Judith Hoag

Judith Hoag, born on June 29, 1963, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, developed an early interest in acting, attending Walnut Hill School where she focused on theatrical arts. Her professional career began in 1986 with a role on the ABC daytime soap opera “Loving” as Charlotte ‘Lotty’ Bates Alden. This early experience in television laid the foundation for her transition into prime-time roles, including a lead in the CBS comedy series “Wolf” in 1989. Hoag’s early film work also included roles in “A Matter of Degrees” and “Cadillac Man” in 1990, demonstrating her versatility across different genres.

Hoag gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of April O’Neil in the 1990 film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” a role that became a significant milestone in her career given the film’s commercial success, grossing over $200 million worldwide. Following this, she took on various roles in television films, such as “Fine Things” by Danielle Steel and “Switched at Birth.” A notable recurring role began in 1998 as Gwen Cromwell Piper in the Disney Channel’s “Halloweentown” film series, a character she reprised in three sequels through 2006. Her career continued to expand with appearances in major films like “Armageddon” (1998) and “Hitchcock” (2012).

Her television career further diversified with over 60 guest appearances on popular shows including “The X-Files,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Sons of Anarchy.” From 2006 to 2011, Hoag had a recurring role as Cindy Price on the HBO drama series “Big Love.” She then joined the ABC drama “Nashville” in 2012 as Tandy Hampton, appearing in 40 episodes over several seasons. More recently, she played Stephanie Quinn in the Syfy fantasy series “The Magicians” from 2016 to 2020 and took on a supporting role in the 2018 romantic drama “Forever My Girl.” Her career highlights include a deleted scene cameo in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (2016), released on home media.