Jessica Tuck
About
Biography
Biography
With a career spanning several decades and a multitude of genres, Jessica Tuck became one of the most prolific actors working in television, beginning with her breakout role as Megan Gordon on "One Life to Live" (1968-2013). Tuck portrayed the conniving Gordon for four years on the long-running soap, before appearing in numerous guest spots on widely popular shows like "Seinfeld" (NBC 1989-98), "Picket Fences" (CBS 1992-96), and "NYPD Blue" (ABC 1993-2005) throughout the 1990s. After six seasons playing controlling housewife Gillian Gray on the family drama "Judging Amy" (CBS 1999-2005), Tuck landed her highest profile role to date as the vampire politician Nan Flanagan on HBO's "True Blood" (2008-14). The success of that show allowed Tuck to broaden her fan base beyond the loyal soap opera world, while simultaneously exposing her work to an entirely new generation of avid television fans.
Born in New York City, Tuck graduated from Yale University with a degree in psychology. She started acting in college, appearing in student films throughout New York, while utilizing the free time she had to go on auditions. Although she never pursued a career in psychology, Tuck found her studies of the human brain to be helpful when delving into the psyche of a character for an acting role. After years of auditioning, Tuck's first regular gig came in 1989 when she was cast as Megan Gordon, a soap star prone to diva-like outbursts, on "One Life to Live." Although her character was killed off from the show in 1992, Tuck randomly returned as Gordon's spirit in various episodes over the course of the next 20 years. In addition to her work on "One Life to Live," Tuck also had a recurring role on NBC's "Days of Our Lives" (1965- ) in 2010.
Despite being primarily known as the actress that played Megan Gordon, Tuck continued to work regularly throughout the ensuing decades, appearing in guest spots on over three dozen television shows in the '90s alone. In 1999 she nabbed the key supporting role of Gillian Gray on "Judging Amy," which she played throughout the entirety of the show's six-season run. In addition to numerous TV credits, Tuck also had small roles in a variety of successful films, including the midlife crisis comedy "Wild Hogs" (2007), J.J. Abrams's Spielbergian epic "Super 8" (2011), and the two sequels to the "High School Musical" franchise. In 2008, she landed the role of Nan Flanagan on Alan Ball's vampire drama "True Blood." Although the part of the outspoken leader of the American Vampire League was only supposed to last a few episodes, by season four Tuck was bumped up to series regular. In 2012, Tuck landed a recurring part on NBC's supernatural drama "Grimm" (2011-17).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1989
Breakout role as Megan Gordon on "One Life to Live"; nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
1995
Played Nicole Brown Simpson in "The O.J. Simpson Story".
1999
Had regular role as the title character's sister-in-law Gillian Gray on the CBS series "Judging Amy"
2008
Landed the role of Nan Flanagan on "True Blood".
