Stephanie Courtney

{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}

{{short description|American actress and comedian (born 1970)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Stephanie Courtney

| image =

| image_size =

| caption = Courtney as Flo from Progressive Insurance

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|08}}

| birth_place = Stony Point, New York, U.S.

| alma_mater = Binghamton University (BA)

| occupation = Actress, comedian

| years_active = 1998–present

| known_for = Portraying Flo in Progressive Insurance ads

| spouse = {{marriage|Scott Kolanach|2008}}

| relatives = Jennifer Courtney (sister)

}}

Stephanie Courtney (born February 8, 1970){{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-progressives-flo-standup-comic-stephanie-courtney-2012-2?op=1 |title=Meet Progressive's Flo: Standup Comic Stephanie Courtney |first=Mallory |last=Russell |work=Business Insider |date=February 27, 2012 |access-date=May 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715023012/https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-progressives-flo-standup-comic-stephanie-courtney-2012-2?op=1&r=US&IR=T |url-status=live |archive-date=July 15, 2023}} is an American actress and comedian, best known for playing the advertising character Flo in television and radio commercials for Progressive Corporation beginning in 2008.{{cite web |last=Elliott |first=Stuart |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/until-flo-ebbs-progressive-will-capitalize-on-her-popularity/ |title=Until Flo Ebbs, Progressive Will Capitalize on Her Popularity |work=The New York Times |date=January 17, 2010 |access-date=May 9, 2010}}{{cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Caity |title=Everybody Knows Flo From Progressive. Who Is Stephanie Courtney? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/25/magazine/progressive-insurance-flo-stephanie-courtney.html |access-date=30 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=25 November 2023}}

Courtney is also noted for her recurring roles on several television series, including the voices of Renee the Receptionist and Joy Peters on the Adult Swim comedy Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004–2006), Marge on the AMC drama Mad Men (2007), and Diane on the ABC comedy Cavemen (2007). She also appeared in the season 2 premiere of Men of a Certain Age, and played Essie Karp in The Goldbergs. Courtney was a member of The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy theater in Los Angeles, California.

Early life and education

Courtney was born in Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, the youngest of three children of a high-school history teacher father and a singer mother.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704554.html |title=Actress-comedian Stephanie Courtney finds her niche with insurance commercials |first=David |last=Hiltbrand |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 8, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2013}} In 1992, she graduated with a degree in English from Binghamton University, where she played Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, affirming her decision to be an actress.{{cite news |last=Paknejad |first=Tina |url=http://www2.binghamton.edu/magazine/index.php/site/articles2/newly_famous_pitchwoman/ |title=Newly Famous Pitchwoman |work=Binghamton University Magazine |date=Summer 2009 |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528122806/http://www2.binghamton.edu/magazine/index.php/site/articles2/newly_famous_pitchwoman/}} After graduation, she moved to New York City, where her roommate was future author and columnist Meghan Daum. While working as a secretary for Smith Barney chairman Robert F. Greenhill, Courtney studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

She moved to Los Angeles, where she roomed with her sister, actress Jennifer Courtney.{{cite news |first=Heather Wood |last=Rudolph |work=Cosmopolitan |title=Get That Life: How I Became "Flo" From the Progressive Commercials |url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/career/news/a38633/get-that-life-stephanie-courtney-flo-progressive/ |date=April 6, 2015 |access-date=April 9, 2015}} The two wrote and performed the sketch "Those Courtney Girls" in Los Angeles and at the Aspen Comedy Festival. She joined the training program of the improvisational and sketch comedy group The Groundlings, and in 2004 became a member of its 30-person main company. There she met the theater's lighting director, Scott Kolanach,{{cite news |title=5 Things to Know About TV's Progressive Insurance Lady |url=https://people.com/tv/5-things-to-know-about-tvs-progressive-insurance-lady/ |first=Aaron |last=Parsley |work=People |date=September 2, 2009 |access-date=October 2, 2019}} whom she married in 2008.

During her early time in Los Angeles she worked odd jobs, including catering, to support herself.

She has appeared in such films as The Brothers Solomon, Blades of Glory, The Heartbreak Kid, Melvin Goes to Dinner, and Fred: The Movie.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Film

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1998

|Sweet Bird of You

|Kate

|Short film

2003

|Melvin Goes to Dinner

|Alex

|

2005

|Broadcast 23

|Mrs. Morgan

|Short film

2006

|For Your Consideration

|Boom operator

|

2007

|Blades of Glory

|Reporter at sign ups

|

2007

|{{sortname|The|Brothers Solomon}}

|Sara

|

2007

|{{sortname|The|Heartbreak Kid|dab=2007 film}}

|Gayla

|

2009

|Coco Lipshitz: Behind the Laughter

|Karen Balsac

|Short film

2009

|Christmas Eve: Alaska

|Melissa

|Short film

2010

|Fred: The Movie

|Janet

|

2017

|Girlfriend's Day

|Cathy Gile

|

2023

|Peak Season

|Lydia Friedman

|

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Television

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1998

|Mr. Show with Bob and David

|Waitress

|Episode: "Eat Rotten Fruit from a Shitty Tree"

2000

|Tenacious D

|Various

|Episode: "The Fan"

2001

|Angel

|Gwen (Files and Records)

|Episode: "Dad"

2002

|Everybody Loves Raymond

|Woman

|Episode: "Cookies"

2003

|{{sortname|The|Man Show}}

|Various

|Episode: "The New Guys"

2003

|Sketch Pad

|Various

|Episode: "Roller"

2004

|Significant Others

|Pam

|Episode: "A School, Not Cool & a Fool"

2004

|Faking the Video

|Fake producer

|Main cast; 7 episodes

2004

|Without a Trace

|Lynette Shaw

|Episode: "American Goddess"

2004–2006

|Tom Goes to the Mayor

|Various voices

|Main cast; 27 episodes

2005

|ER

|Charlotte

|Episode: "Just as I Am"

2005

|{{sortname|The|Comeback|dab=TV series}}

|Carolina

|2 episodes

2006

|Courting Alex

|Ticket agent

|Episode: "Birthday"

2006

|Lovespring International

|Woman on tape

|Episode: "A Rear Window"

2006

|Re-Animated

|Team member Donna

|Television film

2007

| Celebrity Deathmatch

|Mischa Barton, Tina Fey

|Voice, 2 episodes

2007

|Mad Men

|Marge

|5 episodes

2007–08

|Cavemen

|Diane

|3 episodes

2008

|Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

|Demons casting director

|Episode: "Robin"

2008

|Kath & Kim

|Ruth

|Episode: "Money"

2009

|United States of Tara

|Beth

|Episode: "Aftermath"

2010

|{{sortname|The|Jay Leno Show}}

|Leno family member

|Episode 75

2010

|Sons of Tucson

|Denise

|Episode: "The Break-In"

2010

|House

|Claire

|Episode: "Selfish"

2010

|Men of a Certain Age

|Stephanie

|Episode: "If I Could, I Surely Would"

2011

|{{sortname|The|Looney Tunes Show}}

|Emma Webster (young Granny)

|Voice, episode: "Eligible Bachelors"

2011

|Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred

| Janet

|

2012

|Fred: The Show

|Janet

|Main cast; 4 episodes

2012

|Phineas and Ferb

|Additional voices

|Episode: "What'd I Miss?"

2014

|2 Broke Girls

|Eleanor

|Episode: "And the Wedding Cake Cake Cake"

2014

|Comedy Bang! Bang!

|Blanche

|Episode: "Fred Armisen Wears Black Jeans & Glasses"

2014

|You're the Worst

|Bookstore manager

|3 episodes

2015, 2020

|Mike Tyson Mysteries

|Mrs. Ensler, Alicia Stevenson

|Voice, 2 episodes

2015

|W/ Bob and David

|Jeannie

|Episode: "1.3"

2016

|Major Crimes

|Dr. Deb

|Episode: "Off the Wagon"

2018-2023

|The Goldbergs

|Essie Karp

|Recurring, 31 episodes

2018-2024

|Blaze and the Monster Machines

| Cousin Tilly

| Voice, 2 episodes

2019

|Green Eggs and Ham

|Various

|Voice, 4 episodes

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Web

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2007

|Derek and Simon: The Show

|Glenda

|Episode: "Troubled Times: Part 2 – Murder & Deception"

2008

|Face to Bush

|Mary McQueegle

|

2008–09

|Back on Topps

|Debbie Topps

|

References

{{Reflist}}