# Merrin Dungey

Merrin Melissa Dungey (born August 6, 1971) is an American film and television actress, known for her roles on the television series The King of Queens, Alias, Malcolm in the Middle, Summerland, Conviction, The Resident and The Fix. She also appeared as Ursula on Once Upon a Time. From 2022 to 2023, Dungey played series regular Kam in Shining Vale.

## Early life and education

Dungey, who is of African American heritage, was born and raised in Sacramento, California, the younger daughter of Don Dungey, a general services manager and Judith Dungey. As a child, she was active in ballet and dance as well as piano. Dungey was also an accomplished ice skater. Dungey graduated in 1989 from Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California. After high school, Dungey earned a degree of Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 1993. Dungey has a sister, Channing Dungey who was president of ABC Entertainment and is the CEO of Warner Bros. Television Studios.

## Career

Dungey had small roles in Hollywood films such as EDtv and Deep Impact and on television series such as Martin, before landing the recurring role of Kelly Palmer on the CBS television series The King of Queens, in which she starred from 1999 to 2007. She appeared in each season of the series except for the 2002–03 season. Dungey is also well known for her role as Francie Calfo on the drama series Alias from 2001 to 2003, as well as making an appearance on the 2006 series finale episode All the Time in the World. She also had a recurring role on the FOX sitcom Malcolm in the Middle as Stevie's mother, Kitty Kenarban. At one point in 2001, Dungey was appearing in all three shows (The King of Queens, Malcolm in the Middle, and Alias) at the same time. Dungey portrayed Susannah in the WB drama series Summerland from 2004 to 2005. She has also guest-starred on various TV series including Living Single, ER, Murphy Brown, Seinfeld, Friends, The West Wing, Babylon 5, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Dungey appeared in two episodes of Grey's Anatomy that served as a backdoor pilot for Private Practice, but was replaced by actress Audra McDonald for the series.
Dungey guest-starred on the ABC sitcoms Surviving Suburbia starring Bob Saget, Better Off Ted starring Portia de Rossi, Castle starring Nathan Fillion, and HBO's Hung starring Thomas Jane. She portrayed Ellie on the Nick at Nite television series Hollywood Heights in 2012 and had a recurring role as Alissa Barnes on ABC's Betrayal in 2013. In 2014 she appeared in a featured role opposite Pierce Brosnan in Some Kind of Beautiful. Also in 2014, she began portraying the recurring roles of Ursula on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Sharon Jeffords on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Dungey played investigator Maxine Bohen on the ABC legal drama Conviction from October 2016 to May 2017. In September 2017, she joined the cast of the medical drama The Resident as Claire Thorpe. Dungey next appeared as C.J. Bernstein in the ABC legal drama The Fix.
In February 2021, Dungey was cast in the series regular role of Kam in the Starz series Shining Vale. The series premiered in March 2022, and was later picked up for a second season in May 2022.

## Personal life

In May 2007, Dungey married Matthew Drake in a mariachi-style wedding ceremony in Cancun, Mexico. She gave birth to their first daughter in June 2008, and a second daughter in 2011. Dungey and Drake separated in 2018 and divorced in 2021. In 2023, Dungey announced her engagement to Kevin Ryder, a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his work on Kevin and Bean. They married on December 31, 2023.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Deep Impact | Sheila Bradley | |
| 1999 | EDtv | Ms. Seaver | |
| 2000 | The Sky Is Falling | Sheila | |
| 2001 | Odessa or Bust | Disgruntled Diner | Short |
| 2002 | Scream at the Sound of the Beep | Jill | |
| 2006 | Beyond | Debbie Sprague | TV movie |
| 2009 | Masterwork | Rachel West | TV movie |
| 2011 | L!fe Happens | Hester | |
| 2014 | Some Kind of Beautiful | Angela | |
| 2015 | The Diabolical | Mrs. Dana Wallace | |
| 2015 | 48 Hours 'til Monday | Mary Johansson | TV movie |
| 2017 | CHiPs | Joy Jackson | |
| 2017 | Brothered Up | Desiree Williams | TV movie |
| 2020 | Greenland | Major Breen | |
| 2021 | The Madness Inside Me | Madison | |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Martin | Monique | Episode: "Girlfriend" |
| 1996 | Babylon 5 | Security Guard #2 | Episode: "Messages from Earth" |
| 1996 | Living Single | Laura | Episode: "Woman to Woman" |
| 1996 | Party Girl | Wanda | Main Cast |
| 1997 | Caroline in the City | Female Prostitute | Episode: "Caroline and the Buyer" |
| 1997 | ER | Daphina | Episode: "When the Bough Breaks" |
| 1997 | Murphy Brown | Woman | Episode: "From the Terrace" |
| 1998 | Seinfeld | Cashier | Episode: "The Bookstore" |
| 1999 | Tracey Takes On... | Nancy | Episode: "Drugs" |
| 1999 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Coach Williams | Episode: "Prescription for Trouble" |
| 1999 | The West Wing | Daisy | Episode: "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" |
| 1999 | G vs E | Rebecca Clemens | Episode: "Cliffhanger" |
| 1999–2007 | The King of Queens | Kelly Palmer | Recurring cast |
| 2000 | Jesse | Rosemary | Episode: "Kurt Slips, Niagara Falls" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Mrs. Lombard | Episode: "Deliver the Male" |
| 2000 | Friends | The Museum Official | Episode: "The One Where Paul's the Man" |
| 2000–01 | Grosse Pointe | Joan | Recurring cast |
| 2000–04 | Malcolm in the Middle | Kitty Kenarban | Guest: Seasons 1 & 3 & 6, Recurring cast: Season 2 |
| 2001 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Amy | Episode: "The Doll" |
| 2001–06 | Alias | Francie Calfo / Allison Doren | Main Cast: Season 1-2, Recurring cast: Season 3, guest: Season 5 |
| 2004–05 | Summerland | Susannah Rexford | Main Cast |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Sandy Zionts | Episode: "Angel of Death" |
| 2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Naomi Bennett | Episode: "The Other Side of This Life, Part 1 & 2" |
| 2009 | Surviving Suburbia | Mrs. Devore | Episode: "Nothing for Money" |
| 2009–10 | Better Off Ted | Sheila | Guest: Season 1, Recurring cast: Season 2 |
| 2010 | Castle | Monica Finch | Episode: "Den of Thieves" |
| 2010 | The Closer | Ms. Reed | Episode: "Heart Attack" |
| 2010 | Hung | Liz | Recurring cast: Season 2 |
| 2010 | Outlaw | Alison Mills | Episode: "In Re: Curtis Farwell" |
| 2012 | Revenge | Barbara Snow | Recurring cast: Season 1 |
| 2012 | Hollywood Heights | Ellie Moss | Recurring cast |
| 2013 | 90210 | Court Appointed Therapist | Episode: "Brother From Another Mother" |
| 2013 | How to Live with Your Parents | Morgan | Episode: "How to Have a Playdate" & "How to Be Gifted" |
| 2013 | Betrayal | Alissa Barnes | Recurring cast |
| 2014 | Episodes | Tonight Show Producer | Episode: "Episode Four" |
| 2014 | Trophy Wife | Agent Dawn Johansen | Episode: "The Wedding, Part 1" |
| 2014 | Shameless | Nurse | Episode: "Lazarus" |
| 2014 | Rizzoli & Isles | Gwen Miller | Episode: "It Takes a Village" |
| 2014 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Twyla Owens | Episode: "Road to Recovery" |
| 2014–15 | Once Upon a Time | Ursula | Recurring cast: Season 4 |
| 2014–15 | Chasing Life | Dr. Susan Hamburg | Recurring cast |
| 2014–15 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Sharon Jeffords | Guest: Seasons 1-2, Recurring cast: Season 3 |
| 2015 | Backstrom | Eleanor Deering | Episode: "Enemy of My Enemies" |
| 2016 | Con Man | Jess | Episode: "What Goes Up..." |
| 2016–17 | Conviction | Maxine Bohen | Main cast |
| 2017 | You're the Worst | Candace | Recurring cast: Season 4 |
| 2017–19 | Big Little Lies | Detective Adrienne Quinlan | Recurring cast |
| 2018 | The Resident | Claire Thorpe | Main cast: Season 1 |
| 2019 | Grace and Frankie | Elena | Episode: "The Highs" |
| 2019 | The Fix | C.J. Bernstein | Main cast |
| 2020 | Star Trek: Picard | Interviewer | Episode: "Remembrance" |
| 2020 | Man with a Plan | Dr. Felicia | Episode: "Couples Therapy" & "Adam's Not Sorry" |
| 2020–present | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Solvang First Officer/Ensign Wendy (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Bad Vibes | Melinda | Episode: "Shifter" |
| 2021 | American Horror Stories | Dr. Andi Grant | Recurring cast: Season 1 |
| 2021 | Lucifer | Officer Sonja Harris | Recurring cast: Season 6 |
| 2021 | Bob's Burgers | Judith (voice) | Episode: "Driving Big Dummy" |
| 2022–23 | Shining Vale | Kam | Main Cast |
| 2024 | S.W.A.T. | Deputy Chief Leticia Bennett | Recurring cast |
| TBA | In Between | | |