Sarah Chalke
About
Biography
Biography
A comedically-gifted performer and a veteran of major network television series, actress Sarah Chalke's first claim to fame was as Lecy Goransen's replacement as the troubled daughter, Becky Conner, on the seminal sitcom, "Roseanne" (ABC, 1988-1997). Chalke would later shine even brighter on another popular sitcom, a one-two punch most television actors experience just once if they are lucky. As the deadpan and adoringly lovelorn Dr. Elliot Reid on the NBC dramedy "Scrubs" (NBC/ABC, 2001-2010), Chalke mastered the deadpan delivery and goofy antics the hit medical comedy was known for, as well as held her own alongside such seasoned comic actors as Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso) and John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox). She also managed to make strides in the feature world with "Mama's Boy" (2007) and "Chaos Theory" (2008), but it was the small screen that remained her bread and butter. By the time she landed a recurring role on the popular comedy "Cougar Town" (ABC, 2009-12; TBS, 2013-15), Chalke had established a reputation as a dependable and endearing supporting player.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Aug. 27, 1976, Sarah Cassandra Chalke was the middle child of three. Raised by their parents to enjoy culture and have an appreciation for the arts, Chalke and her two sisters participated in local stage shows and musical theater productions throughout her childhood. At 16, she got her first job in front of the cameras as an on-air reporter for a popular television show in Canada called KidZone (CBC, 1992). Chalke's screen acting debut, a small role in a made-for-TV movie called "City Boy" (1992), was enough to establish her credentials in casting circles. In 1993, when Lecy Goransen, one of the stars of the hit comedy "Roseanne," announced she was leaving the show to attend college, producers were left in a quandary. Goransen's character of Becky, the eldest of the Connor clan's children, had been conceived as a core element of the show. Rather than write the character out completely, producers decided to simply recast the role and hope for the best. Chalke was one of the young actresses who auditioned, but considered herself a long shot due to her own limited resume and Canadian nationality.
To her complete shock, Chalke won the role. Seemingly unintimidated in her audition, Chalke's natural spunk and instant chemistry with star Roseanne Arnold had sealed the deal. The fact that Chalke bore little physical resemblance to Lecy Goransen was a non-issue and was, in fact, even played for laughs. Without ever addressing the issue directly, producers invited audiences to share in on the joke by deciding to reshoot the classic "Roseanne"' opening, with the Connors sitting around the table. The sequence, which used morphing technology to show the actors' progressions over the seasons, had Becky's face literally begin as Goransen's before changing to Chalke's - one of many knowing winks of acknowledgement to viewers at home.
Chalke graduated high school in 1995 while shooting the seventh season of "Roseanne" - her last full season before Goransen returned to resume the role. At one point, the two actresses even alternated playing Becky towards the end of the run, as the show's tone started heading into more surreal territory. For instance, the eighth season premiere kicked off with Goransen (as Becky) entering the living room, prompting her family to chide, "Where the hell have you been? It feels like you've been gone for three years!" To which Becky responds, "Why does everyone keep saying that?" The matter of Chalke's exit/ Goransen's return as Becky continued to be a running gag until Chalke's last show.
After "Roseanne," Chalke appeared in a handful of television movies; the most notable being "Stand Against Fear" (1996), in which she played a teenage cheerleader who must stand up alone against sexual harassment. In 1997, Chalke returned to Canada to shoot a made-for-TV film called "Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy," based on the book by author Richmond P. Hobson. Chalke was singled out by critics for her performance as lovelorn teen Gloria McIntosh and the movie did well enough to spawn a brief weekly CBC series of the same name. Chalke reprised her role, but the show lasted only one season and went off the air in 1999. In 2000, the actress seriously considered taking a break from acting to attend college. As fate would have it, at that same moment of indecision, Chalke landed the biggest role of her career to date: Dr. Elliot Reed on the medical comedy-drama "Scrubs." The story of three interns learning the ways of love, life, and medicine in a fictional hospital, "Scrubs" was an immediate hit with critics and fans alike. By the end of its first year, its audience had grown exponentially, making it one of NBC's most popular shows and one of the last of the peacock network's successful 1990's holdover sitcoms.
By Susan Clarke
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1993
First notable TV appearance in the NBC TV-movie, "Relentless: Mind of a Killer"
1993
Replaced Lecy Goranson in the role of Becky (Conner) Healy on the popular ABC sitcom, "Roseanne"; left the series for the 1995-96 season and was replaced by Lecy Goranson, but returned for the final season in the role of Becky
1998
Returned briefly to Canada where she starred in the CBC Television drama "Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy"
2001
Cast as medical intern Dr. Elliot Reid on the NBC sitcom "Scrubs"
2005
Featured in the romantic comedy "Cake," starring Heather Graham
2006
Starred in the Lifetime movie "Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy"
2008
Featured in "Chaos Theory" with Ryan Reynolds and Emily Mortimer
2008
Had the recurring role of Stella, one of Ted's many loves, on "How I Met Your Mother"
2011
Co-starred with Jason Biggs, Judy Greer, and Tyler Labine on short-lived romantic comedy series "Mad Love"
2012
Had a recurring guest role on "Cougar Town"
2013
Starred as Polly Green-Tatham on the short-lived sitcom "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)"
2013
Voiced Beth Smith on "Rick and Morty"
2018
Returned to "Roseanne," this time as Andrea, Becky's chosen surrogate, on ABC's successful series reboot
Family
