Bio
Sara Rue is an American actress best known for her starring television roles as Carmen Ferrara in Popular (1999-2001), as Claude Casey on Less Than Perfect (2002-2006) and as Penny Higgins in Eastwick, from 2009-2010.
She also hosted the reality show Shedding for the Wedding, in 2011; and has a starring role as Kim Sallinger, Reba's hug-too-freely, share-too-much, upbeat neighbour, in the television sitcom Malibu Country.
Born and raised in New York City and now based in Los Angeles, Rue has appeared as a series regular on various shows including Phenom, Minor Adjustments, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane and Popular.
Most notably, she was the star of the hit series Less Than Perfect for four seasons. Following that series, Chuck Lorre added Sara for recurring appearances on Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.
She has also been seen in many guest and recurring roles on show such as ER, Will & Grace and Private Practice.
In features, Rue also starred as Sigourney Weaver's cellmate in A Map of the World, and appeared as a scene-stealing social misfit in Can't Hardly Wait, alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt. Rue was also cast in Pearl Harbor as a tough-talking nurse.
Originally there was no role for the young actress but she so impressed director Michael Bay that he flew her to Hawaii, threw her in the scenes with the nurses, and told her to improvise and be funny, which she did.
She also played Lili Taylor's best friend in the adaptation of Anne Taylor's novel A Slipping Down Life. That same summer, she received rave reviews for her portrayal of the title character in the film Gypsy 82, where she played an aspiring singer/songwriter and obsessed Stevie Nicks fan.
Rue also played the Attorney General of the United States opposite Luke Wilson in the Mike Judge film Idiocracy. She appeared in the indie feature comedy For Christ Sake, where she plays a porn
star that falls in love with a priest (her favourite role to date).
On stage, Rue starred at the Ensemble Studio Theater's (NYC) one-act festival two years in a row in productions of The Shallow End and Seventh Word, Four Syllables.
In conjunction with shooting two television pilots and a feature film in spring 1999, she made her Los Angeles theatre debut at the Matrix Theatre in Wendy McCloud's play The Water Children, which dealt with the controversial issues of abortion and a woman's right to choose.
Rue also starred in the world premiere musical Little Egypt at the Matrix Theatre, where she received tremendous praise for her portrayal of a lovable social misfit and star-crossed lover. She later reprised that role for a short run Off-Broadway.
Rue has also begun producing film and television and has also been a celebrity spokesperson for Jenny Craig.