Kristen Connolly

Kristen Nora Connolly was born July 12, 1980, in Montclair, NJ. Her early 20s were laden with minor, often non-speaking parts in major studio films, including "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003), "The Happening" (2008), and "Revolutionary Road" (2008). Meanwhile, she earned more fulfilling work via recurring parts on the long running soap operas "Guiding Light" (CBS 1952-2009) and "As the World Turns" (CBS 1956-2010).

Connolly's first role of note, however, came with the cult phenomenon "The Cabin in the Woods" (2012), a horror movie send-up directed by Drew Goddard and co-written by Joss Whedon. In the film, Connolly exemplified a deconstruction of the archetypal horror heroine, winning audiences' favor and earning the eye of industry producers. While she continued to appear in films such as "The Bay" (2012) and "Ex-Girlfriends" (2012), Connolly found especial success on the small screen following her "The Cabin the Woods"-inspired takeoff. She costarred on the first two seasons of the hit political thriller series "House of Cards" (Netflix 2013-), ultimately moving on to network television with "The Whispers" (ABC 2015-) and "Zoo" (CBS 2015-).