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Michelle Hurd
Hurd at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1966-12-21) December 21, 1966 (age 58) New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	Boston University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Garret Dillahunt ​(m. 2007)​
Parent	Hugh Hurd (father)

Michelle Hurd (born December 21, 1966) is an American actress best known for her work in television. She first received recognition for portraying Monique Jeffries in the police procedural series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–2001). She has since starred as Athena Barnes in the drama series Leap Years (2001), Colleen Manus in the crime drama series The Glades (2010–2013), Linda Bates Emery in the comedy-horror series Ash vs Evil Dead (2016), and Ellen "Shepherd" Briggs in the crime drama series Blindspot (2015–2018). She portrayed Raffi Musiker in the science fiction series Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023).

Early life

Michelle Hurd is the daughter of actor Hugh Hurd and Merlyn Hurd (née Purdy), an actress and clinical psychologist. Her parents met when they appeared in the same Broadway show. Hurd has two sisters. She graduated from Saint Ann's School in 1984 and Boston University in 1988, and studied with the Alvin Ailey School. After her graduation from college, she studied at London's National Theatre.

Career

One of Hurd's early Off Broadway performances was in the play The Constant Couple in 1990. A review in The Nation predicted that this would be a stepping stone to Broadway roles. Hurd made her Broadway debut in the 1996 Stephen Sondheim–George Furth play Getting Away with Murder. Her other theatre credits include Othello, A.M.L., Hamlet and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Hurd acted in Looking for the Pony for Manhattan Theater Source with her sister Adrienne and in 900 Oneonta for Circle Repertory Company with Garret Dillahunt who would become her husband. She won the Robbie Award and the California Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for the premiere of Richard Greenberg's The Violet Hour.

Michelle Hurd appeared as the comic book superhero B.B. DaCosta / Fire in the failed television pilot Justice League of America in 1997. Her other early television appearances include New York Undercover, The Practice and The Cosby Mysteries. Her experiences filming the latter series led her to come forward as a witness to a woman being drugged by Bill Cosby. Hurd's association with the Law & Order franchise began with her appearance in a 1997 episode of the titular series. Her performance as a corrupt FBI informant caught the attention of Law & Order producer Dick Wolf, who two years later cast her in the spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Monique Jeffries. She co-starred with Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay for the first season before leaving the main cast in 2000. She appeared in the first, seventh and sixteenth episodes of season two.

After her time on SVU, Hurd had television roles in Charmed, The O.C., According to Jim, Shark, Bones, and Gossip Girl. She collaborated with her husband again in the 2001 Showtime original series Leap Years. From 2006 to 2007, she had a recurring role on ER as television news producer Courtney Brown, who becomes close to Dr. Kerry Weaver. She also returned to the stage, playing the lead role Diana in the Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company's February 10 – March 29, 2009 production of Lope de Vega's Dog in the Manger.

In 2010, Hurd began a starring role on the A&E Network drama The Glades, playing Colleen Manus. In March 2018, it was announced that Hurd would have a leading role in the CBS reboot of Cagney & Lacey, playing the character Mary Beth Lacey (originated by Tyne Daly in the original series), starring alongside Sarah Drew.

In 2014, she appeared as Constance "Connie" Irving in Season 1 of the very popular streaming series Bosch. She was then replaced by Erika Alexander in season 2.

In 2016, Hurd had a recurring role in the second season of Daredevil as Samantha Reyes, a corrupt district attorney overseeing the prosecution of Frank Castle. Hurd had debuted the role in the season 1 finale of Jessica Jones.

On April 26, 2018, Michelle Hurd spoke in a panel for World Intellectual Property Day with a theme of celebrating the creative output of women.

In 2019, Hurd took on the role of Raffi Musiker in the Paramount Plus series Star Trek: Picard. The series began streaming on the service in January 2020.

Since October 2021, Hurd has served as National Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local, taking over for Clyde Kusatsu.

Personal life

In 2007, Hurd married actor Garret Dillahunt.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Radio

Theatre

References

1. @realmichellehurd (December 21, 2023). "It's my Birthday!! And I'm happy to be able to wake up and sweat!! This has been one heck of a year. Challenging and rewarding in all the ways. With all the feelings that follow. I'm so very thankful and grateful for my family and friends for their unconditional love and support. You all make my world beautiful!! ♥️😊♥️🙌🏾♥️🙏🏾♥️✊🏾♥️😘". Retrieved November 24, 2024 – via Instagram.
2. "Storycorps: Merlyn Hurd and Adrienne Hurd". March 25, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
3. Walker, Jodi (August 10, 2014). "Michelle Hurd Visits 'Witches of East End' & You've Definitely Seen Her on TV Before". Bustle. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
4. ^ Disch, Thomas (June 11, 1990). "The Constant Couple". The Nation. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
5. Playbill for Dog in the Manger. Washington, D.C.: The Shakespeare Theatre Company. February–March 2009. p. 20.
6. Hunt, Annie (January 21, 2009). "Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2008–2009 Season Continues with The Dog in the Manger (press release)" (Press release). Retrieved March 19, 2009. She has appeared on Broadway in Getting Away with Murder at the Broadhurst Theatre and Off-Broadway in many productions including 900 Oneonta, A.M.L., Looking for the Pony, Hot Keys and Conquering Thursday. Hurd's regional theatre credits include west coast premier of The Violet Hour at South Coast Repertory, where she won the Robbie Award for best actress and North Shore Theater's production of Hamlet and her film credits include Random Hearts, Personals, Double Parked, Wolf and King of New York.
7. "Exclusive interview with Andrea Lepcio, writer of "Looking for the Pony"". Proscenium Journal. August 25, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
8. Morasky, Lauren (November 24, 2014). "Actress Michelle Hurd: Bill Cosby was "very inappropriate with me"". CBS. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
9. "The Dog in the Manger – 2008–2009 Season Artistic Team and Cast". The Shakespeare Theatre Company. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
10. "The Dog in the Manger – 2008–2009 Season – One on One with Michael Hayden and Michelle Hurd". Washington, D.C.: The Shakespeare Theatre Company. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009. I most recently played Laurel in Gossip Girl. It was fun for me as I often play cops and lawyers and doctors and this time I had the opportunity to play a mean fashionista ... and wear cute outfits and heels.
11. Andreeva, Nellie (March 14, 2018). "'Cagney & Lacey': 'Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Drew & Michelle Hurd Set As The Leads Of CBS Reboot Pilot". Retrieved March 14, 2018.
12. "After 'Grey's Anatomy' exit, Sarah Drew to star in 'Cagney & Lacey' reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
13. Holloway, Daniel (March 14, 2018). "Sarah Drew, Michelle Hurd Cast in CBS' 'Cagney & Lacey' Pilot". Retrieved March 14, 2018.
14. "Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity". US Copyright Office. April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
15. "Fran Drescher Elected SAG-AFTRA President". COP Communications Inc. Fall–Winter 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
16. Darwish, Meaghan. "Garret Dillahunt & Michelle Hurd Share Meet-Cute Story on 'Friday Night In With the Morgans' (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
17. Willis, John; Lynch, Tom, eds. (1999). "900 Oneonta". John Willis Theatre World 1996–1997 Season Volume 53. Applause Theatre Book Publishers. p. 123. ISBN 1-55783-343-5. OCLC 42465014. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
18. Oxman, Steven (November 12, 2002). "The Violet Hour". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2018.

External links

• Michelle Hurd at IMDb 
• Michelle Hurd at the Internet Broadway Database
• Michelle Hurd at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

• Living people
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Actresses from New York City
• American film actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni
• Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn) alumni
• 20th-century African-American actresses
• 21st-century African-American actresses
• 1966 births