raped by a group of popular high school students. Her first film role was In & Out (1997), which was followed by a more prominent role in the high school comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998). She was the ingenue lead, Florence "Chicklet" Forrest, in the cult favorite Psycho Beach Party (2000). Ambrose began her role on Six Feet Under in early 2001. She was nominated for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Emmy Award twice, following the 2002 and 2003 seasons of the critically acclaimed drama.
In 2006, Ambrose made her Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Awake and Sing!. In 2007, she appeared as Juliet in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, to great critical acclaim. She appeared as Ophelia in the 2008 performance of Hamlet for Shakespeare in the Park. Ambrose returned to Broadway in Exit the King (by Eugène Ionesco) at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Broadway, opposite Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon. Ambrose provided the voice of monster KW in Where the Wild Things Are, which was released in 2009.
In 2011, Ambrose appeared in seven of the ten episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. She played Jilly Kitzinger, "a sweet-talking PR genius with a heart of stone who's just cornered the most important client of her career … and maybe of all time". For her performance as Kitzinger, Ambrose received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress In Television.
Ambrose is the lead singer of Lauren Ambrose and the Leisure Class, a ragtime dixieland jazz band formed in 2009. They have performed several times at Joe's Pub and charity events.
Ambrose has been married to professional photographer Sam Handel of Needham, MA since September 2001. They have two children.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | In & Out | Vicky Rayburn | |
1998 | Can't Hardly Wait | Denise Fleming | |
1998 | Summertime's Calling Me | Tami | |
2000 | Swimming | Frankie Wheeler | |
2000 | Psycho Beach Party | Florence 'Chicklet' Forrest | |
2004 | Admissions | Evie Brighton | |
2006 | Diggers | Zoey | |
2007 | Starting Out in the Evening | Heather Wolfe | |
2009 | Dog Year, AA Dog Year | Emma | |
2009 | Loving Leah | Leah Lever | Television movie |
2009 | Cold Souls | Stephanie | |
2009 | Where the Wild Things Are | KW | |
2009 | Tonight at Noon | Mae | |
2009 | Other Woman, TheThe Other Woman | Mindy | |
2011 | Grassroots | Emily Bowen | |
2011 | I'm Coming Over | Greta | Short film |
2011 | Weekends at Bellevue | Ellie Harlow | Television movie |
2011 | About Sunny | Angela | |
2012 | Sleepwalk with Me | Abby | |
2012 | Wanderlust | Almond | |
2012 | River, TheThe River | Maria | Short film |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Law & Order | Jessica | Episode: "Skin Deep" |
1993 | Law & Order | Maureen McKinnon | Episode: "Pride and Joy" |
1995 | State, TheThe State | Audience Member | Episode: "3.10" |
1998 | Law & Order | Valerie Maxwell | Episode: "Damaged" |
1999 | Party of Five | Myra Wringler | 5 episodes |
2001-05 | Six Feet Under | Claire Fisher | 63 episodes |
2008 | Return of Jezebel James, TheThe Return of Jezebel James | Coco Tompkins | 6 episodes |
2011 | Torchwood: Miracle Day | Jilly Kitzinger | 7 episodes |
2012 | Coma | Susan Wheeler | 2 episodes |
2013 | Robot Chicken | Anita Radcliffe / Natasha Fatale | Episode: "Papercut to Aorta" |
2013 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Vanessa Mayer | 2 episodes |
2014 | Deliverance Creek | Belle Gatlin Barlow | |
2015 | Dig | Debbie Morgan | 7 episodes |
2016 | The X-Files | Special Agent Einstein | 2 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | The Darkness | Jenny Romano | Video game |
Across The Universe | Narrator | Audiobook |
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Six Feet Under | Nominated |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Drama Actress | Nominated | ||
2003 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | ||
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | |
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
2009 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film | Loving Leah | Nominated |
2012 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | About Sunny | Nominated |
Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress on Television | Torchwood: Miracle Day | Nominated |