Kirsten Vangsness (born July 7, 1972 ) is an American actress. She graduated from Cerritos High School in Cerritos, California in June 1990. She is currently appearing on the CBS drama series Criminal Minds as Audio/Visual Tech Penelope Garcia.
Vangsness' theater work has won her several awards, including the 15 Minutes of Fem Best Actress Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Emerging Comic Actress and the Golden Betty Award. She is also an acclaimed writer, and her work has been published in the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Her day jobs included substitute teacher, child counselor, restaurant hostess, personal assistant, grant writer, and murder mystery dinner theater actress. Her first paid acting job was a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial.
She is a solo performer and her writing has been published in the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
She is a member of Theatre of NOTE in Los Angeles, California, and continues to perform there.
In 2005, she won the LA Drama Critics Circle Natalie Shafer Award for Best Emerging Comedic Actress. The award was given to her on March 21, 2005, at the Coronet THeatre.
Was updated as a featured performer in the 2006 season of Criminal Minds.
