Teri Polo Biography

Theresa Elizabeth "Teri" Polo (born June 1, 1969) is an American actress known for her role of Pam Focker in the film Meet the Parents (2000) and its two sequels, Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010). She was one of the stars in the sitcom I'm with Her, as well as the political drama series The West Wing.

Early life

Polo was born Theresa Elizabeth Polo in Dover, Delaware. Her mother, Jane (née Gentry), is a homemaker, and her father, Vincent Polo, is a stereo systems designer. She studied ballet for 12 years beginning at age five. By age 13, she was attending New York's School of American Ballet. After winning a modeling contest, she moved to New York City at the age of seventeen to pursue an acting career.

Career

Polo's prime time debut was in TV 101. She also starred in the 1990 miniseries The Phantom of the Opera as Christine Daae. Polo played Detective Ash on the TV series Brimstone and became a regular cast member on the last season of Northern Exposure. She appeared in a recurring guest role in the sixth and seventh seasons of The West Wing playing the role of Helen Santos, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits).

In February 2005, Polo appeared on the cover of, and posed nude in Playboy. The appearance was linked to the release of Meet the Fockers, with cover text that made similar plays on words such as "She's one hot Focker". She was ranked #42 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2002. She was also featured in InStyle. She also starred in the Lifetime Movie Network 2006 movie, Legacy of Fear. In 2007, she starred in a Hallmark Channel movie "Love Is A Four Letter Word". In 2009, she starred in the feature film 2:13 and the Hallmark Channel TV movie Expecting a Miracle with Jason Priestley and Cheech Marin. That same year she also starred in The Beacon (2009).

She was in the 2009 television pilot for Washington Field. The show was about the National Capital Response Squad, a unit of the FBI composed of elite experts in different areas who travel around the world, responding to events that concern American interest. In 2010, Polo reprised her role as Pam Focker in Little Fockers, the sequel to Meet the Parents (2000) and Meet the Fockers (2004). She appeared in the 1980s-styled horror fantasy film, The Hole. Her most recent appearance is her role in the ABC series The Fosters. In which she plays gay police officer Stef Foster who is also a mother to 3 kids. One from her previous heterosexual marriage, twins which her and her partner, Lena (Sherri Saum), foster adopted at age 5. They are fostering two more kids. Polo plays a strong role as a mother, partner, and woman in the TV series.

Polo has guest-starred on many TV shows, including The Practice, Felicity, Chicago Hope, Numb3rs, Sports Night, Frasier, Medium, Law & Order: LA, Castle and Criminal Minds.

Personal life

In April 1997, Polo married photographer Anthony Moore. They have a son together Griffin (born 2002). In 2005, Polo and Moore divorced.

In 2006, while on the set of a video, Polo met drummer Jamie Wollam (of the bands Avion, Venice and recently Drake Bell). They have a daughter together, Bailey (born 2007).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	Born to Ride	Beryl Ann Devers
1991	Mystery Date	Geena Matthews
1992	Passed Away	Rachel Scanlan
1993	Aspen Extreme	Robin Hand
1993	Quick	Quick
1993	'	Rosa del Valle
1994	Golden Gate	Cynthia
1996	'	Char
2000	Meet the Parents	Pam Byrnes
2001	'	Barbara Lonigan
2001	Domestic Disturbance	Susan
2003	Straight From the Heart	Jordan Donovan
2003	Beyond Borders	Charlotte Jordan
2004	Meet the Fockers	Pam Byrnes
2007	Full of It	Mrs. Moran
2009	2:13	Amanda Richardson
2009	'	Susan
2009	'	Bryn Shaw
2010	Little Fockers	Pam Focker
2011	Beyond
2012	Climbing Life	Beth (rumored)	Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Loving	Kristin Larsen	TV series
1988"1989	TV 101	Amanda Hampton	13 episodes
1990	'	Christine Daee	TV movie
1990	People Like Us	Justine Altemus Slatkin	TV movie
1994	Due South	Stephanie Cabot	Episode: "They Eat Horses, Don't They?"
1994	Tales from the Crypt	Sheila	Episode: "Revenge Is the Nuts"
1994"1995	Northern Exposure	Michelle Schodowski Capra	15 episodes
1995	Chicago Hope	Nurse Sarah Jane Petty	Episode: "Heartbreak"
1996	Full Circle	Tana Roberts	TV movie
1997	Van Helsing Chronicles	Helena Harker	TV movie
1997	'	Janet Hayworth	TV movie
1997	House of Frankenstein 1997	Grace Dawkins	TV movie
1998	Texarkana		TV movie
1998	'	Kim Lussier	TV movie
1998	'	Sally McCoy	Episode: "Identity Crisis"
1998	(Love After Death)	Susan Prescot	TV movie
1998"1999	Brimstone	Det. Sgt. Delilah Ash / Ashur Badaktu	6 episodes
1999	Sugar Hill		TV series
1999	Felicity	Maggie Sherwood	5 episodes
1999"2000	Sports Night	Rebecca Wells	8 episodes
2000	Frasier	Abby Michaels	Episode: "Legal Tender Love and Care"
2002	Second String	Connie Heller	TV movie
2003	Straight from the Heart	Jordan Donovan	TV movie
2003	L.A. Dragnet	Jessie Ross	Episode: "All That Glitters"
2003	'	Sarah Barker	5 episodes
2003"2004	I'm with Her	Alex Young	22 episodes
2005"2006	'	Helen Santos	18 episodes
2006	Welcome to the Jungle Gym		TV movie
2006	For the Love of a Child	Yvonne	TV movie
2006	Legacy of Fear	Det. Jeanne 'JJ' Joyce	TV movie
2007	Numb3rs	Rachel Willons	Episode: "Nine Wives"
2007	Love Is a Four Letter Word	Emily Bennett	TV movie
2007	'	Jane Bell	4 episodes
2008	Finnegan	Det. Erin Finnegan	TV movie
2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Dana Kelley	Episode: "Confession"
2008	CSI: Miami	Jill Walsh	Episode: "Gone Baby Gone"
2009	Expecting a Miracle	Donna Stanhope	TV movie
2009	Ghost Whisperer	Nikki	Episode: "This Joint's Haunted" Episode: "Body of Water"
2009	'	Danni Nelson	Episode: "The Storm: Part 1"
2009	Drop Dead Diva	Jillian Ford	Episode: "The Magic Bullet"
2009	Monk	Stephanie Briggs	Episode: "Mr. Monk Is the Best Man"
2009	Washington Field	SA Amanda Diaz	TV movie
2010	Medium	Mary-Louise Graff	Episode: "It's a Wonderful Death"
2010	Glory Daze	Prof. Larsen	Episode: "Pilot" Episode: "Fake Me Home Tonight"
2010"2011	Law & Order: LA	Casey Winters	Episode: "Echo Park" Episode: "Zuma Canyon" Episode: "Hayden Tract"
2011	Castle	Kayla Baron	Episode: "Pretty Dead"
2011	We Have Your Husband	Jayne Valseca	TV movie
2011	Man Up!	Theresa Hayden Keen	10 episodes
2012	'	Sara Westbrook	TV movie
2012	Criminal Minds	Maggie Hallman	Episode: "I Love You, Tommy Brown" as a Spree Killer
2013	The Fosters	Stef Foster	Lead role