About Jorja Fox
Jorja Fox has become a familiar face by playing major roles in three of the most successful television dramas in history: ER (1994), The West Wing (1999) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).
As a teenager, Fox had a career as a fashion model. She then turned to formal study of the acting craft at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York, as well as under the tutelage of veteran actor William Hickey at HB Studios.
After appearing in several films and TV series, Fox got her big break in 1996 by landing a role in the immensely successful ER (1994) TV series. She appeared in 33 episodes as "Dr. Maggie Doyle", a lesbian, vegetarian, ER Resident from Chicago's south side. Fox then got a recurring role in the renowned The West Wing (1999) TV series where she portrayed Gina Toscano, a Secret Service agent who was in charge of protecting the President's college-age daughter.
Fox was an anchor of the TV series mega-hit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), portraying crime scene investigator Sara Sidle until 2008. She was a guest star of the show in 2009, recurred in 2010, and returned as a regular from 2011 until the show concluded in 2015. Fox reprised the role in 2021 for the first season of CSI Vegas. Fox shared in CSI's 2005 Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series, the show's 300th episode, and the CSI finale which aired in September of 2015.
Fox performed in two films and a pilot for CBS before the pandemic in 2020 shut down much of the world for much of the year.
In addition to her TV and movie roles, Fox is the co-founder of a production company called Seafox productions. So far the company has co-produced a musical about Dusty Springfield in Los Angeles and New York City called "Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield" and four feature documentaries.
Fox is also a long-time environmental and animal welfare advocate.
In July 2004, Fox was fired from the hit show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) for neglecting to sign documentation stating she would return to work. Her co-worker, George Eads, was fired the day after she was for not showing up to work. Both actors were rehired within the week.
According to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) writer David Rambo (interviewed on the WGA picket line in November 2007 by the shipper site YTDaW), Jorja Fox herself wrote Sara's farewell note to "Grissom" in the episode, Goodbye and Good Luck (2007).
Her parents immigrated from Montreal: mother Marilyn (Belgian-Canadian, b. 1927, d. 1996), father (Irish-Canadian, b. 1924). She also has an older brother, Jeff (b. 1957).
Fox had a dog named Bexar. She was found wandering the streets of Bexar County, Texas.
During the late 1980s when she was modeling in NYC, Jorja was roommates with Paula Ciccone - Madonna's sister.
Co-founded the experimental theater group Honeypot Productions.
Went to Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida, for three years before being "discovered" in a model search at a local mall.
Her name, Jorja, is pronounced Georgia (like the state in the U.S.).
Her mother was from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
She was part of a production company called "Honeypot" with Heather Reid (The Murmurs singer/guitarist). They produced plays and live music events.
Good friend of actress Amy Carlson, whom she met on the Chicago set of the short- lived television series Missing Persons (1993) in 1993.
Co-produced "Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield", at The Renberg Theatre in Los Angeles.
In 1984, Jorja Fox played the lead in a high school play - the play was "Pillow Talk", she played Jan Morrow, the role made famous by Doris Day.
Alumna of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1990.
Has a purse named after her from the brand Matt & Nat. (www.mattandnat.com) which is an entirely vegan brand from Montreal, Canada.
She ranked #80 in Stuff's "103 Sexiest Women" (2003).
Quotes
I've got to say for the record: If you've got to get fired, it's really fabulous to get fired with a friend.
The thing that surprises me is how much people just wanna be dead bodies on the show [CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)] - CTV's "eTalkDaily", April 2006.
If I read the scripts, before I go to bed, I still get nightmares [on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)] - The View (1997), February 2004.
It's not your childhood that messes you up the most, it's the rest of your life.
I can see myself in a snail or a whale. It's easy, actually. My empathy and compassion for the human condition came first, and then it expanded.
