Christa Miller

Christa Miller-Lawrence is an American actress who has earned recognition primarily for her work in television comedies. She is widely known for portraying Kate O'Brien on the sitcom The Drew Carey Show, Jordan Sullivan on Scrubs, Ellie Torres on Cougar Town, and Liz Bishop on the comedy-drama series Shrinking. Additionally, she provided the voices for the characters Cleopatra "Cleo" Smith and Candide Sampson in the animated series Clone High.

During her childhood, Miller worked as a model, though this early pursuit was halted due to surgery for a benign bone tumor. She attended Convent of the Sacred Heart and later resumed modeling briefly. After enrolling in acting classes, she decided to fully abandon modeling and relocated to Los Angeles in 1990 to focus on a performance career.

Miller made her television debut on the series Kate & Allie, which featured her aunt, Susan Saint James. She went on to earn guest spots on shows such as Northern Exposure, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Party of Five, alongside a role in the 1992 horror film Stepfather III.

Although she initially aimed to pursue dramatic roles, her television trajectory shifted after appearing on Seinfeld in two separate guest roles. Her second appearance on the show allowed her to secure preview footage that she used while auditioning for The Drew Carey Show. With the backing of Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, she convinced producers to hire her for the co-starring role of Kate O'Brien, which she played from 1995 until 2002.

In 2001, Miller joined the cast of Scrubs, a series created by her husband, Bill Lawrence. Though originally scheduled for a single appearance as Jordan Sullivan, her character was expanded into a recurring role. During this period, she also lent her voice to Clone High, starred in the two-part miniseries The Andromeda Strain in 2008, and guest-starred on CSI: Miami.

Miller later joined the main cast of Cougar Town in 2009, another series created by her husband. Beginning in 2023, she took on the role of Liz Bishop in the Apple TV+ project Shrinking. Off screen, Miller has been married to Bill Lawrence since 1999, and the couple shares three children, including singer and actor Charlotte Lawrence.