Megan Gallagher
{{for|the handballer|Megan Gallagher (handballer)}}
{{short description|American theater and television actor|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Megan Gallagher
| image = Megan Gallagher.jpg
| alt= A headshot portrait of a woman smiling
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Gallagher in 2006
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|2|6|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| education = Juilliard School {{small|(BFA)}}
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1984–present
| spouse = Jeff Yagher
|children = 2
}}
Megan Gallagher (born February 6, 1960) is an American theater and television actress. Having studied at the Juilliard School under the supervision of John Houseman, Gallagher began her career on stage, and has appeared in several Broadway theatre productions, winning a Theatre World Award for her role in A Few Good Men.
From there, Gallagher moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting in film and television; after making a screen debut in George Washington, she graduated to recurring roles in Hill Street Blues and China Beach, and starring roles in The Slap Maxwell Story, The Larry Sanders Show and Millennium. The role of Catherine Black in that series had been written with Gallagher in mind.
Early life and education
Gallagher was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on February 6, 1960, to Aileen and Donald Gallagher.{{cite news |last=Abrams |first=Mark |date=November 1, 1987 |title=Local Actress Makes Strides |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19871101&id=a_sxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2209,974102&hl=en |newspaper=Reading Eagle |access-date=September 18, 2015}} She was the fifth of six children. Her mother had also been an actor in her youth, retiring when she began a family. Gallagher credits her own career to her mother, who would take her to Broadway theatre productions as a child.{{Sfn|McLean|Henriksen|Spotnitz|Carter|2012|p=91}} She has also cited Mary Tyler Moore and Katharine Hepburn as influences on her career.{{Sfn|McLean|Henriksen|Spotnitz|Carter|2012|pp=91–92}} She attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School, where she elected not to attend her high school prom in order to continue her rehearsals at a local community theatre, [http://www.genesiusdifference.org Genesius Theatre].{{cite news|last1=Matthews|first1=Jay|title=Taking a 'Slap' Shot at Success; Megan Gallagher, Losing the Blues in 'Maxwell' Role|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1351137.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220195118/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1351137.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=HighBeam Research|date=October 28, 1987|url-access=subscription }}
Gallagher moved to New York City to study acting at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of John Houseman.{{cite news |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/megan-gallagher-57251792/ |title=Megan Gallagher {{!}} Biography and Filmography |work=Hollywood.com |access-date=September 18, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Gussow|first1=Mel|title=The Stage - Juilliard Theatre Students put on 'Love Labour's Lost'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/29/theater/the-stage-juilliard-theater-students-put-on-love-s-labor-s-lost.html|access-date=January 25, 2016|work=New York Times|date=April 29, 1982}} She then relocated to Los Angeles.{{sfn|Genge|1997|p=78}}
Career
Gallagher began her career on stage, appearing in a production of Paul Osborn{{'s}} Oliver Oliver before being cast in the 1989 Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men.{{Sfn|McLean|Henriksen|Spotnitz|Carter|2012|p=92}} Her portrayal of LCDR JoAnne Galloway in the latter production earned her a Theatre World Award,{{cite web |url=http://www.theatreworldawards.org/past-recipients.html |title=Theatre World Awards |publisher=Theatre World |access-date=September 18, 2015 }} and an Outer Critics Circle Award.{{cite web |url=http://outercritics.org/award-results/awards-for-1989-1990/ |title=Awards for 1989–1990 |publisher=Outer Critics Circle |access-date=September 28, 2015}} In 1993, she took part in Broadway productions of both parts of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes—Millennium Approaches and Perestroika.{{cite web |url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=41668 |title=Megan Gallagher {{!}} IBDB: The official source for Broadway information |publisher=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=September 18, 2015}}
Gallagher's television debut was in the miniseries George Washington.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/person/megan-gallagher |title=Megan Gallagher Profile |website=Metacritic |access-date=September 28, 2015}} She gained the lead role in the pilot At Your Service, and a guest spot in the first episode of L.A. Law. She then went on to appear as a series regular towards the end of Hill Street Blues{{'}} run followed by a series regular role on The Slap Maxwell Story before going on to become a series regular in the second season of China Beach;{{Cite web |title=`China Beach' Signs Off With A Farewell Set In The Future {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910722/1295804/china-beach-signs-off-with-a-farewell-set-in-the-future |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=archive.seattletimes.com}} she still maintains a friendship with China Beach co-star Robert Picardo. Gallagher's role of Catherine Black in Millennium had been written by creator Chris Carter with her in mind specifically, as he had been impressed with her work as Jeannie Sanders on The Larry Sanders Show.{{Sfn|McLean|Henriksen|Spotnitz|Carter|2012|p=90}} Gallagher was also keen to work with Carter, having admired his creation of the character Dana Scully for The X-Files, whom she saw as a positive example of an intriguing female character on television.{{sfn|Genge|1997|p=78}} Gallagher also appeared in the legal drama Suits, acting alongside her Juilliard classmate Wendell Pierce.
Personal life
Gallagher is married to actor Jeff Yagher,{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/article/exclusive-interview-ds9-voyager-guest-star-megan-gallagher |title=Star Trek Exclusive Interview: DS9 & Voyager Guest Star Megan Gallagher |publisher=StarTrek.com |date=September 27, 2013 |access-date=September 18, 2015}} and has two children,{{Sfn|McLean|Henriksen|Spotnitz|Carter|2012|p=91}} a pair of twins.{{cite news|last1=Lee|first1=Luaine|title=Megan Gallagher returns in Hallmark's 'A Time to Remember'|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-119457941.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220130550/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-119457941.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2016|work=Knight Ridder/Tribune|publisher=HighBeam Research|date=November 9, 2003|url-access=subscription }} She is related by marriage to actress Catherine Hicks and make-up artist Kevin Yagher.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Film ! scope="col" | Role |
|---|
| scope="row" | 1990
| Sandra Malloy |
| scope="row" | 1991
| Laura McKillin |
| scope="row" | 1995
| Annie Sobel |
| scope="row" | 1996
| Crosscut | Annie Hennessey |
| scope="row" | 2001
| Blind Obsession | Rebecca Rose |
| scope="row" | 2002
| Dr. Diane Landis |
| scope="row" | 2002
| Holyoake Hottie |
| scope="row" | 2003
| Meg Russel |
| scope="row" | 2005
| 40s Woman |
| scope="row" | 2011
| Ginny |
| scope="row" | 2015
| Abbey |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role |
|---|
| scope="row" | 1984
| Sins of the Past | Ellen Easton |
| scope="row" | 1984 |
| scope="row" | 1986
| L.A. Law | Leslie Aaron |
| scope="row" | 1986 |
| scope="row" | 1987
| Judy Ralston |
| scope="row" | 1989
| Pauline |
| scope="row" | 1989
| Wayloo Marie Holmes |
| scope="row" | 1991
| Monica Devries |
| scope="row" | 1991
| Blossom | Arlene |
| scope="row" | 1991
| Sandy Calloway |
| scope="row" | 1991
| ...And then She Was Gone | Laura McKillin |
| scope="row" | 1992 |
| scope="row" | 1993
| Sydney Hall |
| scope="row" | 1993
| Heather Cook |
| scope="row" | 1993
| Nurse Garland / Mareel |
| scope="row" | 1995
| Alyson Veil |
| scope="row" | 1996
| ER | Kathy Snyder |
| scope="row" | 1996 |
| scope="row" | 1998
| The Christmas Takeover | Elyse Madison |
| scope="row" | 1999
| Terry Russo |
| scope="row" | 1999
| Lorraine Farris |
| scope="row" | 2000
| Carrie |
| scope="row" | 2000
| Lt. Jaryn |
| scope="row" | 2001
| Jamie Washington |
| scope="row" | 2002
| Mrs. Freedman |
| scope="row" | 2003
| Dr. Cherry |
| scope="row" | 2003
| Jill Barnhart |
| scope="row" | 2004
| Leslie Miller |
| scope="row" | 2006
| Rose's Mom |
| scope="row" | 2007
| 24 | Jillian Wallace |
| scope="row" | 2010
| May Nelson |
| scope="row" | 2013
| Suits | Laura Zane |
| scope="row" | 2017
| Tricia Bell |
| 2017
|Alice Rowland |
Footnotes
{{reflist|30em}}
=References=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book |year=1997 |first1=N. E. |last1=Genge |title=Millennium: The Unofficial Companion |publisher=Century |isbn=0-7126-7833-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/unofficialmillen00nege }}
- {{cite book | year=2012 | first1=James |last1=McLean |first2= Lance |last2=Henriksen |first3=Frank |last3=Spotnitz |first4=Chris |last4=Carter |editor1=Chamberlain, Adam |editor2= Dixon, Brian A. | title=Back to Frank Black|publisher=Fourth Horseman Press |isbn= 978-0988392298 }}
{{refend}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0302446}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Megan}}
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actors from Reading, Pennsylvania
Category:Actresses from Pennsylvania
Category:American film actresses
Category:American stage actresses