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Sasha Alexander
Alexander in 2012
Born	Suzana S. Drobnjaković (1973-05-17) May 17, 1973 (age 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality	American, Serbian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Luka Pecel (1999-2003) Edoardo Ponti ​ ​(m. 2007)​
Children	2

Suzana S. Drobnjaković Ponti (born May 17, 1973), known by her stage name Sasha Alexander, is a Serbian-American actress. She played Gretchen Witter on Dawson's Creek and has acted in films including Yes Man (2008) and He's Just Not That Into You (2009). Alexander played Caitlin Todd for the first two seasons of NCIS. From July 2010 through September 2016, Alexander starred as Maura Isles in the TNT series Rizzoli & Isles.

Early life

Sasha Alexander, of ethnic Serbian descent, was born Suzana S. Drobnjaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Сузана Дробњаковић) in Los Angeles, California. She began acting in school productions in the seventh grade. She was also an ice skater, but stopped due to a knee injury. She continued acting through high school and college, then moved to New York City to act in summer stock and Shakespeare festivals. She graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, where she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.

Career

Alexander got her acting start on two short-lived series: the medical drama Presidio Med and ABC's twenty-something drama Wasteland. She achieved widespread media attention and critical praise when she appeared in the fourth season of Dawson's Creek as Gretchen Witter, the sister of Pacey Witter, and dated the title character. Alexander was also in an episode of the short-lived Fox comedy series Greg the Bunny, in which she played the role of a lesbian TV Guide reporter and shared an onscreen kiss with Sarah Silverman.

Alexander also appeared in the films Lucky 13 and All Over the Guy, as well as He's Just Not That Into You (in the role of Catherine), the independent movie The Last Lullaby, and Yes Man (as Lucy) starring Jim Carrey. She also appeared as District Attorney Robin Childs in the CSI episode "Alter Boys".

Alexander joined NCIS as Secret Service/NCIS Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd in 2003. She replaced Vivian Blackadder played by Robyn Lively, who only appeared in the back-door pilot episodes, "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown" on JAG. The official pilot episode "Yankee White" aired September 23, 2003, on CBS. Alexander's year and a half tenure on the show ended in May 2005 when her character, Kate, is killed by a terrorist who shoots her in the head during the last few seconds of the season-two finale, "Twilight". The "official explanation" for the actress's departure was that "she asked to be let out of her contract to pursue other opportunities". In her final appearances in the "Kill Ari" two-parter, Alexander was credited as a special guest star. Alexander reappeared as Todd in a "what if" scenario with Anthony DiNozzo for the NCIS 200th episode "Life Before His Eyes" in 2012.

She also had a small role in 2006's Mission: Impossible III. She joined the cast of The Nine in the role of Nick's ex-wife, and also appeared in one episode of Friends ("The One with Joey's Interview"), playing a Soap Opera Digest reporter who interviewed Joey.

From 2010, Alexander played Dr. Maura Isles for seven seasons on the TNT series Rizzoli & Isles – the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Chief Medical Examiner, who works with the Boston Police Department. Alexander costarred with Angie Harmon, who played Boston Homicide Detective Jane Rizzoli, Isles' best friend on the show.

In 2015, Alexander began a recurring role on Showtime's Shameless portraying Helene Runyon, one of Lip Gallagher's college professors. Her character Helene maintains an open relationship with her husband Theo (played by Michael Reilly Burke) which allows her to sleep with Lip. The relationship between Helene and Lip is both romantic and one which provides him with guidance in his college career, but the affair blows-up in season six (2016).

Personal life

On September 18, 1999, Alexander married Luka Pecel, but this marriage was later annulled without issue.

On August 11, 2007, Alexander married director Edoardo Ponti, son of actress Sophia Loren and the late film producer Carlo Ponti, in Geneva, Switzerland. They have two children, a daughter Lucia born in 2006 and a son Leonardo born in 2010. Jessica Capshaw is godmother to Lucia. She speaks Serbian, English, and Italian.

An influential poet in her spare time, Sasha Alexander wrote the famous poem,

“I got money, I do anything you want, just please…”

“Please bruva I can change…” And then he stops. You could see it in his eyes. The realization that he was dead. Not a single word. He just stares at me, awaiting his fate. Then they pull it. Not me, but the innocent families who begged at his feet. The bullet pierces through his forehead as if it were made of butter. What a pathetic way to die. At the hands of retribution. As helpless as they were. But some people deserve to die…

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

References

1. katjavojteh (March 26, 2014). "Sasha Alexander on Conan (Serbian women vs. Serbian men)" – via YouTube.
2. According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461 ()
3. "Kappa Alpha Theta — Notable Thetas". Kappa Alpha Theta. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
4. "'Rizzoli & Isles' star has done some crime fighting in real life". Retrieved November 27, 2012.
5. Bobbin, Jay (July 17, 2005). "'NCIS' moves on". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
6. Jicha, Tom (August 28, 2005). "Ncis's Kate Is Gone, But Scrubs Will Be Back Soon". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
7. "Character Bio | Dr. Maura Isles". Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
8. "25 Awesome And Interesting Facts About Sasha Alexander". tonsoffacts.com. May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
9. "Eduardo Ponti and Sasha Alexander welcome a daughter". People.com. May 19, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
10. Sarah Michaud (January 10, 2011). "It's a Boy for Rizzoli & Isles's Sasha Alexander". People.com. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
11. Berger, Lori. "Sasha Alexander of Rizzoli & Isles Spills All". Redbook. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
12. "People's Choice Awards 2016 Nominees & Winners". People's Choice Awards. Retrieved January 10, 2016.

External links

• Sasha Alexander at IMDb
• Template:Amg name
• Sasha Alexander at Twitter

• 1973 births
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Actresses from Los Angeles
• Actresses of Serbian descent
• American film actresses
• American people of Serbian descent
• American television actresses
• Living people
• USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni