Overview
AnnaLynne McCord (born July 16, 1987) is an American actress. Known for playing vixen-type roles, McCord first gained prominence in 2007 as the scheming Eden Lord on the FX television series Nip/Tuck, and as the pampered Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress. In 2008, she was cast in The CW series 90210, portraying antiheroine Naomi Clark. Initially, the part of Clark was conceived as a supporting role. By the end of the first season, however, media outlets had begun referring to McCord as the series' lead.
Early life
McCord was born July 16, 1987, in Atlanta, the daughter of David McCord, a Christian pastor. She was raised in Buford, and Monroe in Georgia, where she grew up of modest means, living in a trailer park. Her parents believed in "strict discipline", in which she was not allowed to watch Harry Potter because it had witches in it. She has two sisters, Rachel and Angel. McCord was home-schooled by her mother Shari McCord, and graduated from high school at the age of 15.
Career
After graduating, McCord joined the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency in Miami.
McCord attended a drama school in New York City by the age of 17. A year later, she moved to Los Angeles to audition for roles. She appeared in the 2005 Italian film Natale a Miami and the 2008 horror film remake Day of the Dead. In addition to appearances on Close to Home and The O.C., she played rebellious Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV limited-run serial American Heiress. She was also cast as the star in another MyNetworkTV telenovela, Rules of Deception, but the show never aired, due to a change in the network's programming strategy away from telenovelas.
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