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A talented and charismatic actress, Charlotte Ross has demonstrated her range and ability in a variety of roles and performances. Charlotte was discovered in a theater performance at the age of 13 in her hometown of Winnetka, Illinois. At New Trier High School, she continued her study in performing arts and trained at the Steppenwolf Theater and Second City in Chicago. After moving to Los Angeles, she performed at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Tiffany Theater.

Ross starred for two seasons in the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Beggars and Choosers," one of the last projects developed by Brandon Tartikoff. The affectionate satire was inspired by Tartikoff's experience in the television industry and centered on characters attempting to survive in that chaotic and backstabbing world. Ross played a Machiavellian character who was ruthless, quick-witted and ruled by blind ambition. Of her role, "TV Guide" said "Charlotte is giving TV's best performance. If more showbiz types watched this showbiz expose, Ross, as a high-strung network exec and phone-sex freak, would be an Emmy shoo-in."

She also starred in the family drama "Trinity," created by John Wells, and the miniseries "A Will of Their Own." She has had lead roles in numerous television series, including "The Five Mrs. Buchanans," created by Marc Cherry, "The Heights," created by Aaron Spelling (for which she earned a Gold Record for her performance of the series theme song) and the telefilms "A Kiss So Deadly," "Fall Into Darkness," "She Says She's Innocent" and "Dark Waters." Ross has also had many notable guest-starring roles, having portrayed a manic-depressive on "Birdland" with Brian Dennehy, a strung-out drug addict on "ER," and Kelsey Grammer's love interest on "Frasier." In 2001. Ross joined the cast of "NYPD Blue," playing Detective Connie McDowell for four seasons in which the LA Times said, "If NYPD Blue still had the popularity it had in the past, Charlotte's strong performances wouldn't sadly be so overlooked by the Emmy voters this past season."

She is currently shooting the film "Mickey Fish" in Utah opposite William Mapother. A chameleon in her craft, she has appeared in the films "Touch and Go," with Michael Keaton, "Love and a .45," with Renie Zellweger, "Savage Land," "Foreign Student" and "Donuts." Additionally, she earned two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her role as Eve Donovan on "Days of Our Lives."

Off camera, Ross is also a singer, having studied opera for five years. She has love and compassion for animals and has collaborated with the Jane Goodall Institute, the SPCA, and PETA for many years. While on location in Puerto Rico, she adopted a homeless dog named Taco who now befriends her one-eyed Pekinese Katy. She resides in Los Angeles.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN Winnetka, IL
BIRTHDATE January 21
(courtesy of ABC)
A fair-haired actress who ultimately parlayed her photogenic looks into a healthy and substantial career in both film and television venues, Charlotte Ross grew up in affluent Winnetka, IL, as the daughter of a saleswoman mother in a single-parent household. Ross graduated almost immediately to acting work, initially stepping before the cameras in late adolescence with small supporting roles in such features as Touch and Go (1986), Foreign Student (1994), and Love and a .45 (1994), but found far greater exposure on the small screen. She essayed the lead role of Lori Volpone on the Showtime pay-cable series Beggars and Choosers (1999-2001), then embarked on a multi-season portrayal of Detective Connie McDowell on Steven Bochco's gritty cop drama NYPD Blue. After that high-profile role, Ross returned to big-screen features in a lead capacity, this time, with roles in Donny Most's comedy Moola (2006) and Mike Robe's family drama Montana Sky (2007). Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

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