Fiona Gubelmann
Encyclopedia
Fiona Victoria Gubelmann (born March 30, 1980) is an American actress. A native of California, she has appeared in a number of single episode roles in television, including CSI: NY
, My Name Is Earl
and Knight Rider
, as well as a handful of films including Employee of the Month
and Downstream. She is best known for playing Jenna in the FX television series Wilfred
.
. She began acting and dancing in preschool
, and her mother enrolled her in dance classes as a child. Her first play was at the age of four in a ballet version of The Cabbage Patch Kids
. As a child and teenager, she was attended drama camps in the summer, acted in local community theater, and became involved in the drama department at her school, Torrey Pines High School
in Del Mar, California
. She enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), where she was a pre-medical
major. She successfully auditioned for a play during her freshman year. She found she enjoyed acting so much that she switched her major to theater. During her time as an undergraduate, she volunteered with ArtsBridge, a program for at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area.
She graduated from UCLA in 2002, and went on to study acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse
(performing in plays with the organization's Katselas Theater Company).
sitcom The Mullets
, and made her film debut the following year in the comedy Employee of the Month
. She appeared as a guest star in a number of television series and in a few films over the next several years. She also continued stage work, appearing in Peter Lefcourt
's play La Ronde de Lunch in Los Angeles
in 2009.
When Gubelmann's agent sent her the script for Wilfred
, she said that she "absolutely fell in love with it", although "didn't quite get the whole guy in the dog suit thing". She watched some of the original Australian version
online, and described her reaction as "Oh my God, this is amazing!" After auditioning, she was called back several more times over the course of three and half weeks. She also auditioned with Elijah Wood
and Jason Gann
so producers could see if she had on-screen chemistry with her potential co-stars, and was tested a final time before winning the role.
CSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
, My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
and Knight Rider
Knight Rider (2008 TV series)
Knight Rider was a 2008 series that follows the 1982 TV series of the same title and the 2008 television movie. The series stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight. The series also stars Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest....
, as well as a handful of films including Employee of the Month
Employee of the Month (2004 film)
Employee of the Month is a 2004 American black comedy starring Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate.-Plot:David Walsh is a bank employee whose day begins badly when he gets fired from his dream job and dumped by his fiancée Sara Goodwin the day after their engagement party is crashed by his best...
and Downstream. She is best known for playing Jenna in the FX television series Wilfred
Wilfred (U.S. TV series)
Wilfred is an American sitcom television series which debuted on June 23, 2011, and is based on the Australian SBS One series of the same name. It stars Elijah Wood and series co-creator Jason Gann, reprising his role of the eponymous dog Wilfred. The series was adapted for the American television...
.
Early life
Fiona Gubelmann was born in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. She began acting and dancing in preschool
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
, and her mother enrolled her in dance classes as a child. Her first play was at the age of four in a ballet version of The Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids is a line of dolls created by American art student Xavier Roberts in 1978. It was originally called "Little People". The original dolls were all cloth and sold at local craft shows, then later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia...
. As a child and teenager, she was attended drama camps in the summer, acted in local community theater, and became involved in the drama department at her school, Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School is a high school in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. The school is named after the Torrey Pine tree that grows in the area...
in Del Mar, California
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
. She enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA), where she was a pre-medical
Pre-medical
Pre-medical is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student...
major. She successfully auditioned for a play during her freshman year. She found she enjoyed acting so much that she switched her major to theater. During her time as an undergraduate, she volunteered with ArtsBridge, a program for at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area.
She graduated from UCLA in 2002, and went on to study acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse
Beverly Hills Playhouse
The Beverly Hills Playhouse is one of the oldest acting schools and theatres in Los Angeles. Located at 254 South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, United States.-The early years:...
(performing in plays with the organization's Katselas Theater Company).
Career
Gubelmann made her television acting debut in 2003 on the UPNUPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
sitcom The Mullets
The Mullets (TV series)
The Mullets is a sitcom that was created by producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. It first aired on UPN in 2003, and was cancelled in 2004 due to poor reception...
, and made her film debut the following year in the comedy Employee of the Month
Employee of the Month (2004 film)
Employee of the Month is a 2004 American black comedy starring Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate.-Plot:David Walsh is a bank employee whose day begins badly when he gets fired from his dream job and dumped by his fiancée Sara Goodwin the day after their engagement party is crashed by his best...
. She appeared as a guest star in a number of television series and in a few films over the next several years. She also continued stage work, appearing in Peter Lefcourt
Peter Lefcourt
Peter Lefcourt is an American television producer, a film and television screenwriter, and a novelist.Lefcourt's early career involved writing teleplays for primetime series such as Cagney and Lacey, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , Eight is Enough, and Remington Steele, among others...
's play La Ronde de Lunch in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 2009.
When Gubelmann's agent sent her the script for Wilfred
Wilfred (U.S. TV series)
Wilfred is an American sitcom television series which debuted on June 23, 2011, and is based on the Australian SBS One series of the same name. It stars Elijah Wood and series co-creator Jason Gann, reprising his role of the eponymous dog Wilfred. The series was adapted for the American television...
, she said that she "absolutely fell in love with it", although "didn't quite get the whole guy in the dog suit thing". She watched some of the original Australian version
Wilfred (TV series)
Wilfred is an Australian comedy television series directed by Tony Rogers, produced by Jenny Livingston and starring Jason Gann, Adam Zwar and Cindy Waddingham. Created by Zwar, Gann and Rogers, it was based on their award-winning 2002 short film and later adapted to a series...
online, and described her reaction as "Oh my God, this is amazing!" After auditioning, she was called back several more times over the course of three and half weeks. She also auditioned with Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
and Jason Gann
Jason Gann
Jason Gann is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, screenwriter, musician, singer, and comedian. He is best known for his role as Wilfred in the Australian comedy series of the same name and its U.S...
so producers could see if she had on-screen chemistry with her potential co-stars, and was tested a final time before winning the role.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Employee of the Month Employee of the Month (2004 film) Employee of the Month is a 2004 American black comedy starring Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate.-Plot:David Walsh is a bank employee whose day begins badly when he gets fired from his dream job and dumped by his fiancée Sara Goodwin the day after their engagement party is crashed by his best... |
Amber | Topless scene |
| 2007 | Blades of Glory Blades of Glory Blades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was released on March 29, 2007 by DreamWorks and MTV Films... |
Woodland Fairie | |
| 2010 | Downstream | Tabitha | |
| Sex Tax: Based on a True Story | Tina | ||
| 2011 | Last Stop | Ella | In post production. |
Television
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Mullets The Mullets (TV series) The Mullets is a sitcom that was created by producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. It first aired on UPN in 2003, and was cancelled in 2004 due to poor reception... |
Valley Girl | Episode 1.9 Airway to Heaven |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Bobbi Jean Banks 1968 | Episode 2.4 The House |
| The Mountain The Mountain (TV series) The Mountain is an American television series that was broadcast on the WB Television Network for one season, from 2004 to 2005. The show received very low ratings and was canceled after only thirteen episodes. The theme song, "I Miss You" is sung by blink-182.-Plot:The plot centers on a ski resort... |
Darlene Toth | Episode 1.7 The Letter | |
| 2005 | Joey Joey (TV series) Joey is an American sitcom, which stars Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends. It premiered on the NBC television network, on September 9, 2004, in the former time slot of its parent series, Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m... |
Anna | Episode 1.14 Joey and the Premiere |
| 2007 | CSI: NY CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... |
Isabella Cooksey | Episode 3.20 "What Schemes May Come" |
| Sales Guys | Season Fisher | ||
| My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States... |
Lucy | Episode 3.6 Frank's Girl | |
| 2008 | Comedy Gumbo | ShmappleBapp's Hostess / The Future Mrs. Chambers | Recurring character in three episodes, and a different character in one |
| Knight Rider Knight Rider (2008 TV series) Knight Rider was a 2008 series that follows the 1982 TV series of the same title and the 2008 television movie. The series stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight. The series also stars Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest.... |
Courtney Flynn | Episode 1.8 Knight of the Zodiac | |
| 2009 | The Closer The Closer The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods... |
Lisa Price | Episode 5.12 Waivers of Extradition |
| Californication Californication (TV series) Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend... |
Young Wife | Episode 3.4 Zoso | |
| 2011 | The Paul Reiser Show The Paul Reiser Show The Paul Reiser Show is an American television series that aired on NBC. In May 2010, NBC announced that it had green-lit the series for the 2010–11 television season, with the half-hour comedy expected to premiere as a midseason replacement. The series premiered on April 14, 2011, at 8:30 pm... |
Jill | Unaired episode The Shave |
| 2011–present | Wilfred Wilfred (U.S. TV series) Wilfred is an American sitcom television series which debuted on June 23, 2011, and is based on the Australian SBS One series of the same name. It stars Elijah Wood and series co-creator Jason Gann, reprising his role of the eponymous dog Wilfred. The series was adapted for the American television... |
Jenna | Main cast |
| 2011 | Parenthood Parenthood (2010 TV series) Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC... |
Sandy | Episode 3.1 |