Ever since she left home at 15 to become a
ballerina, a confident Andrea Parker never had a doubt that she would
succeed in whatever she chose to do. After recurring roles in NBC's "ER"
and "JAG," she knew last spring, as soon as she started reading the
pilot script, that she was destined to play the alluring female lead in
"The Pretender."
"It was kind of strange," says Parker. "As soon as I saw the role of
'Miss Parker,' I said, 'Hey, my name's all over this script.' I knew I
had to make it mine. There was just too much synchronicity for it not to
happen. After I was cast, I had to tap into a lot of anger and pain in
playing her. We're both alike in that we go after what we want, but I
would never dream of treating people the way she does."
A native Southern Californian, Parker is the oldest of four children.
She began to study ballet at age six, dedicated herself to improving
daily, and trained with youth ballet programs during summers in New
York, San Francisco and Cleveland. Her hard work paid off when she
joined the San Francisco Ballet at 15, with which she performed at the
Metropolitan Opera House and toured during her three-year tenure.
"Dancing had a lot to do with my self-assurance and goal-setting," says
the 5-foot-10-inch Parker. "Rather than going to play with your friends,
you learn at a young age to put on your pointe shoes and practice."
Parker returned to Southern California and began a career as a
contemporary dancer, appearing in videos, commercials and fashion shows.
She also tended bar part-time for five years to pay bills while putting
herself through acting classes. Her appearance in the Los Angeles play
"Fine Line" got her a manager, who quickly arranged auditions. Despite
having no credits or tape to present to casting directors, Parker landed
her first speaking part in a small, but memorable, appearance as a
hospital nurse in "The Contest," a classic, Emmy-winning episode of
"Seinfeld."
More series episodes followed, with guest-starring roles in "Dream On,"
"Coach," "Dave's World," "Ellen," "Can't Hurry Love," "Married ... With
Children" and "Murder, She Wrote." She soon was cast in recurring roles
in "The Adventures of Brisco County," "JAG" (as a Navy lawyer) and "ER"
(as a pharmaceuticals saleswoman who wooed George Clooney's Dr. Ross).
Her TV movies include NBC's "Ed McBain's 87th Precinct" and "Victim of
Love."
Away from the set, Parker enjoys honing her skills as a precision stunt
driver as well as testing her marksmanship at the gun range. She also
likes to ride horses, read and spend time with her family and friends,
and is active in My Good Friend Foundation, a pediatric cancer charity
organization.
Parker's birthday is March 8.
Miss Parker
Miss Parker is an elite Centre operative
leading the hunt for Jarod. Miss Parker is also the daughter of the
Chairman of “The Centre”.
While pursuing Jarod, she also searches for keys to her own past,
including the truth about the death of her mother, Catherine Parker, who
died of an apparent suicide in a Centre elevator when Miss Parker was
young.
Miss Parker has had several recent revelations. The first, described in
the mysterious red files, is that she was reared to be a Pretender. And
this makes her either the twin sister of Angelo or of Mr. Lyle - who she
finds out to be her brother. The second is that she may possibly found
out who murdered her mother -- Jarod's father (which is denied by Major
Charles himself).
It was her father who called her to lead Jarod's pursuit. She used to be
Jarod's friend when they were young. Now, the only thing they have in
common is a brother named Ethan. He is Catherine and Major Charles'
son.
Also, Miss Parker had a love affair recently. His name was Thomas Gates
and he was killed. Later, Miss Parker finds out that it was Brigitte who
killed Thomas, but when she goes to take revenge, Brigitte dies giving
birth the baby. She also discovered that Jarod set Thomas and her up.
They were friends!
The last events proved to Miss Parker that Raines killed her mother, but
not in the elevator. Catherine had to fake her own death in order to
survive. It was after Ethan was born, that Raines put a bullet in her
head.
Before she died, Catherine left a DSA explaining everything to her
daughter: "all the secrets and lies" of The Centre. But, that DSA is
lost and Raines wasn't able to destroy it. Miss Parker is determined in
finding what was the plan her mother wanted her to continue.
In the fourth season finale, Miss Parker goes in search of Ethan and
Jarod and is caught by the train explosion, jumping only with two
seconds left on the timer...
Filmography
Movies:
1988
Rented
Lips - Bailarina (nurse)
Earth
Girls Are Easy - not credited (dancer
in saloon)
1992
The
Naked Truth - Miss France
1993
Victim
of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story
- TV Movie -
Bodyshot
- Dancer
1994
XXX's
& OOO's - TV Movie -
Kelly Morgan
Brush
With Death - Colleen
1996
Ed
McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice - TV Movie
- Det. Eileen Burke
2000
Delicate
Instruments - TV Movie - Dr. Anne
Harper
2001
The
Pretender 2001 - TV Movie - Miss
Parker
The
Pretender: Island of the Haunted -
TV Movie - Miss Parker
TV
(as guest and as regular):
1989
Married...
with Children (ep. 3, #17
"Married... with Prom Queen: Part
1") - series - Go-Go Bailarina
Married...
with Children (ep. 3, #18
"Married... with Prom Queen: The
Sequel) - series - Go-Go Dancer
1992
Seinfeld
(ep. 4, #11 "The Contest")
- series - Nurse
1993
Dave's
World (ep. 1, #7 "It's
a Small Van After All") - series - Alicia
The
Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (ep.
1, #11 "Deep in the Heart
of Dixie") - series - Rita Avnet
Herman's
Head (ep. 3, #12 "A
Decent Proposal") - series -
Heather Brookshire
The
Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (ep.
1, #15 "A.K.A. Kansas")
- series - Rita Avnet
1994
Coach
(ep. 6, #15 "Coach For a
Day 2") - series - Penny
Ellen
(ep. 2, #1 "The Dentist")
- series - Joanna
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #5 "Chicago Heat") -
series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #6 "Another Perfect Day")
- series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #8 "ER Confidential")
- series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #9 "Blizzard") -
series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #10 "The Gift") -
series - Linda Farrell
1995
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #11 "Happy New Year")
- series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #21 "Men Plan, God
Laughs") - series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 1, #23 "Motherhood")
- series - Linda Farrell
JAG
(ep. 1, #1 "Pilot: Part 1") -
series - Lt. Caitlin 'Kate' Pike
JAG
(ep. 1, #2 "Pilot: Part 2") -
series - Lt. Caitlin 'Kate' Pike
Dream
On (ep. 6, #11 "She
Won't Do It, But Her Sister Will")
- series -
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 2, #4 "What Life?") -
series - Linda Farrell
ER
- Emergency Room (ep. 2, #7 "Hell and High Water")
- series - Linda Farrell
JAG
(ep. 1, #8 "Brig Break")
- series - Lt. Caitlin 'Kate' Pike
1996
Can't
Hurry Love (ep. 1, #17
"Valentine's Day Massacred")
- series - Kit
Coach
(ep. 8, #19 "Dauber's
Vehicle") - series - Auto Sales
Manager Jean Brandow
Murder,
She Wrote (ep. 12, #21
"Race To Death") - series -
Anne
JAG
(ep. 1, #21 "Ares") - series
- Lt.
Caitlin 'Kate' Pike
The
Pretender - series - Miss Parker
(1996-2000)
2001
JAG (ep.
6, #10 "Touch & Go") - series
- Lt. Caitlin 'Kate' Pike
2002
First
Monday (ep. 1, #6 "Dangerous
Words") - series - FBI Agent
Dawson
Less
Than Perfect - series - Lydia Weston
2005
Kitchen Confidential (ep. 1, #1 "Exile on Main Street") - series - Suze
2006 Help Me Help You (ep. 6, #1 "Inger Management
") - series - Krista
2007 Deeply Irresponsible - series 2008 Starting Under (pilot) - series - Gina The Mentalist (ep. 6, #1 "Red Handed") - series - Ann Meier 2009 My Name is Earl (ep. 18, #4 "Friends with Benefits") - series CSI Miami (ep.4, #8 "In Plane Sight") - series - Allison Burgess
2011
Pretty Little Liars (ep. 6, #2) - series - Jessica DiLaurentis Suits (ep. 10, #1) - series - Tori Desperate Housewives (ep. ?, #8) - series - Jane 2012 Common Law - series
|