Leslie Hope

Director & actor · born 6 May 1965 · Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Leslie Hope is a Canadian actress and director widely recognized for her prolific television and film career spanning over four decades. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she landed her first big-screen role while finishing school in British Columbia and subsequently spent the 1980s and 1990s building a strong reputation through guest spots on prime-time soaps like Knots Landing and Falcon Crest, major miniseries such as War and Remembrance, and feature films like Men at Work. Her breakout television role came in 2001 when she starred as Teri Bauer, the wife of counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer, during the dramatic first season of the Fox hit series 24.

Following 24, Hope maintained a steady presence on American television with memorable recurring and guest roles across a wide range of popular programs, including playing Secretary of the Navy Sarah Porter in NCIS, formidable prosecutor Anita Gibbs in Suits, the psychic medium Kristina Frye in The Mentalist, and roles in The Strain, House, Castle, and Commander in Chief. Science fiction fans also recognize her for her moving guest performance as Kira Meru—the mother of Major Kira Nerys—in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine sixth-season episode "Wrongs Darker than Death or Night". In addition to her extensive acting work, Hope has established a successful behind-the-camera career as a television director, helming episodes for major series such as Snowpiercer, Lost in Space, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Where to start: Talk Radio (1988).