The Verdict's In On Judging Amy's Brenneman

The Early Show - May 9, 2000

Jane Clayson talks to Amy Brenneman

NEW YORK --Amy Brenneman is the star and executive producer of the hit CBS series Judging Amy. She plays Judge Amy Gray, a single mother who leaves New York City behind to become a judge in Hartford, Connecticut. The show is based on the real-life story of Brenneman's own mother.

The Judging Amy star visited The Early Show on Tuesday to talk about her prime-time series and upcoming projects. She also answered questions sent in by e-mail from Early Show viewers.

GET TO KNOW AMY BRENNEMAN

Born June 22, 1964 and raised in New London, Connecticut.

Her mother, a superior court judge, was one of the first women to graduate from Harvard. Her father is an environmental lawyer.

Brenneman also graduated from Harvard. She majored in comparative religion and formed the Cornerstone Theater Company. She toured with the company for five years, taking classic productions to small towns and encouraging locals to participate in them.

Moved to New York and worked as a teacher in Brooklyn.

Landed her first TV role in 1992 with a guest spot on Murder, She Wrote, a TV movie and the CBS series Middle Ages.

She was on NYPD Blues from the start in 1993 and was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Janice Licalsi in the series NYPD Blue, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination.

Feature films soon followed including Heat, with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and Friends and Neighbors, with Ben Stiller and Jason Patrick.

In 1999, she had a four-episode stint playing Kelsey Grammer's new-age girlfriend Faye Moskowitz in 4 episodes of Frasier.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, director Brad Silberling.

FILMOGRAPHY

Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000)
The Suburbans (1999)
Judging Amy (1999)(series)
A.T.F. (1999) (TV)
Frasier (1999) (series guest)
The Artists' Specials: Mary Cassatt, American
Impressionist (1999) (TV)
Your Friends & Neighbors (1998)
Lesser Prophets (1997)
Nevada (1997)
Duckman (1997) (TV series - voice)
Daylight (1996)
Fear (1996)
Heat (1995)
Casper (1995)
Bye Bye, Love (1995)
NYPD Blue (1993-94) (series)
Middle Ages (1992) (series)
The Pig in the Python (1992) (TV)
Murder, She Wrote (1992) (series guest)

Judging Amy airs on CBS Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.


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