Amy Brenneman

Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress, writer, and producer. Brenneman rose to prominence after her performance as Detective Janice Licalsi in the ABC police drama series NYPD Blue (1993–1994), for which she was nominated for two Primetime Emmys. She later starred in various films, including Heat, Fear, and Daylight. She has also starred in the critically acclaimed films Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000), Nine Lives (2005), and The Jane Austen Book Club (2007). Brenneman created and starred as Judge Amy Gray in the CBS drama series Judging Amy from 1999 to 2005. She was nominated for three Primetime Emmys and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for Judging Amy. From 2007 to 2013, Brenneman starred as Violet Turner in the Shonda Rhimes medical drama Private Practice, and from 2014 to 2017 she starred as Laurie Garvey on the HBO drama The Leftovers. 2Early life Brenneman was born in New London, Connecticut to Frederica Joanne (née Shoenfield), a judge of the Connecticut State Superior Court, and Russell Langdon Brenneman, Jr., an environmental lawyer. Her mother is of Jewish descent, whereas her father is of Christian background. Her aunt was Cold War-era journalist Beryl D. Hine