Jessalyn Gilsig was born in 1971 in Montreal, Quebec. She is a Canadian actress.

She moved to New York in 1995 where her acting career began to take shape, she appeared in several off Broadway theatre plays which eventually lead to a couple of small television appearances in shows such as ‘Viper’ and ‘Seven Days’.

Her big break came when she met David E Kelley and starred in the hit drama ‘Boston Public’ Kelley also went on to write another role specifically for her in his short lived show ‘Snoops’ unfortunately her scenes where never broadcast as the show was cancelled.

In 2003 Jessalyn was to take on her most notorious role yet when she joined the cast of the hit US TV show Nip Tuck alongside Julian McMahon. Her character proved to be popular and has had several key storylines since her first appearance.

In 2004 she went on to star in five episodes of US show NYPD Blue and also had significant roles in the TV Shows ‘Prison Break’ and ‘Law and Order’.

Jessalyn Gilsig has had several brief movie roles during her acting career including a role in the 1998 film ‘The Horse Whisperer’ alongside Robert Redford.

She is currently starring in the hugely popular TV show ‘Heroes’ as Claire Bennet’s biological mother.

Jessalyn is married to film producer Bobby Salomon and the couple have a daughter together named Penelope who was born on September 26th 2006.

Filmography

• "XIII" (2008)
• Prom Night (2008)
• Backyards & Bullets (2007)
• The Apostles (2008)
• "Friday Night Lights" (1 episode, 2007)
• Destination: Infestation (2007)
• Flood (2007)
• "Heroes" (3 episodes, 2007)
• "Nip/Tuck" (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
• "Law & Order" (1 episode, 2006)
• "Prison Break" (4 episodes, 2005)
• Fathers and Sons (2005)
• "NYPD Blue" (5 episodes, 2004)
• See This Movie (2004)
• Chicks with Sticks (2004)
• "Without a Trace" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Haunted" (1 episode, 2002)
• "Boston Public" (44 episodes, 2000-2002)
• "Snoops" (2 episodes, 2000)
• "The Practice" (2 episodes, 1999)
• A Cooler Climate (1999)
• "The Sentinel" (1 episode, 1999)
• "Seven Days" (1 episode, 1999)
• "Viper" (1 episode, 1998)
• "To Have & to Hold" (1 episode 1998)
• The Horse Whisperer (1998)
• Quest for Camelot (1998)
• "Young Robin Hood" (1992)
• "Gulliver's Travels" (1992)
• Jacknife (1989)
• The Journey Home (1989)
• Mascarade (1984)