Jennifer Morrison

Biography

Jennifer Marie Morrison (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress and director known for her prominent roles in long-running television dramas.

👧 Early Life and Background

Morrison was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Her father was a retired music teacher and high-school band director. She was involved in music and performance from a young age, playing the clarinet in the marching band and singing in the choir during high school.

She began her career as a child model, appearing in print advertisements and commercials. Notably, she was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids with Michael Jordan in 1992. Morrison later attended Loyola University Chicago, majoring in theater and minoring in English, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

📺 Breakthrough Roles and Notable Career

Morrison’s career on screen began with her feature-film debut at age 14 in Intersection (1994). Her first leading film role was in Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000).

She is best known for her major television roles:

Dr. Allison Cameron in the medical-drama series House (2004–2012).

Emma Swan in the ABC adventure-fantasy series Once Upon a Time (2011–2018).

Other notable acting credits include the recurring role of Zoey Pierson on the comedy series How I Met Your Mother, Winona Kirk (the mother of James T. Kirk) in the 2009 film Star Trek, and Tess Conlon in the 2011 sports drama film Warrior. She has also appeared in more recent series like This Is Us and as a director on shows such as Euphoria and Dr. Death.

🎥 Directing and Producing

Beyond acting, Morrison has expanded her career behind the camera. She made her feature-film directorial debut with Sun Dogs (2017) and established her own film company, Apartment 3C Productions, in 2016. She is also credited as an associate producer for the first season of the television series Glee for helping to bring the early draft to the attention of its eventual writer.