Lindsey Pearlman

{{Infobox person

| name = Lindsey Pearlman

| birth_name = Lindsey Erin Pearlman

| image = Lindsey Pearlman in March of 2020.jpg

| caption = Pearlman in 2020

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1978|10|5}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|2|18|1978|10|5}}

| death_place = Runyon Canyon Park, Hollywood, Los Angeles, U.S.

| spouse = {{marriage|Vance Smith|2013}}

| mother = Sheila Pearlman

| father = Stephen Pearlman

| relatives = Marni Pearlman (sister) Joshua Brenner (stepbrother)

}}

Lindsey Erin Pearlman (October 5, 1978 – February 18, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles on General Hospital, Chicago Justice and The Ms. Pat Show. She was also active in television commercials.{{Cite web |title=lindsey pearlman - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/@lindseypearlman |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.youtube.com}}

Personal life

Pearlman was born on October 5, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois, and started her acting career at a young age. She was married to Vance Smith,{{cite web |last=Najib |first=Shafiq |title=Empire Actress Lindsey Pearlman's Autopsy Complete After She Was Found Dead Inside a Vehicle |url=https://people.com/tv/lindsey-pearlman-autopsy-complete-after-found-dead/ |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=People.com}} a film producer and director.

She was a staunch animal rights activist. Through her work as an organizer for Circus Protest Chicago,{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/cpchicago |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.facebook.com}} she helped to abolish the use of wild animals in Ringling Brothers Circus.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Chris |title=It was time for Ringling Bros. to retire its elephants, but won't we miss them? |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ringling-elephants-circus-jones-ae-1023-20161020-column.html |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=chicagotribune.com|date=October 20, 2016 }} Pearlman devoted a great deal of time and effort to rescuing, fostering, and finding permanent homes for animals.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/missing-tv-actress-lindsey-pearlman-police-search-1234956945/|title=Missing TV Actress Lindsey Pearlman Found Dead|work=Deadline|access-date=19 February 2022}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2731736/|title=Vance Smith|website=IMDb}} In her final years, she frequently worked as a trap-neuter-return volunteer with the Sante D'Or Foundation.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-18 |title=Actress, 43, missing from East Hollywood, is found dead |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/02/18/actress-43-has-been-missing-from-east-hollywood-since-sunday/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=Pasadena Star News}}

File:Lindsey Pearlman circus protest.jpg in Chicago in 2013]]

Career

Pearlman trained at The Second City Conservatory.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lindseypearlman.com/about|title=About|website=Lindsey Pearlman}} Before moving to Los Angeles in 2017, she was an active member of the Chicago theatre community. In 2013, she won the Non Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role for her work in the play Never the Bridesmaid.{{Cite web |date=2013-06-04 |title=The 2013 Non-Equity Jeff Award Winners Are Announced {{!}} Newcity Stage |url=https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/06/04/the-2013-non-equity-jeff-award-winners-are-announced/ |access-date=2024-02-12}} She also toured to colleges and military bases around the world as a performer in Catharsis Productions' Sex Signals, an interactive improvisational comedy show geared towards sexual assault prevention.{{Cite web |title=Lindsey Pearlman {{!}} Actress |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7169173/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=IMDb}}

File:Lindsey Pearlman with foster kittens in 2020.jpg

On television, she recurred in Chicago Justice, in the role of Joy Fletcher, for five episodes. She also had guest roles in Sneaky Pete, American Housewife, The Purge, General Hospital, and countless television commercials. In 2021, she recurred as Martha on The Ms. Pat Show,{{cite web |last1=Zhan |first1=Jennifer |title=Lindsey Pearlman, The Ms. Pat Show and Chicago Justice Actress, Found Dead at 43 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/the-ms-pat-show-actress-lindsey-pearlman-found-dead-at-43.html |website=Vulture |access-date=February 19, 2022 |date=February 18, 2022}} and as Karen in Haus of Vicious. She also played Diane Warren on Selena: The Series on Netflix (2021).

Death

On February 15, 2022, Pearlman was reported missing to LAPD.{{Cite news|last=Bekiempis|first=Victoria|date=February 19, 2022|title=Lindsey Pearlman, US TV actor, found dead after being reported missing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/19/lindsey-pearlman-tv-actor-dies-hollywood|work=The Guardian}} Police found her body in a vehicle on February 18, after responding to a radio call for a death investigation at Franklin Avenue and North Sierra Bonita Avenue.{{Cite news|url=https://abc7chicago.com/lindsey-pearlman-actress-found-dead-general-hospital-missing/11580747/|title=Body of 'General Hospital' actress Lindsey Pearlman found after she went missing in Los Angeles|date=February 19, 2022|work=ABC7 Chicago}} The cause of death, confirmed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner, was determined to be suicide by intentional overdose of sodium nitrite.{{Cite web |title=Lindsey Pearlman |url=https://mec.lacounty.gov/case-detail/?caseNumber=2022-02118 |access-date=2022-08-10 |publisher=Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2015 \| Empire \| Patti Sharp \| Episode: "Unto the Breach"
2017 \| Chicago Justice \| Joy Fletcher \| 5 episodes
2019 \| Sneaky Pete \| Female hotel clerk \| Episode: "The Sunshine Switcheroo"
2019 \| American Housewife \| Eve \| Episode: "Bed, Bath & Beyond Our Means"
2019 \| {{sortname\|The\|Purge\|dab=TV series}} \| Linda \| Episode: "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
2020 \| General Hospital \| Margaret McMorris \| 2 episodes
2021 \| Selena: The Series \| Diane Warren \| Episode: "Si una vez"
2021 \| {{sortname\|The\|Ms. Pat Show}} \| Martha \| 4 episodes
2022 \| {{sortname\|The\|Tam and Kevin Show\|nolink=1}} \| Mrs. Giving \| Episode: "Dumping Demons"
2022 \| Haus of Vicious \| Karen \| 6 episodes

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2015

| Empire

| Patti Sharp

| Episode: "Unto the Breach"

2017

| Chicago Justice

| Joy Fletcher