Sarah Wayne Callies is an American actress. She is known for starring as Sara Tancredi in Fox's Prison Break, Lori Grimes in AMC's The Walking Dead, and more recently, as Birdie Nicolletti in ABC's The Company You Keep. She has also starred as Katie Bowman in USA Network's Colony and Robin Perry in NBC's Council of Dads and has had film roles in Whisper (2007), Black Gold (2011), and The Show (2017).

Early life and education Her parents Valerie Wayne and David Callies were both professors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Callies moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, with her family when she was one year old. Throughout her youth, she expressed an interest in acting through participating in various school plays at the independent Punahou School. After graduating from high school, Callies entered Dartmouth College where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama in 1999, with a minor in women's studies and a senior fellowship in Indigenous theology.Contributor Sarah Wayne Callies - website of American news aggregator HuffPost In conjunction with her studies, Callies remained involved in theatre. She continued her education at the National Theatre Conservatory, where she obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2002.

Career Callies moved to New York in 2003 and then quickly landed her first television role as Kate O'Malley, a recurring part on the short-lived CBS show Queens Supreme.

Prison Break After making various guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Dragnet (2003), and NUMB3RS, Callies gained a starring role on Fox's Prison Break as Sara Tancredi. She played the role in the first two seasons, but her character was killed off for the third season before being brought back for the fourth season. According to Prison Breaks executive producer Matt Olmstead, although the writers, the network, Callies herself, and he all wanted her to stay on the show, the character was written out due to contract disputes.Prison Break Exclusive: The Real Story Behind Sara's Death Ausiello Report, TVGuide.com, October 8, 2007, Retrieved March 28, 2008 She stated through a spokesperson to TV Guide in fall 2007:

However, in March 2008, Olmstead stated that the character of Sara is still alive and would return in season four. Though the character Sara Tancredi appeared to have a violent death, Olmstead stated "...we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive."TV Guide Editors' Blogs: Prison Break Stunner: Sarah Wayne Callies Returns!, Michael Ausiello, TVGuide.com, March 27, 2008, Retrieved March 28, 2008 Executive Producer Matt Olmstead admitted the fans' overwhelming response to her death had influenced the decision to bring the character, and Callies, back to the show.Breaking! Prison Break Brings Back Sarah Wayne Callies! Kristin, eonline.com, March 27, 2008, Retrieved March 31, 2008

The Walking Dead In 2010, Callies was cast in the major role of Lori Grimes on the AMC post-apocalyptic drama series The Walking Dead, based on the comic-book series of the same name. The drama became the highest-rated show in AMC's history. Callies played the role from the show's pilot until the third season.

Other projects Callies starred in her first feature, the independent film The Celestine Prophecy, in 2006. She also starred in the horror film Whisper alongside Josh Holloway the following year. In April 2010, she appeared on the Fox Television drama House as a patient of the week, whose open marriage fascinates House and the team. In August 2010, Callies' first screenplay, an adaptation of Campbell Geeslin's children's book Elena's Serenade, was optioned by French production company Fulldawa Films.

Callies starred in the Nigerian movie Black Gold (2011) and one of the female lead roles in the Canadian thriller Faces in the Crowd (2011). In 2015, she co-starred with Nicolas Cage in Uli Edel's thriller film Pay the Ghost. In 2016, she returned to television in the lead role of Katie Bowman in Colony.

Personal life Callies is married to Josh Winterhalt, whom she met at Dartmouth College. On January 23, 2007, her publicist announced that the couple were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born in July 2007. Their second child, an adopted son, was born in 2013.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes2006The Celestine ProphecyMarjorie2007WhisperRoxanne2008BittersweetRobyn2010Lullaby for PiJosephine2011Black GoldKate Summers Reissued into Black NovemberFaces in the CrowdFrancineForeverlandFran2012Black NovemberKate Summers Reissued version of Black Gold2014Into the StormAllison Stone2015Pay the GhostKristen Lawford 2016 The Other Side of the DoorMaria Harwood 2017The ShowKarina 2026 Atlas King Penelope Masterson Post-production TBA Outside of Cleveland TBA Post-productionJim Gaffigan Reunites With ‘Linoleum’s Colin West ‘Outside Of Cleveland’; Alex Wolff, Brooklynn Prince, Sarah Wayne Callies Also Star In Fantasy Dramedy

Television Year Title Role Notes2003Queens SupremeKate O'MalleyRecurring role; 5 episodes DragnetKathryn "Kate" RandallEpisode: "The Brass Ring"Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJenny RochesterEpisode: "Privilege"TarzanJane PorterMain role; 9 episodes 2004The Secret ServiceLaura Kelly Unsold television pilot2005NumbersKim HallEpisode: "Counterfeit Reality"2005–2009, 2017Prison Break Sara TancrediMain role (seasons 1–2, 4–5); 73 episodes 2009Prison Break: The Final BreakTelevision film2010HouseJuliaEpisode: "Open and Shut"TangledChloe / Sally Unsold television pilot 2010–2013, 2018 The Walking DeadLori GrimesMain role (seasons 1–3); 28 episodes, Uncredited voice role (Episode: "What Comes After")2016–2018ColonyKatie BowmanMain role; 36 episodes 2017 The Long Road HomeLeann VoleskyMain role; 6 episodes Robot ChickenLori Grimes Voice role; Episode: "The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking"2018–2022LetterkennyAnita DyckRecurring role; 5 episodes (seasons 6, 8, 10–11)2019UnspeakableMargaret SandersMain role; 8 episodes 2020Council of DadsRobin PerryMain role; 10 episodes 2023 The Company You Keep Birdie Nicoletti Main role; 10 episodes 2026 Sole Survivor of Flight 119 Lisa Foster Television film

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2023 The Walking Dead: Destinies Lori Grimes Voice role

Stage Year Title Role Venue Notes 2013 The Guardsman The Actress Eisenhower Theater May 25, 2013 – June 23, 2013

Directing credits Television Year Title Notes 2018 Colony 3x09 - "The Big Empty" 2019 Unspeakable Episode 5 - "Compensation (1988–1993)" 2020–2021 The Good Doctor 4x04 - "Not the Same" 4x13 - "Spilled Milk" 5x06 - "One Heart" 2022 Family Law 2x08 - "Family History" 2023 Firefly Lane 2x12 - "Time After Time" 2x13 - "Can't Fight This Feeling"2023–2025Fire Country 1x09 - "No Good Deed" 2x09 - "No Future, No Consequences" 3x07 - "False Alarm" 4x03 - "The Tiny Ways We Start to Steal" 2024 The Irrational 2x07 - "Stan by Me"2025–2026Sheriff Country 1x08 - "Death & Taxes" 1x11 - "The Aftermath" 2x02 - "Family Trust" 2x03 - "Ulysses"

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2011 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television The Walking Dead 2012 Scream Awards Best Horror Actress The Walking Dead Satellite Awards Best Cast – Television Series The Walking Dead 2017 Leo Awards Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture The Show

References

External links

Sarah Wayne Callies talks to theTVaddict.com