Lauren Holly

About Lauren Holly

Lauren Holly, born on October 28, 1963, is a prominent American actress recognized for various notable performances. She gained fame for her role as Deputy Sheriff Maxine Stewart in the television series Picket Fences, and as Mary Swanson in the 1994 comedy film Dumb & Dumber. She notably had a relationship with the Canadian actor Jim Carrey. From 2005 to 2008, Holly played Jenny Shepard on the series NCIS. Originating from Bristol, Pennsylvania, she came from a family deeply rooted in the arts; her mother, Michael Ann, is an art historian and the Starr Director of Research and Academic Program at The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, as well as a former professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Her father, Grant Holly, is a screenwriter and professor of literature at the same colleges. Holly was raised in Geneva, New York, where she graduated from Geneva High School in 1981, having been a cheerleader during her school years. At the age of 23, she joined the cast of the well-known ABC soap opera All My Children as Julie Chandler, a role she held from 1986 to 1989. In 1990, she portrayed the comic character Betty in Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again on television. Holly's film career includes her role as Mary Swanson, the love interest of Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber, and she also played Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee's wife, in the 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Additionally, she appeared as a doctor in Sidney Pollack’s 1995 remake of Sabrina and played Lieutenant Emily Lake in the 1996 comedy Down Periscope, where she was the only woman on a submarine. Her work also featured in the film Any Given Sunday alongside Jamie Foxx and Dennis Quaid. She was featured in the music video for the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl,” where she acted alongside talents such as Jane Krakowski and Dennis Franz. In 2005, Holly was cast in NCIS as Director Jenny Shepard, reuniting her with former co-star Mark Harmon from Chicago Hope.