Emily Bergl

Anne Emily Bergl (born 25 April 1975) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror film The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Francie Jarvis on Gilmore Girls (2001-2003), Annie O'Donnell on the ABC series Men in Trees (2006–08), Tammi Bryant on the TNT drama series Southland (2009–2013), Beth Young on Desperate Housewives (2010–12), Sammi Slott on Shameless (2014–2015), Lilah Tanner on American Crime (2016-2017), and Tessie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018-2023). She also performs as a cabaret singer. Early life Bergl was born in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, to an Irish mother and an English architect father. She has one brother. Her family emigrated to the United States when she was six, initially residing in Denver, Colorado. When she was ten, they moved to Glenview, Illinois, where she spent the remainder of her upbringing. She attended Glenbrook South High School and Grinnell College, where she was the lead in several school productions. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and theatre. During her college years, she spent a semester (spring 1996) studying with the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. She received additional acting training at HB Studio in New York City. Career Acting Bergl began acting in theater, appearing in a production of Romeo and Juliet opposite Neil Patrick Harris at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in 1998. She then had the lead role of Rachel Lang in the 1999 film The Rage: Carrie 2, the sequel to the 1976 supernatural thriller Carrie. She has appeared in episodes of the TV shows Gilmore Girls, CSI: Miami, Medium, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, NYPD Blue, and Star Trek: Enterprise. She also appeared in the psychological thriller Chasing Sleep, opposite star Jeff Daniels. She had a major role in the Steven Spielberg 2002 miniseries Taken.