Gail O'Grady (born 23 January, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actress. She was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and graduated from Wheaton North High School in 1981.
O'Grady was first seen by American television audiences in a 1987 Diet Pepsi commercial titled "Apartment 10G", which also starred Michael J. Fox. O'Grady played his sexy neighbor for whom Fox leaped down a fire escape and across a busy, rainy street to get a Diet Pepsi when he found none in his own fridge. TV Guide listed the ad as #41 in its 1999 list of "The 50 Greatest TV Commercials of All Time".
Her first major role was as Donna Abandando on the police drama NYPD Blue. O'Grady played the big-haired squad secretary from 1993 to 1996, and for each year received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. O'Grady left the series in 1996 and made a pilot for her own sitcom, The Gail O'Grady Project, but the show was not picked up by any of the networks. She's also made appearances on the hit CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men; and also appeared in the final episode of Designing Women playing the trophy wife of a business rival of Judith Ivey's character, B.J. Poteet.
O'Grady found success starring in numerous television movies, including The Three Lives of Karen, Another Woman's Husband, Sex & the Single Mom, Every 9 Seconds'', and Lip Service.
From 2002 to 2005, she played the mother, Helen Pryor, in the NBC television series American Dreams, which depicted an all-American family living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1960s. At the beginning of the 2005/06 television season, she starred on the ABC sitcom Hot Properties. However, ABC announced late in 2005 that the series would be cancelled.
In 2007, she began a recurring role on Boston Legal as Gloria Weldon, a judge in a personal relationship with attorney Alan Shore.
She also had a supporting role on the short-lived CW teenage drama series, Hidden Palms.
Married and divorced four times, O'Grady gave birth to her first child, son Michael Colton, in 2004.
(1996) Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world
Grew up in an English/Irish/Italian family in the Midwest.
Started off as a model in her salad days.
Nominated three times for Emmys for her role on "NYPD Blue" (1993).
She made her film debut in ¡Three Amigos! (1986) starring Steve Martin (I) in 1986, but her part was cut from the final print.
She has one brother, Michael who is an investment banker.
She is the daughter of Jim, a financial planner and his wife Jan.
She collects old-fashioned perfume bottles.
She graduated from Wheaton North High School in Wheaton, Illinois in 1981 and soon after graduation wed her highschool sweetheart, Richard Dasko. They split after two years.
Although born in Detroit, Michigan, she was raised in Wheaton, Illinois.
Gave birth to her first child, Michael Colton, on May 22, 2004.
Ex-daughter-in-law of Anna Lee (I).
While appearing on "Celebrity Poker Showdown" (2003), she mentioned that at one time she was a Librarian but was fired due to her area being too messy.
Ex-sister-in-law of Venetia Stevenson.
