Clea Lewis

Clea Lewis is an American actress best known for portraying the quirky and high-pitched-voiced Audrey Penney, Ellen DeGeneres's best friend, on the ABC sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998.^[1][2] Born on July 19, 1965, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Lewis began her performing career as a child with the Cleveland Playhouse before graduating from Brown University.^[1] After initially planning to pursue an MFA at the University of San Diego, she spent three years performing with the Second City improv troupe in Chicago and then relocated to Los Angeles, where she landed early guest roles on shows like Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.^[1] Lewis's television career gained momentum with a regular role as Megan Hull in the Fox sitcom Flying Blind (1992) and further guest appearances on series such as Maggie Winters (as Rachel Tomlinson), Andy Barker, P.I. (as Jenny Barker), and Royal Pains (as Margaret Redding).^[2] In film, she made her debut in Hero (1992) and went on to appear in thrillers like Diabolique (1996) and The Rich Man's Wife (1996), as well as lighter fare including Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) and Life of Crime (2013).^[1][2] She has also contributed voice work to animated projects, notably as Start Mom in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) and Amy Lawrence in Tom Sawyer (2000).^[1][2] On stage, Lewis has maintained an active presence in theater, debuting on Broadway as Jane in Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular at the Biltmore Theatre and performing Off-Broadway in productions like Fuddy Meers, An Experiment with an Air Pump, and Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight.^[2] Regionally, she has appeared in works such as Once in a Lifetime at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and All in the Timing at the Geffen Playhouse.^[2] More recently, Lewis has continued acting in television, including roles in The Blacklist (as Alexa Girard), American Rust (as Jillian), and the film Antarctica (2020).^[1]

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Clea Lewis was born on July 19, 1965, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.^[3] Her father was a lawyer and former vaudeville performer, while her mother was a writer.^[4] Lewis grew up in the suburban environment of Cleveland Heights, a community known for its cultural institutions. She received her initial exposure to the performing arts as a child through involvement with the Cleveland Playhouse, a prominent regional theater that provided opportunities for young performers in local productions.^[1]

Education and early training

Lewis began her formal acting training as a child performer at the Cleveland Playhouse in her hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where she participated in youth productions that sparked her interest in theater.^[5] She pursued higher education at Brown University, majoring in theater and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987.^[6] During her junior year, Lewis studied drama abroad in London at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), enhancing her classical acting skills.^[6] Following graduation, Lewis relocated to Chicago to immerse herself in the city's vibrant theater scene, where she continued her training through involvement in regional productions.^[7] She spent three years performing with the Second City improv troupe.^[1] She performed in plays such as The My House Play at Wisdom Bridge Theatre and Othello with the Chicago Shakespeare Company, honing her craft in ensemble settings that emphasized collaborative improvisation and character development.^[6] This period of intensive local theater work solidified her foundational skills before transitioning to professional opportunities.^[1]

Personal life

Marriage

Clea Lewis married playwright and screenwriter Peter Ackerman on November 11, 2000.^[8] The couple met professionally in New York theater circles when Lewis starred as one of the leads in Ackerman's debut play, the sex comedy Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight, which premiered Off-Broadway at the Promenade Theatre on May 13, 1999.^[9][10] Approximately 13 months after the production closed, Lewis and Ackerman wed in a private ceremony.^[10] Ackerman, a multifaceted writer in theater and film, gained recognition with Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight, which explored the mishaps of three couples navigating intimate relationships through sharp dialogue and farce. His screenwriting credits include co-writing the animated features Ice Age (2002) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009, the third film in the series), both for 20th Century Fox. Ackerman has also contributed to television as a writer and producer on series such as The Americans (2013–2018) and The Diplomat (2023–present).^[11][12]

Children and family

Clea Lewis and her husband, Peter Ackerman, have two sons: Stanley Keats Ackerman, born in February 2002, and Alvin Ackerman, born in 2005.^[8][6] The family has resided in New York City.^[13] Her sons were 23 and 20 years old, respectively, as of November 2025.

Career

Early career

Following her graduation from Brown University in 1987, Clea Lewis relocated to Chicago to launch her professional acting career, immersing herself in the city's vibrant theater scene. She joined the acclaimed Second City improvisational comedy troupe as a member from 1987 to 1990, where she honed her skills in sketch comedy and improvisation alongside emerging talents.^[6][14] During this period, Lewis supplemented her theater work with odd jobs, such as waitressing and catering, while building experience in regional productions, including appearances at the Body Politic Theatre.^[6][7] In 1990, Lewis moved to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in television and film, marking a pivotal shift from stage to screen. Her television debut came in 1991 with a guest role as Lyla on the ABC medical drama Doogie Howser, M.D., followed by a supporting appearance as Krista on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1992.^[5][14] She then secured a recurring role as the secretary on the Fox sitcom Flying Blind in 1992, which provided her first sustained on-screen exposure.^[14][15] Lewis's early film work included a minor part as Sylvia in the 1992 comedy-drama Hero, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Dustin Hoffman, representing her initial foray into feature films through auditions in Los Angeles.^[14][16] These modest roles in the early 1990s laid the groundwork for her subsequent breakthroughs, bridging her Chicago theater roots with a burgeoning Hollywood presence.^[7]

Television roles

Lewis gained prominence in television through her portrayal of Audrey Penney, the quirky and often exasperating best friend to Ellen Morgan on the ABC sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998. Introduced in the first season as a one-off guest, Audrey was characterized by her high-pitched voice, relentless optimism masking social obliviousness, and tendency to offer unsolicited, tone-deaf advice, serving as a comedic foil to the protagonist's more grounded personality.^[7] The character's popularity prompted producers to expand her role, making Lewis a series regular by the third season and appearing in over 100 episodes, which significantly boosted her visibility in Hollywood.^[1] This breakthrough role, however, raised concerns about typecasting, as Lewis expressed in a 1999 interview her desire to avoid being pigeonholed as the "perky, pink-wearing goody two-shoes" persona.^[5] Prior to Ellen, Lewis appeared in supporting capacities on several 1990s sitcoms, building her comedic timing. She played Megan, the inept secretary in the short-lived Fox series Flying Blind (1992–1993), a regular role alongside Téa Leoni and Corey Parker that highlighted her ability to deliver deadpan humor in ensemble settings.^[17] Guest appearances included Krista, a brief romantic interest for Will Smith, in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992), and Franny, one of Monica's co-workers, in the pilot episode of Friends (1994).^[18] These early spots, along with a guest turn as Lyla on Doogie Howser, M.D. (1990), established her in lighthearted, character-driven comedy.^[19] Following Ellen, Lewis maintained a mix of comedic and emerging dramatic work, gradually shifting toward more nuanced characters. In the NBC comedy Andy Barker, P.I. (2007), she portrayed Jenny Barker, the supportive wife to the titular accountant-turned-detective, in all eight episodes of the short-lived series. She recurred as Margaret Redding, a patient with complex emotional layers, on the USA Network drama Royal Pains (2015–2016), appearing in multiple episodes and demonstrating versatility beyond pure comedy.^[2] In 2017, Lewis took on several dramatic guest roles, marking a clear evolution from her comedic roots to more serious narratives. She played Deirdre Kemp, a corporate executive entangled in espionage, in The Americans (Season 5, Episode 4).^[20] That same year, she appeared as Alexa Girard, a key figure in a black-market scheme, on The Blacklist (Season 4, Episode 18), and as Tanya Gibson, a witness in a high-stakes legal case, on the CBS drama Doubt (pilot episode).^[21] This period reflected her broadening range, moving from the "annoyingly upbeat" archetypes of her early career to portrayals involving tension and moral ambiguity.^[5] Lewis continued in dramatic television with a recurring role as Jillian, a devout and conflicted community member, in the Showtime limited series American Rust (2021), appearing across several episodes amid the rust-belt crime drama.^[22] In 2022, she guest-starred as Louise Lewis, a grieving family member navigating hospital bureaucracy, on NBC's New Amsterdam (Season 5, Episode 9).^[23] These later performances underscore her successful transition to dramatic roles, leveraging her established comedic foundation for deeper character explorations without succumbing to early typecasting fears.^[19]

Film and voice work

Lewis's film career encompasses supporting roles in a range of genres, beginning with her debut as Sylvia in the comedy-drama Hero (1992), directed by Stephen Frears and starring Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis. In the mid-1990s, she appeared in thrillers, including as Nora Golden, the ex-wife of the lead character, in The Rich Man's Wife (1996), where critics noted her performance for injecting shrewd humor into the plot.^[24][25] That same year, she portrayed Lisa Campos in Diabolique (1996), a remake of the 1955 French classic, alongside Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani.^[26] She continued with character parts in subsequent films, such as Gina, an outspoken ad executive, in the psychological thriller Perfect Stranger (2007), directed by James Foley and featuring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.^[27] Lewis also voiced Amy Lawrence in the animated musical adaptation Tom Sawyer (2000), based on Mark Twain's novel.^[28] Her contributions to the Ice Age franchise include voicing the Female Mini Sloth and Dung Beetle Mom in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), and the Start Mom in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009).^[29][30] More recently, she played Diane in the teen comedy Antarctica (2020), a coming-of-age story set in New York City.^[31] In voice acting, Lewis demonstrated versatility by lending her distinctive, often quirky tone to animated characters, allowing her to expand beyond live-action without on-screen visibility.^[32] Notable among these is her role as Nicky Little, the best friend of the titular character, in the Disney animated series Pepper Ann (1997–2000), which highlighted her ability to convey youthful energy and wit.^[33] This work in animation, including the Ice Age films and Tom Sawyer, underscored her range in bringing supporting characters to life through vocal performance alone.^[29]

Theater credits

Clea Lewis began her professional theater career in Chicago shortly after graduating from Brown University in 1987, immersing herself in the city's vibrant regional scene. In 1988, she appeared in the Chicago Shakespeare Company's production of Othello, directed by David H. Bell, contributing to an ensemble that emphasized the play's muscular intensity under John Reep's commanding performance as Iago.^[34] Later that year, she performed in The My House Play by Wendy MacLeod at Wisdom Bridge Theatre, portraying one of the quarrelsome daughters in a satirical take on suburban dysfunction alongside actors like Ron Dean and Rengin Altay.^[35] These early roles honed her skills in ensemble-driven works, reflecting her training roots in the Midwest theater community. Transitioning to New York in the mid-1990s, Lewis established herself in Off-Broadway comedy, often in contemporary plays exploring relational absurdities. Her debut came in 1999 as Grace in Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight by Peter Ackerman—her husband—at the Promenade Theatre, where she navigated the farce's frisky bedroom dynamics with sharp timing in a cast featuring Erin Dilly and Jay Mohr.^[36] She followed with the role of the wild-eyed cop in David Lindsay-Abaire's Fuddy Meers (1999–2000) at the Minetta Lane Theatre, replacing Lisa Gorlitsky and adding manic energy to the darkly comic family caper originally starring Mary Louise Wilson as the amnesiac matriarch.^[37] Other significant Off-Broadway appearances included Maria Fenwick in Steven Dietz's An Experiment with an Air Pump (2000) at Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage II, Leah in Miklos Laszlo's Last Easter (2004) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Sandy in Woody Allen's Writer's Block (2004) at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Kleopatra Maximovna in Moira Buffini's Dying for It (2014–2015), a free adaptation of Nikolai Erdman's The Suicide, at the Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater, where her portrayal highlighted the satirical bite of Soviet-era desperation reimagined in modern terms.^[2][38] In regional theater, Lewis took on varied character roles that underscored her range beyond New York stages. Notable among these was Miss Leighton in George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's Once in a Lifetime during the 2002 Williamstown Theatre Festival, a comic Hollywood satire that allowed her to channel screwball energy in a classic ensemble.^[2] She also appeared in David Ives's All in the Timing at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, playing multiple parts including Kafka in a series of one-acts that celebrated linguistic wordplay.^[2] Lewis made her Broadway debut in 2005 as Jane Hopcroft in Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular at the Biltmore Theatre, a revival directed by David Warren that ran for 48 performances; her portrayal of the obsessive-compulsive social climber earned praise for capturing the character's manic domesticity amid the play's holiday-party chaos.^[39] Her most recent stage credit as of 2025 came in 2018–2019 as a rotating guest performer in Nassim Soleimanpour's Nassim at Barrow Street Theatricals, an innovative meta-play about language and connection where audience-involving guests like Lewis read from a script onstage opposite the playwright via video.^[40] Over two decades, Lewis's theater portfolio evolved from supporting roles in classical and regional revivals to lead comedic turns in original works, demonstrating a consistent affinity for witty, character-rich ensembles that mirror her television persona.^[5]

Filmography

Film

• 1992: Hero as Sylvia^[41]
• 1996: The Rich Man's Wife as Nora Golden (supporting role)
• 1996: Diabolique as Lisa Campos (supporting role)
• 1998: Scotch and Milk as Ilsa (supporting role)
• 2000: The Office Party as Grace (short film)^[42]
• 2000: Tom Sawyer as Amy Lawrence (voice, supporting role)
• 2004: Superstore as Joan (short film)^[43]
• 2006: Ice Age: The Meltdown as Female Mini Sloth / Dung Beetle Mom (voice, supporting role)
• 2007: Perfect Stranger as Gina (supporting role)
• 2009: Motherhood as Lily (supporting role)^[44]
• 2009: Confessions of a Shopaholic as Miss Ptaszinski (supporting role)
• 2009: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as Start Mom (voice, supporting role)
• 2013: Life of Crime as Tyra (supporting role)^[45]
• 2020: Antarctica as Diane (supporting role)^[46]

Live-action

• 1990: Doogie Howser, M.D. (ABC), Lyla, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]
• 1992: Flying Blind (Fox), Megan Hull, series regular, 13 episodes.^[1]
• 1992: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC), Krista, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]
• 1994: Friends (NBC), Frannie, guest star, 1 episode.^[47]
• 1994–1998: Ellen (ABC), Audrey Penney, main cast, 98 episodes.^[1]
• 1998–1999: Maggie Winters (CBS), Rachel Tomlinson, main cast, 16 episodes.^[48]
• 2007: Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC), Jenny Barker, main cast, 6 episodes.^[49]
• 2008: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC), Heaven Moscowitz, guest star, 1 episode.^[50]
• 2010: The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS), Emily, guest star, 1 episode.^[51]
• 2013: The Blacklist (NBC), Alexa Girard, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]
• 2013: The Americans (FX), Deirdre Kemp, guest star, 1 episode.
• 2014: The Affair (Showtime), Simone, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]
• 2015–2016: Royal Pains (USA), Margaret Redding, recurring, 4 episodes.^[52]
• 2017: Doubt (CBS), Tanya Gibson, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]
• 2021: American Rust (Showtime), Jillian, recurring, 7 episodes.^[53]
• 2022: New Amsterdam (NBC), Louise Lewis, guest star, 1 episode.^[19]

Animated

• 1997–2000: Pepper Ann (Disney), Nicky Little (voice), main cast, 65 episodes.^[54]

Theater

• Pterodactyls (1994–1995), role of Emma, South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, CA.^{[6] [55]}
• All in the Timing (1998), roles including Kafka and others, Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles, CA.^{[2] [55] [6]}
• Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight (1999), role of Grace, Promenade Theatre, New York, NY (written by her future husband, playwright Peter Ackerman).^{[2] [6] [5]}
• An Experiment with an Air Pump (1999), role of Maria Fenwick, New York City Center Stage I, New York, NY.^{[2] [6] [55]}
• Fuddy Meers (1999–2000), role of Heidi, New York City Center Stage II and Minetta Lane Theatre, New York, NY.^{[2] [6] [55]}
• The Lively Lad (2000), Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater, Poughkeepsie, NY.^[55]
• Once in a Lifetime (2002), role of Miss Leighton, Williamstown Theatre Festival Main Stage, Williamstown, MA.^{[2] [6] [55]}
• Writer's Block (2003), role of Sandy, Atlantic Theater Company Linda Gross Theater, New York, NY.^{[2] [6] [55]}
• Last Easter (2004), role of Leah, Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York, NY.^{[2] [55]}
• Absurd Person Singular (2005), role of Jane, Biltmore Theatre, New York, NY (Broadway debut).^{[56] [2] [55]}
• Dying for It (2014–2015), role of Kleopatra Maximovna, Atlantic Theater Company Linda Gross Theater, New York, NY.^{[2] [55]}
• Nassim (2018), performer, Barrow Street Theatricals, New York, NY.^[57]

Public documentation of Lewis's theater credits remains limited, with no major stage productions reported after 2018 as of November 2025.^[57]