Ari Graynor
Ariel Geltman Graynor (born April 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series The Sopranos (2001), Fringe (2009–2010), Bad Teacher (2014), I'm Dying Up Here (2017), and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024). In film, she has starred in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008), The Sitter (2011), For a Good Time, Call..
Also recorded as Ariel Geltman Graynor
Ari Graynor

Montclair Film Festival · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Ari Graynor
- Born
- 27 April 1983
- Birth Name
- Ariel Geltman Graynor
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Education
- Trinity College
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Ariel Geltman Graynor (born April 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series The Sopranos (2001), Fringe (2009–2010), Bad Teacher (2014), I'm Dying Up Here (2017), and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024). In film, she has starred in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008), The Sitter (2011), For a Good Time, Call..
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Ari Graynor. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q454494 · wikipedia · Ari Graynor
In this article
Biography
Biography
(2012), and The Disaster Artist (2017).

Ari Graynor at the premiere of Ten Year, Toronto Film Festival 2011
GabboT · Ten Year 18

Ari Graynor photo by "Dan D'Errico / Montclair Film"
Montclair Film · 0008-Avenues-Dan_D'Errico-Avenues 008
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ari Graynor • Born — 27 April 1983 • Birth Name — Ariel Geltman Graynor • Birthplace — Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. • Education — Trinity College • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 2001–present
Early life
Early life
Ariel Geltman Graynor was born April 27, 1983, in Boston, the daughter of Joani Geltman, a parenting expert, and Greg Graynor, a contractor. Her mother is from a Jewish family; her father is from a Polish and Roman Catholic background, and converted to Judaism. Graynor was raised Jewish. Her paternal grandfather's surname was changed from "Gryzna". She attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts (class of 2001), and Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. During a June 29, 2017, CBS late-night interview with Stephen Colbert, promoting I'm Dying Up Here, she mentioned she went to a prom with future congressman Joe Kennedy III.
Career
Career
Graynor first came to prominence as Caitlin Rucker on season 3 of HBO's The Sopranos. Her film credits include An American Crime (2007), which premiered in January 2007 at the Sundance Film Festival. She also appeared early in the second season of UPN's Veronica Mars as the daughter of a bus driver. She made her Broadway debut as 'Alison' in 2005's Brooklyn Boy after appearing in the world premiere at South Coast Repertory. She also appeared in The Little Dog Laughed. Graynor played Elvina, a pop star, in CSI: Miami, and was a recurring guest star on the Fox series Fringe, playing Agent Olivia Dunham's younger sister, Rachel. In 2008, Graynor appeared in the film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and in October 2009, she also was in Whip It, a comedy film directed by Drew Barrymore and written by Shauna Cross, based on Cross' young adult novel Derby Girl. In 2010, she appeared in the play Trust at the off-Broadway Second Stage theatre company with Sutton Foster, Zach Braff, and Bobby Cannavale. In the fall of 2011, she appeared on Broadway in the Woody Allen-written segment of three one-act comedies collectively called Relatively Speaking. She played Nina Roth in Allen's “Honeymoon Motel” segment. • Illustration — Graynor in January 2012 In 2012, Graynor starred in the comedy For a Good Time, Call..., and is also credited as the film's executive producer. Graynor starred on Broadway opposite Cheyenne Jackson, Henry Winkler, and Alicia Silverstone in David West Read's play The Performers, which opened November 2012 at the Longacre Theatre. She appeared in Yen, a play by Anna Jordan. Yen opened off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on January 31, 2017, directed by Trip Cullman. In 2024, she starred as Leslie Abramson, Erik Menendez's lead attorney, in the Netflix crime drama series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 2001 — The Sopranos — Caitlin Rucker — Television debut, recurring role; 4 episodes • 2003 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Missy Kurtz — Episode: "Damaged" • 2005 — Veronica Mars — Jessie Doyle — Episode: "Driver Ed" • 2007 — CSI: Miami — Elvina — Episode: "Rush" • Numbers — Ella Pierce — Episode: "Tabu" • 2008–2012 — American Dad! — Additional voices — Voice role; 5 episodes • 2009–2010 — Fringe — Rachel/Kelsie — Recurring role; 10 episodes • 2010 — The Cleveland Show — BigSkeez — Voice role; Episode: "Our Gang" • 2011 — Family Guy — Kitty Hawk Woman — Voice role; Episode: "Amish Guy" • 2014 — Bad Teacher — Meredith Davis — Series regular; 13 episodes Also producer • Garfunkel and Oates — Cornish — Episode: "Third Member" • 2015 — Kroll Show — Proctor — Episode: "Karaoke Bullies" • 2017–2018 — I'm Dying Up Here — Cassie Feder — Series regular; 20 episodes • 2019 — SMILF — Emma — Episode: "So Maybe I Look Feminine" • 2020 — Mrs. America — Brenda Feigen-Fasteau — Miniseries • Home Movie: The Princess Bride — Valerie — Episode: "Chapter Nine: Have Fun Storming the Castle!" • 2022 — Surface — Caroline — Main role • 2023 — Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty — Honey Kaplan — Recurring role • 2024 — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — Leslie Abramson — Main role • 2026 — The Beauty — Dr. Diana Sterling — Recurring role; 3 episodes • The White Lotus
Theatre
Theatre
• Year — Title — Role — Venue — Notes • 2005 — Brooklyn Boy — Alison — Biltmore Theater — Broadway debut • 2005–2006 — Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead — Marcy — Century Center for the Performing Arts — Off-Broadway • 2006–2007 — The Little Dog Laughed — Ellen — Cort Theatre • 2010 — Trust (Weltz) — Aleeza — Second Stage Theater — Off-Broadway • 2011 — Relatively Speaking — Nina Roth — Brooks Atkinson Theater • 2012 — The Performers — Performer — Longacre Theatre • 2014 — American Hero — Jamie — McGinn/Cazale Theater — Off-Broadway • 2017 — Yen — Maggie — Lucille Lortel Theatre — Off-Broadway
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2003 — Mystic River — Eve Pigeon — Film debut • 2004 — Book of Love — Naomi • Imaginary Heroes — Jenny • Bereft — Louise • 2005 — Game 6 — Laurel Rogan • The Great New Wonderful — Lisa Krindel — Segment "Emme's Story" • 2006 — For Your Consideration — Young PA • 2007 — An American Crime — Paula Baniszewski • Turn the River — Charlotte • 2008 — Blues — Tara • Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist — Caroline • 2009 — Youth in Revolt — Lacey • Whip It — Eva Destruction • 2010 — Holy Rollers — Rachel Apfel • Date Night — Young Woman • Conviction — Mandy Marsh • No Deal — Cassie — Short film • 2011 — Lucky — Lucy St. Martin • 10 Years — Sam • What's Your Number? — Daisy Darling • The Sitter — Marisa Lewis • 2012 — Celeste & Jesse Forever — Beth • For a Good Time, Call... — Katie Steele — Also executive producer • The Guilt Trip — Joyce Margolis • 2016 — Wiener-Dog — Carol Steinhart • Join the Club — Nina — Short film • 2017 — The Disaster Artist — Juliette Danielle • 2018 — The Front Runner — Ann Devroy • 2020 — Like a Boss — Angela • 2023 — The Anne Frank Gift Shop — Amy — Short film • 2026 — Act One — Melanie
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q454494: Ari Graynor
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Ari Graynor”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Aref ArefkiaPerson
- Arend SteenbergenPerson
- Argo AadliPerson
- Ari FolmanPerson
- Ari LassoPerson
- Ari LibskerPerson
- Aria GiovanniPerson
- Aria WallacePerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Ari Graynor?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.