Sarah Wayne Callies

Sarah Wayne Callies was born on June 1, 1977. Her parents, Valerie Wayne and David Callies, were both professors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, at one year old and developed an interest in acting through school plays at Punahou School. Callies attended Dartmouth College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama in 1999, with minors in women’s studies and Indigenous theology. She furthered her education at the National Theatre Conservatory, where she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2002.

Her career began in 2003 with a recurring role on the CBS show “Queens Supreme.” She made guest appearances on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Dragnet,” and “NUMB3RS” before gaining recognition for her starring role as Dr. Sara Tancredi in Fox’s “Prison Break,” a role she held from 2005 to 2009 and reprised in 2017. In 2010, Callies was cast as Lori Grimes in AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” a role that significantly increased her public profile. She appeared in the series from its pilot through the third season (2010-2013) and returned for a voice role in 2018. She also starred as Katie Bowman in USA Network’s “Colony” from 2016 to 2018 and as Robin Perry in NBC’s “Council of Dads” in 2020. Her recent acting work includes starring as Birdie Nicoletti in ABC’s “The Company You Keep” in 2023 and a voice role in “The Walking Dead: Destinies” video game in 2023.

Beyond acting, Callies has expanded into directing and writing. She directed episodes for series like “Colony” (2018), “Unspeakable” (2019), “The Good Doctor” (2020-2021), “Family Law” (2022), “Firefly Lane” (2023), “Fire Country” (2023-2025), and “The Irrational” (2024). She is the creator, writer, director, and voice for the science fiction podcast “Aftershock” (2021-2024) and co-hosts the “Prison Breaking” rewatch podcast. Callies also has several screenplays in development and is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.