Michelle Forbes

Michelle Forbes is known as the actress who can play dark, mysterious and villainous roles extremely well. Before she decided to become an actress, Forbes had her heart set on becoming a professional ballet dancer. As a young girl, she quickly realized ballet was very “intensive” and “restrictive,” and that she needed to find another form of artistic vocal expression. At 13 years old, and thanks to her English nana, Forbes attended a Sam Shepard play. That was all she needed, and everything changed for her at that moment. Acting was now her dream. When she turned 16, Forbes made her way to New York City and started her acting career. In 1990, she made her TV debut as twins Sonni and Solida on the daytime soap opera “Guiding Light.” She was so striking and memorable that the role earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination. From that moment on, she started making a name for herself. Her first major recurring role was as Ensign Ro Laren on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Her character became so popular that the series’ creators wanted to make Forbes a series regular on “Deep Space Nine.” Unfortunately, Forbes declined, but she continued to act on the small and silver screen. Some of her top roles include Dr. Julianna Cox on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” Lynne Kresge on “24,” Kate Weston on “Prison Break” and Kate Weston on “In Treatment.” That’s not all she’s known for, but she’s become very popular for portraying Dr. Pen Verrity in “Durham County,” Mitch Larsen in “The Killing” and of course, Maryann Forrester in “True Blood.” She’s been known to hop from TV show to TV show and not ever really make a long-term commitment. As she told Vulture, “I’ve gotten a reputation for being a big commitment-phobe, because those seven-year contracts have always sort of put the fear of God in me. There’s something really terrifying about playing the same character for seven years.” Fans hardly complain, especially those that love seeing Forbes portray all types of characters. Not only is she known for her many talents, but she’s also known for formerly dating “Homicide: Life on the Street” co-star Reed Diamond. She was also once married to Ross Kettle.