Brenda Bakke

• Born — 15 May 1963 • Birthplace — Klamath Falls, Oregon, U.S. • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1986–present • Website — brendabakke.com

Bakke was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and began her acting career in a Portland stage production of Years Ago at age 15. After graduating in 1981 from Sunset High School, near Beaverton, Oregon, she moved to Los Angeles to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She made her screen debut in the 1986 movie Hardbodies 2, and the following year, guest starred in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In later years, she had a number of roles in low-budget films, such as Gunhed, Solar Crisis and The Medium. In 1993, Bakke appeared in the comedy film Hot Shots! Part Deux as Michelle Huddleston, the love interest of Charlie Sheen. The following year, she played the female leading role in the action-comedy film, Gunmen. In 1995, she appeared as Cordelia the prostitute in Ernest Dickerson's Demon Knight, and as Captain Linda Gilder in Under Siege 2. During the 1995-96 television season, she was a regular cast member in the CBS horror series, American Gothic alongside Gary Cole. In 1997, Bakke appeared as Lana Turner in the neo-noir mystery crime film, L.A. Confidential. In 1999, she returned to television with the role of the lead character's mother in the short-lived Fox drama series, Ryan Caulfield: Year One. In the 2000s, Bakke continued playing roles in smaller movies, such as The Quickie and Moving August. She spent the following years guest starring in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NYPD Blue, The Mentalist, and Supernatural. In 2015, she began appearing in the recurring role of Virginia in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera If Loving You Is Wrong. In 2016, Bakke guest starred in episodes of Heartbeat and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1987 — Star Trek: The Next Generation — Rivan — Episode: "Justice" • 1987—1988 — High Mountain Rangers — Episodes: "Pilot" and "Russian Skier Defects" • 1990 — Father Dowling Mysteries — Claudia Marshall — Episode: "The Showgirl Mystery" • 1991 — The Young Riders — Alice — Episode: "The Peacemakers" • 1992 — Jake and the Fatman — Lori Menza — Episode: "Come Closer to Me" • 1993 — Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life — Wren — Miniseries • 1994 — Second Chances — Lara Peterson — Episodes: "Miss Friendly Santa Rita" and "Justifiable Jealousy" • 1994 — The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. — Frances McCabe — Episode: "Ned Zed" • 1995—1996 — American Gothic — Selena Coombs — Series regular, 18 episodes • 1997 — Trucks — Hope Gladstone — TV movie • 1999 — Ryan Caulfield: Year One — Mrs. Caulfield — Series regular, 8 episodes • 1999 — Charmed — Soul Collector — Episode: "The Power of Two" • 2001 — Popular — Mary Lou Parker — Episodes: "Miss Friendly Santa Rita" and "It's Greek to Me" • 2001 — Dark Angel — Dr. Adriana Vertes — Episode: "Female Trouble" • 2001 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Bonnie Ritten — Episode: "Burked" • 2004 — NYPD Blue — Claudia Weintraub — Episode: "I Love My Wives, But Oh You Kid" • 2009 — Dollhouse — Margaret Bashford — Episode: "Haunted" • 2010 — The Mentalist — Detective Sharon Florey — Episode: "Blood in, Blood Out" • 2010 — Dark Blue — Ana Perry — Episode: "Dead Flowers" • 2014 — The Bridge — Guard — Episode: "Eye of the Deep" • 2015 — Supernatural — Suzie — Episode: "The Werther Project" • 2015-2017 — If Loving You Is Wrong — Virginia — Recurring role, 9 episodes • 2016 — Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders — Camille — Episode: "Iqiniso" • 2016 — Heartbeat — Marie — Episode: "Match Game" • 2017-2018 — Colony — Swiss Chancellor — Episodes: "Panopticon" and "Puzzle Man" • 2017 — Grey's Anatomy — Gwen Nolan — Episode: "Back Where You Belong" • 2019 — What/If — Older Laura — Episodes: "What Remains" and "WTF"