# Paget Brewster

Paget Valerie Brewster (/ˈpædʒɪt/ PAJ-it; born March 10, 1969) is an American actress. She first received recognition for her recurring role as Kathy on the fourth season of Friends. She gained wider recognition in the late 2000s as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss on CBS's Criminal Minds. Brewster was a regular cast member of the show from 2006 to 2012, then made two guest appearances before returning as a regular in 2016.

## Early life

Brewster was born March 10, 1969, in Concord, Massachusetts. Both her mother, Hathaway Brewster (née Tew), and father, Galen Brewster, worked as school administrators at Middlesex School. She is a descendant of William Brewster and wife Mary Brewster.
Brewster grew up in Massachusetts and moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. During her first year, she made her acting debut and eventually dropped out of design school to pursue her acting career. In the mid-1990s, Brewster moved to San Francisco and enrolled in acting classes.

## Career

In 1995, Brewster hosted a late-night talk show in the San Francisco Bay Area called The Paget Show for 65 episodes at KPIX-TV. She first came to prominent attention in her recurring role as Kathy in the fourth season of NBC's Friends. She appeared in Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Huff. On film she played Ms. Indestructible, the female lead in James Gunn's low-budget superhero comedy The Specials (2000). She played Amy Pierson, a calculus teacher afraid of the water, in the independent film The Big Bad Swim, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2005, she began voice work as Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl, a recurring character on the animated series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (and later played a similar guest character on American Dad!).
Brewster had a long run with the show Criminal Minds, playing multilingual Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss until the show's sixth season, when she and A. J. Cook were released from their contracts by CBS in a cost-cutting move. Owing to complaints from fans, both she and Cook were rehired and kept for the following season. In February 2012, Brewster announced via Deadline that she was leaving Criminal Minds at the end of the season to return to her comedic and sitcom roots. Brewster reprised her role as Emily Prentiss in season nine for the 200th episode, and season 11 as a special guest star. In 2016, Brewster returned to Criminal Minds once again as a series regular with Thomas Gibson's replacement.
Brewster subsequently portrayed bureau chief PDA Paula Foster in the Public Integrity Unit of the District Attorney's office on NBC's long-running police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Her character handled the case against SVU commanding officer Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek), suspected of murder after awakening next to a dead woman in the 13th-season finale.
Brewster was a regular on The Thrilling Adventure Hour, a staged production in the style of old-time radio that was recorded monthly at Largo in Los Angeles. She played the recurring character of Sadie Doyle, the alcoholic socialite who can communicate with the supernatural alongside her husband, Frank (Paul F. Tompkins), in the "Beyond Belief" segments. In early April 2013, Brewster appeared in Modern Family as Trish in episode 20, "Flip Flop", playing an art expert who is dating Gloria's ex-husband, Javier. In August 2013, Brewster appeared in episode 106 of the Drunk History television series on Comedy Central. In January 2015, Brewster began appearing on Community. In February 2014, it was announced that she had been cast in a new ABC comedy called St. Francis. In August 2016, it was announced that she would be reprising her role as Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds and would once again be a series regular after co-star Thomas Gibson was fired by CBS over an on-set altercation. Brewster also regularly appears on Will You Accept This Rose, a podcast hosted by Arden Myrin about The Bachelor franchise.

## Personal life

On the March 30, 2006, episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Brewster revealed that she had received a handwritten note indicating Hugh Hefner would like her to pose for Playboy. She seriously considered the offer, but even though she said that she admired Playboy more than magazines such as Maxim and FHM, and her parents gave her their blessing, she eventually turned it down.
She has volunteered as an actress with the Los Angeles Young Storytellers Program.
On March 17, 2013, Brewster became engaged to composer Steve Damstra, a member of the bands Folded Light and Whirlwind Heat. Brewster and Damstra married on November 28, 2014, in Los Angeles, in a ceremony officiated by Matthew Gray Gubler, their close friend and Brewster's Criminal Minds co-star. As of 2016, the couple resides in Los Angeles.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Let's Talk About Sex | Michelle | |
| 1999 | Desperate But Not Serious | Frances | |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Jenny Spy | |
| 2000 | The Specials | Emily Tilderbrook / Ms. Indestructible | |
| 2001 | Agent 15 | Agent 15 | Short film |
| 2001 | Hollywood Palms | Phoebe | |
| 2001 | Skippy | Julie Fontaine | |
| 2002 | Now You Know | Lea | |
| 2003 | Brainwarp | Lipstikk | Short film |
| 2004 | Eulogy | Aunt Lily | |
| 2005 | Man of the House | Coach 'Binky' Beauregard | |
| 2005 | My Big Fat Independent Movie | Julianne | |
| 2006 | Cyxork 7 | Bethany Feral | |
| 2006 | The Big Bad Swim | Amy Pierson | |
| 2006 | Kidney Thieves | Melinda | Short film |
| 2006 | Unaccompanied Minors | Valerie Davenport | |
| 2007 | Sublime | Andrea | Direct-to-video |
| 2012 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns | Lana Lang | Voice |
| 2014 | Gumshoe | Stiletto | Voice, short film |
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Lois Lane | Voice |
| 2015 | Uncle Nick | Sophie | |
| 2015 | Welcome to Happiness | Priscilla | |
| 2017 | Axis | Dr. Lynch | Voice |
| 2017 | Batman and Harley Quinn | Poison Ivy | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2018 | The Witch Files | Detective Strauss | Also producer |
| 2022 | Hypochondriac | Dr. Sampson | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997–98 | Friends | Kathy | 6 episodes, guest role (Season 4) |
| 1998 | Ghost Cop | Anette | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1998 | Max Q | Rena Winter | Television film |
| 1998–2001 | Godzilla: The Series | Audrey Timmonds | Voice, 11 episodes |
| 1999 | The Expert | Dr. Jo Hardy | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1999–2000 | Love & Money | Allison Conklin | Season 1 (13 episodes) |
| 2000 | Star Patrol | Rachel Striker | Pilot |
| 2000 | One True Love | Tina | Television film |
| 2000–01 | The Trouble With Normal | Claire Garletti | Season 1 (13 episodes) |
| 2001 | DAG | Patti Donovan | Episode: "Prom" |
| 2001 | Raising Dad | Gracie | Episode: "Sex Ed" |
| 2002 | George Lopez | Ginger | Episode: "The Wedding Dance" |
| 2002–03 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Jessica Green | Seasons 1–2 (19 episodes) |
| 2003 | The Snobs | | Pilot |
| 2003 | Time Belt | Col. Jocelyn Anchor | Episode: "Oh. shirt. Zombies." |
| 2004 | Rock Me, Baby | Debbie | Episode: "Look Who's Talking" |
| 2004–06 | Huff | Beth Huffstodt | Seasons 1–2 (25 episodes) |
| 2005 | Two and a Half Men | Jamie Eckleberry | Episode: "A Lungful of Alan" |
| 2005 | Duck Dodgers | Rona Vipra | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution | Carol Carter | Television film |
| 2005–07 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl | Voice, 9 episodes |
| 2005–20 | American Dad! | Various voices | Seasons 1–4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 17 (24 episodes) |
| 2005–06 | Stacked | Charlotte | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Drawn Together | Child Services | Voice, episode: "Captain Girl" |
| 2006 | A Perfect Day | Allyson Harlan | Television film |
| 2006–12, 2014, 2016–20, 2022–present | Criminal Minds | Emily Prentiss | 204 episodes Main role (seasons 2–7, 12–present) Guest role (season 9, 11) |
| 2007, 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sheila Tierney / ADA Paula Foster | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Lost Behind Bars | Lauren Wilde | Television film |
| 2009 | King of the Hill | Myrna | Voice, episode: "Lucky See, Monkey Do" |
| 2011–13 | Dan Vs. | Elise / Various voices | Main role; Seasons 1–3 (53 episodes) |
| 2011 | My Life As an Experiment | Stacie Wilder | Pilot |
| 2013 | Modern Family | Trish | Episode: "Flip Flop" |
| 2013 | Spy | Erica | Pilot |
| 2013 | The Birthday Boys | Keri | Episode: "Going All the Way" |
| 2013, 2015 | The Venture Bros. | Amber Gold / Various voices | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2013–19 | Drunk History | Herself / Emma Folsom | 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Community | Debra Chambers | Season 5 (1 episode) |
| 2014 | The Boondocks | Various voices | Episode: "The New Black" |
| 2014 | Saint Francis | Stephanie Quinlan | Pilot |
| 2014 | Key & Peele | Det. Sally Ferguson | Episode: "Sex Detective" |
| 2014, 2016 | Adventure Time | Viola | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Down Dog | Amanda Asher | Pilot |
| 2015 | Kroll Show | Bobby's Mom | Episode: "The In Addition Tos" |
| 2015 | Community | Francesca "Frankie" Dart | Season 6 (13 episodes) |
| 2015 | Moonbeam City | Charisma Miller, Sophistica Miller | Voice, episode: "Lasers & Liars" |
| 2015 | W/ Bob & David | Charlene Boyeur | Episode: "Episode 1" |
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles | Lois Lane | Voice, episode: "Bomb" |
| 2015–18 | Another Period | Dodo Bellacourt | Seasons 1–3 (22 episodes) |
| 2015–16 | Grandfathered | Sara Kingsley | Season 1 (22 episodes) |
| 2016, 2021–22 | Family Guy | Gretchen Mercer, others | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Future-Worm! | Mrs. Claus | Voice, episode: "Lost in the Mall" |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Emily Prentiss | Episode: "Type A" |
| 2018 | Mighty Magiswords | Veronica Victorious | Voice, episode: "Mall of Shame" |
| 2018–21 | DuckTales | Della Duck | Voice, main role Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program |
| 2019 | Mom | Veronica Stone | Season 7 (3 episodes) |
| 2019–20 | BoJack Horseman | Paige Sinclair | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Hollywood | Tallulah Bankhead | 2 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Birdgirl | Judy Ken Sebben / Birdgirl | Voice, main role |
| 2021–present | Behind the Attraction | Narrator | Voice, 16 episodes |
| 2022 | How I Met Your Father | Lori | Episode: "The Good Mom" |
| 2022 | Tuca & Bertie | | Voice, episode: "Leaf Raking" |
| 2022 | The Great North | Ms. Anderson | Voice, episode: "Arranger-ous Minds Adventure" |
| 2024 | Twilight of the Gods | Jarnglumra | Voice, episode: "The Bride-Price" |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2021 | Alpha Betas | Allison / Emily | Voice, episode: "This Is Alpha Team" |