Carla Gugino ( ; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After early roles in the films Troop Beverly Hills (1989), This Boy's Life (1993), Son in Law (1993), and Snake Eyes (1998), Gugino received wider recognition for her starring roles in the Spy Kids trilogy (2001–2003), Sin City (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), American Gangster (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Sally Jupiter in Watchmen (2009), Sucker Punch (2011), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), San Andreas (2015), Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), and Lisa Frankenstein (2024).
In television, Gugino starred in the crime drama series Karen Sisco (2003), the science fiction series Threshold (2005–2006), and the crime drama series Jett (2019). She is a frequent collaborator of filmmaker Mike Flanagan, having starred in his supernatural horror miniseries The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), as well as the psychological horror thriller film Gerald's Game (2017) and the upcoming supernatural horror The Exorcist: Martyrs (2027).
Early life Gugino was born on August 29, 1971, in Sarasota, Florida,"Gugino, Carla 1971–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024. to Carl Gugino (1928-2025), an orthodontist of Italian descent, and Susan (née Burgess), of English and Irish descent described as "Bohemian". After her parents separated when she was two, she traveled between the Sarasota home of her father and half-brother Carl Jr.'s, and the California home of her mother.
My father and my mother separated when I was two. With my father, I lived in (Sarasota) Florida, where we had a swimming pool, a tennis court, the whole deal. My mom wanted to take me out of the hubbub. She put up a real Indian tepee in Paradise, California, and we lived there for six months. We also lived in a van in Big Sur for a while.
She has said of her upbringing, "I lived in a tepee in northern California and a van in Big Sur. With my dad, I lived in a beautiful house with a swimming pool and a tennis court and went to Europe for the summers. So I feel like I lived two childhoods." She worked as a teenage fashion model, including work for the Elite agency, and took acting classes (with Gene Bua) at the suggestion of her aunt, former Let's Make a Deal show assistant and prize model Carol Merrill. She eventually came to support herself, and with her parents' approval, was legally emancipated by the time she was 16.
Career Gugino's television work during the late 1980s and early 1990s included appearances on Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell, Who's the Boss?, ALF, Doogie Howser, M.D., The Wonder Years, Webster and a recurring role on Falcon Crest. In film, Gugino appeared in the Shelley Long film Troop Beverly Hills (1989), and she co-starred with Pauly Shore in the romantic comedy Son in Law (1993). Gugino made her stage debut in 1993 as Curly's wife in Geva Theatre's production of Of Mice and Men in Rochester, New York. She later recalled that the role earned her membership in the Actor's Equity Association. She appeared in the video to Bon Jovi's 1994 song "Always".
In 1995, Gugino appeared as Nan St. George (later the Duchess of Trevenick) with Greg Wise and James Frain in the BBC miniseries The Buccaneers, an adaptation of Edith Wharton's last novel. She played Ashley Schaeffer, Michael J. Fox's character's love interest, during the first season of the sitcom Spin City in 1996. She played opposite Nicolas Cage in Brian De Palma's Snake Eyes, and in Judas Kiss, which she also co-produced. She appeared as Dr. Gina Simon during the final season of the television medical drama Chicago Hope (1999–2000).
In 2001, she appeared as family matriarch Ingrid Cortez in the first Spy Kids film (as well as the film's two sequels in 2002 and 2003). That same year she appeared as Jet Li's love interest in the martial arts action thriller The One.
She starred in two short-lived TV series: ABC's Elmore Leonard crime drama Karen Sisco in 2003, and CBS' science fiction series Threshold in 2005. That same year, Gugino appeared as Lucille in the feature film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel Sin City. The following year, she appeared in the film Night at the Museum as Ben Stiller's love interest.
Gugino made her Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of Arthur Miller's play, After the Fall opposite Peter Krause. In late 2006, she appeared in an Off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer opposite Blythe Danner.
Gugino appeared as Amanda, Vincent Chase's agent, in a dozen episodes of the cable television series Entourage. Gugino appeared in the May 2007 issue of Allure. That same year she appeared in the action-horror film Rise: Blood Hunter and the feature film American Gangster. The following year, she played the female lead in the thriller Righteous Kill, opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
In 2009, Gugino starred as Abby in Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms at the Goodman Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times praised Gugino's performance, saying, "Ms. Gugino displays a depth and range of expression that I cannot imagine any other actress achieving with such blazing honesty and wrenching truth. She is simply magnificent." During the first three months of 2009, three feature films premiered featuring Gugino: the thriller The Unborn, the film Watchmen, in which she played Sally Jupiter, and the adventure remake Race to Witch Mountain, in which she starred opposite Dwayne Johnson. That April, she received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her performance in Desire Under the Elms. Later, in November of that year, she played a pornographic actress in the comedy film Women in Trouble, which spawned a sequel in 2010, Elektra Luxx, titled after her character.
In 2011, Gugino appeared as Madame Vera Gorsky in Zack Snyder's action-fantasy film Sucker Punch alongside Abbie Cornish and Emily Browning. Gugino sang a duet with co-star Oscar Isaac, which appeared in the end credits and in the film's soundtrack. She also guest starred on the fourth season of Californication as Abby Rhodes, Hank Moody's attorney and love interest.
In 2012, Gugino had a lead role as Susan Berg, a Washington, D.C., investigative reporter, on the USA Network's miniseries Political Animals. In 2015, she had a lead role in the disaster film San Andreas, in which she once again starred opposite Dwayne Johnson.
In 2020, Gugino played Carol in Alice Birch's Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company.
Personal life In 1996, Gugino began a relationship with her collaborator, Sebastián Gutiérrez. Gugino stated in 2009 that they had no plans to marry: "Marriage isn't important for us. We like being boyfriend and girlfriend; there's something sexy and fun about that. We're very much about, 'There’s nothing holding us here other than our desire to be together.'"
Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released Film Year Title Role Notes 1989 Troop Beverly Hills Chica Barnfell 1990 Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Young Roxy 1993 This Boy's Life Norma Red Hot Valentina Son in Law Rebecca Warner 1995 Miami Rhapsody Leslie 1996 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco Delilah Voice Melissa Wedding Bell Blues Violet Michael Bride 1997 Lovelife Amy 1998 Jaded Megan 'Meg' Harris Snake Eyes Julia Costello Judas Kiss Coco Chavez 2001 Spy Kids Ingrid Cortez The Center of the World Jerri The Jimmy Show Annie O'Brien The One T.K. / Massie Walsh 2002 Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams Ingrid Cortez 2003 The Singing Detective Betty Dark / Hooker Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over Ingrid Cortez 2005 The Life Coach Carla Sin City Lucille 2006 Even Money Veronica Night at the Museum Rebecca 2007 The Lookout Janet Rise: Blood Hunter Eve American Gangster Laurie Roberts 2008 Righteous Kill Karen Corelli 2009 The Unborn Janet Beldon Sparks Robin Short film Watchmen Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre Race to Witch Mountain Dr. Alex Friedman The Mighty Macs Cathy Rush Women in Trouble Elektra Luxx Under the Hood Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre Short film Apocrypha Woman 2010 Elektra Luxx Elektra Luxx / CeliaCredited as "Taryn Gugino" Tell-Tale Femme Fatale Short film Every Day Robin Faster Cicero 2011 I Melt with You Officer Boyde Girl Walks into a BarFrancine Driver Sucker Punch Dr. Vera Gorski Mr. Popper's Penguins Amanda New Year's Eve Dr. MorrisetSegment: "Maternity Ward" 2012 Hotel Noir Hanna Click 2013 By Virtue Fall Actress Man of Steel Kelor Voice 2014 Match Lisa Davis 2015 San Andreas Emma Gaines 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ship Voice Wolves Jenny Keller Bling Catherine Voice 2017 The Space Between Us Kendra Wyndham Gerald's Game Jessie 2018 Elizabeth Harvest Claire 2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League Ship Voice With/In: Volume 2 Writer Segment: "20 Questions" Gunpowder Milkshake Madeleine 2024 Orion and the Dark Orion's Mom Voice Lisa Frankenstein Janet Swallows Veo Veo A Family Sandra Short film The Friend Elaine 2025 Heads of State Elizabeth Kirk 2026 Lockbox Ellen Hershbergen The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth Toni Peters Post-production 2027 The Exorcist: Martyrs Post-production TBA Vivien & the Florist Vivien Leigh Post-production Inez Brown Burns Filming
Television Year Title Role Notes 1988Webster Heather Episode: "Homecoming" Good Morning, Miss Bliss Karen Episode: "Summer Love" Who's the Boss? Jane Episode: "Prom Night II" 1989 ALF Laura Episode: "Standing in the Shadows of Love" 1989–1990 Falcon Crest Sydney St. James 11 episodes 1990 American Dreamer Young Jessica Miniseries Ferris Bueller Ann Peyson Episode: "Stand-In Deliver" 1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. Sara Newman Episode: "Planet of the Dateless" Sandy Episode: "Triangle" 1992 Quantum Leap Michelle Temple Cutter Episode: "Ghost Ship – August 13, 1956" Davis Rules Kathi 2 episodes Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story Allison Connors Television film Mary Beth Television film 1994 Rebel Highway Leann Morris 1 episode Motorcycle Gang Leann Morris Television film 1995 The Buccaneers Nan St. George Miniseries 1996, 1998 Spin City Ashley Schaeffer 13 episodes 1999 Hotel Alexandria Miniseries Bonne Nuit Carol Reeves Television film Emilie Thompson Television film 1999–2000 Chicago Hope Dr. Gina Simon23 episodes 2001 She Creature Lily Television film 2003–2004 Karen Sisco Karen Sisco10 episodes 2005–2006 Threshold Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey13 episodes 2007–2010 Entourage Amanda Daniels 12 episodes 2011 Californication Abby Rhodes 10 episodes Hide D.D. Warren Television film 2012 Justified A.D. Karen Goodall Episode: "Cut Ties" Political Animals Susan Berg Miniseries New Girl Emma 3 episodes 2015–2016 Wayward Pines Kate Hewson 11 episodes 2015 The Brink Joanne "Jo" Larson Miniseries 2016 Roadies Shelli Anderson 2017 Nashville Virginia Episode: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" 2018 Robot Chicken Joyce Byers / Meg Altman Voice, episode: "Mr. Mozzarella's Hamburger Skateboard Depot" The Haunting of Hill House Olivia Crain Miniseries 2019 Jett Daisy "Jett" Kowalski 2020 Manhunt: Deadly Games Kathy Scruggs 6 episodes The Haunting of Bly Manor The Storyteller / Older Jamie Miniseries 2021 Midnight Mass Judge Leopard Skin Alba Fontana 2023 The Fall of the House of Usher Verna Miniseries 2024 Rock Paper Scissors Officer Wishowski Episode: "Birthday Police" The Girls on the Bus Grace Gordon Greene Main role2025Big City GreensDebbie UptonEpisode: "Charity Case"
Music videos Year Title Artist(s) Role 1994 "Always" Bon Jovi Herself 2016 "Where's the Love?" The Black Eyed Peas (featuring The World) Herself
Accolades In 2009, Gugino was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). During the Foundation's 34th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., she received NIAF's Special Achievement Award for Entertainment, presented by her close friend, actress Connie Britton.