Brenda Strong

Brenda Strong was born Brenda Lee Strong on March 25, 1960, in Portland, Oregon. She developed an early interest in performance, which led her to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree from Arizona State University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Her varied career in entertainment began in the mid-1980s with early television appearances in popular shows like ‘St. Elsewhere’, ‘MacGyver’, and ‘Cheers’. Strong also secured a recurring role in the acclaimed ABC series ‘Twin Peaks’ in 1990, establishing her presence in the acting world. Her feature film debut was in the 1986 comedy ‘Weekend Warriors’, followed by a supporting role in Mel Brooks’ ‘Spaceballs’ in 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, Strong cultivated a diverse portfolio of roles across both television and film. She became widely recognized for her recurring role as Sue Ellen Mischke, often referred to as “The Braless Wonder,” on the NBC sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ from 1996 to 1998. During this period, she also appeared in several films, including ‘Starship Troopers’ (1997) as Captain Deladier, ‘Black Dog’ (1998) opposite Patrick Swayze, and ‘The Deep End of the Ocean’ (1999) with Michelle Pfeiffer. Her career progressed with guest spots on shows like ‘ER’, ‘Picket Fences’, and ‘Ally McBeal’, demonstrating her versatility across genres.

A significant career milestone came in 2004 when Strong was cast as Mary Alice Young on the hit ABC series ‘Desperate Housewives’. Although her character was deceased, Strong’s voice narration guided the series for eight seasons until 2012, earning her two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 2011 and 2012, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005-2006). Following ‘Desperate Housewives’, she took on the role of Ann Ewing in the ‘Dallas’ revival for TNT from 2012 to 2014. More recently, Strong has broadened her work to include directing, making her directorial debut with the multi-award-winning short film ‘#3 Normandy Lane’ in 2019, and directing two episodes of Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ in 2020. She also holds certifications as a yoga instructor and fertility expert, and is currently working on a series of books for women.