Kristen Johnston was one of the highlights of the hit NBC sitcom, 3rd Rock From The Sun which ran between 1996 and 2001. She is the actress who played the lead role of ‘Sally Solomon’ in the series. A veteran American actress, Kristen, has featured prominently in film, TV, and theater since the early 1980s, starring in no less than 50 projects over three decades.
From on-screen to off-screen roles as a voice actress, she has embodied plenty of characters. Her talent and the sheer number of credits to her name might make it seem like you know her well, but you could be wrong. For instance, you probably did not know that she is the daughter of a prominent Wisconsin politician.
Kristen Johnston’s Father was a Wisconsin State Senator
Kristen Johnston is the daughter to the former Wisconsin Republican state senator, Rod Johnston, who died on March 30, 2018. The award-winning actress was born as Kristen Angela Johnston on September 20, 1967, in Washington, D.C. Although she was born in Washington, her parents raised her in Wisconsin alongside her siblings – Scott and Julie. In her teenage years, Kristen also spent some time abroad (in Sweden and South America, to be precise).
For her education, Kristen Johnston attended St. Eugene’s Catholic Grade School before proceeding to Whitefish Bay High School both in Fox Point, Wisconsin. After high school, she went to get a degree in drama from New York University.
One can only speculate as to why Kristen chose acting as a career. But after working with the New York-based Atlantic Theatre Company (ATC), she started her professional life as an actress. She featured in several stage productions, including As You Like It and Stage Door, among others.
Johnston Has A Long and Impressive Filmography
Kristen Johnston made her on-screen debut in 1985 with a role in a short film named Orkly Kid. Then, subsequently, she continued to display her acting prowess in other feature films such as Amazonia (1992), Backfire! (1995), and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999).
With the turn of the century, the actress kept waxing stronger. She filled the role of Wilma Slaghoople in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), Rhonda in Music and Lyrics (2007), and Deb in Bride Wars (2009). Going further, she acted as Katherine in Lovesick (2014), as Esmeralda in Thrill Ride (2016), Professor Barnes in Swiped (2018), and as Roksana in Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate.
Apart from feature films, the actress has also been part of TV series like Chicago Hope (1994) and Heart Afire (1995). However, the TV role that began to expose the gem in the actress was her role as ‘Sally Solomon’ in the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock From The Sun (1996 – 2001). She appeared in 139 episodes, receiving two Primetime Emmys for her performance throughout the show.
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Other important TV roles so far filled by Kristen Johnston are as Holly Franklin in the TV Land sitcom, The Exes, where she appeared in 64 episodes. While she is still playing the recurring role of Tammy Diffendorf in the CBS sitcom Mom, Kristen Johnston has also started filling the voice role of ‘Braddock’ in the animated TV series Amphibia that premiered on Disney Channel on June 17, 2019.
Since Kristen Johnston began her career on camera, her filmography has expanded to more than 54 credits across movies and TV shows. She has also been nominated for thirteen awards, winning three of them. Her award nominations include Golden Globes Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and three SAG Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
She is also an Author and owns a Charity
In 2012, Kristen Johnston published her autobiography entitled Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster. In the book, the actress reveals that she was once addicted to alcohol and pills from her high school days. According to her, at the height of it, the addiction got bad enough that she averaged two bottles of wine every evening.
Hey new followers…did u guys know I wrote a book a few years ago? Its called “Guts” & its about my addiction(s) & how I got my shit together. It’s dark & hopefully funny.
There’s more, but u get the jist. https://t.co/NFc6HS8gr1(My friend @Turleen even took it to Egypt) pic.twitter.com/Kkw9FaGcpe
— kristen johnston (@thekjohnston) July 17, 2019
However, the good news which the book announces is that the actress eventually overcame alcohol addiction to the point that she had been sober for five years. So, through her charity named SLAM (Sobriety, Learning, and Motivation), she tries to inspire high school girls to embrace self-esteem and avoid alcoholism.
Wisconsin Born, Los Angeles Multimillionaire
Kristen Johnston may have had to do the grunt work as a young actress from Wisconsin, but today, she is one of Los Angeles’ most successful actresses. Thanks to a career that has spanned more than three decades, she now has a net worth of $14 million.
The Mom actress has earned the bulk of her wealth from television. She has taken on several extended roles, such as The Exes and 3rd Rock from the Sun. The former, in particular, earned her an estimated $50,000 per episode. She appeared in a total of 64 episodes.
The Actress is Still a Single Woman
Kristen Johnston has enjoyed a sterling career over the years, but she has not been equally successful in her love life. Although she has been in romantic relationships at least on two occasions in the past, none of them has resulted in marriage.
As far as the public and the media go, her first romance was with David Newsom, an actor. The whirlwind and short-lived affair barely lasted two years (from 1996 to 1998).
The following year (1999), Kristen dated the famous Canadian-American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter Ryan Reynolds. The duo even attended the premiere of the 1999 film The Green Mile together.
However, less than a year later, they went their separate ways. That was before Ryan eventually wed Blake Lively. The relationship with Kristen lasted between August 1999 and January 2000.
She Has a Medical Condition
About one year after she released her book, Kristen Johnston announced that she has a medical condition. The actress, in November 2013, said she had lupus myelitis. The diagnosis, at the time, caused her to miss out on a few episodes of The Exes.
Because of the disease, which causes muscle weakness, Kristen has trouble walking. She also needs the assistance of an orthopedic collar to keep her head up.
