Eliza Coupe

**Eliza Coupe** (*born May 19, 1981*) is an American actress, comedian and model who has become a familiar face in contemporary television comedy. Raised in Plymouth, New Hampshire, she is the daughter of Ernest and Kathryn Coupe and grew up alongside two brothers, Sam and Thom. Her childhood was steeped in performance; she participated in high‑school productions such as *Anything Goes* and *Dancing at Lughnasa*, discovering a love for timing and character work that would shape her future career. After graduating from Plymouth Regional High School in 1999, Coupe pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the California Institute the Arts, graduating in 2006. While at CalArts she honed her craft in both dramatic and improvisational disciplines, later studying with The Groundlings and ImprovOlympic, experiences that gave her a versatile foundation for the eclectic roles she would later inhabit.

Coupe’s professional breakthrough came with a one‑woman sketch show, *The Patriots*, which earned her the Breakout Performer Award at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2006. She quickly transitioned to screen work, appearing in the film *I Think I Love My Wife* (2007) and a string of television guest spots before landing the role of Dr. Denise “Jo” Mahoney on the final seasons of *Scrubs*. Her breakout television role arrived in 2011 when she was cast as Jane Kerkovich‑Williams on ABC’s cult‑favorite *Happy Endings*, a performance that showcased her sharp wit and earned critical praise. Subsequent credits include the FBI agent Hannah Wyland on *Quantico*, the mischievous Tiger on Hulu’s *Future Man*, and the lead in Fox’s *Pivoting*. Beyond acting, Coupe has been a lifelong vegetarian and PETA supporter, and her personal life has seen marriages to Randall Whittinghill, Darin Olien, and, most recently, Billy Marks in 2023. With a career spanning over a decade and a half, she continues to blend comedic timing with relatable humanity, cementing her status as a versatile talent in modern American entertainment.