Childhood & Early Life
Constance Alice Zimmer was born on October 11, 1970, in Seattle, Washington, US, to German parents who had migrated from former East Prussia. She can speak German fluently. While giving an interview in 2015, she mentioned that even though her parents spoke with her in English when she was a kid, she spent 6 weeks with her grandmother during summer every year, and the latter spoke only German.
Zimmer became interested in acting while attending high school and eventually resolved to build a career in the field. After completing high-school studies, she attended the ‘American Academy of Dramatic Arts’ in Pasadena.
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Career
Zimmer initially performed in local theater. During this time, she received the ‘Dramalogue Award’ for the ‘Best Actress,’ for her performance in a Los Angeles production of the play ‘Catholic School Girls.’ She also starred in many national commercials, including one for ‘Duracell.’
She guest-starred in many series, such as ‘Ellen’ (1997), ‘The King of Queens’ (1998), ‘Seinfeld’ (1998), and ‘The X-Files’ (2000). She played recurring roles in the series ‘The Wayans Bros.’ (1998), ‘Hyperion Bay’ (1998–1999), and ‘The Trouble With Normal’ (2000–2001).
Meanwhile, her early film career saw Zimmer featuring in independent flicks such as ‘Warm Blooded Killers’ (1999), ‘Spin Cycle’ (2000), and ‘Home Room’ (2002).
She got her first main TV role when she was cast as ‘Penelope "Penny" Barnes Barrington’ in the sitcom ‘Good Morning, Miami.’ The series ran on ‘NBC’ for two seasons, from September 26, 2002, to March 25, 2004.
She played the recurring role of ‘Sister Lilly Watters’ in the ‘Emmy Award’-nominated ‘CBS’ fantasy/family drama series ‘Joan of Arcadia’ between 2004 and 2005. She appeared in the 2005-released short film ‘Just Pray,’ which was screened at the ‘Carolina Film and Video Festival’ and later at the ‘Tribeca Film Festival’ and the ‘Rhode Island International Film Festival.’
From 2005 to 2011, she played ‘Dana Gordon,’ an industry powerhouse and studio executive, in the ‘HBO’ comedy–drama series ‘Entourage.’ It is considered one of the most memorable roles of her career so far. She later reprised the role in the 2015-released commercially successful comedy film ‘Entourage.’
She starred as a competitive law undergraduate named ‘Brianna’ in the police-procedural series ‘In Justice,’ aired on ‘ABC’ from January 1 to March 31, 2006. Later that year, she played lead role of ‘Angel’ in the December 26-released short romantic drama ‘Damaged Goods.’
Another notable role of Zimmer was that of associate attorney ‘Claire Simms’ in the popular legal comedy–drama series ‘Boston Legal.’ She portrayed the role in 23 of the 24 episodes of season 3, between September 26, 2006, and May 29, 2007. She also appeared in the Roger Kumble-directed play ‘Girls Talk.’
Between 2013 and 2014, she played ‘Janine Skorsky,’ a reporter of ‘The Washington Herald,’ in the first and the second seasons of the political-thriller series ‘House of Cards.’ She later guest-featured in the role in season 4 (2016) and starred in season 6 (2018) of the series, too.
She was part of the main cast of the critically acclaimed drama series ‘UnREAL.’ It was aired for four seasons, from June 1, 2015, to July 16, 2018. Zimmer not only gained attention for her performance as ‘Quinn King’ in the series but also won the ‘Critics' Choice Television Award’ for the ‘Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’ in 2016, apart from several award nominations, including one for the ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.’
Zimmer has appeared in series such as ‘Love Bites’ (2011), ‘Transformers: Robots in Disguise’ (voice role, 2015–2017), ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (2015), and ‘A Million Little Things’ (2018–present).
She starred as ‘Mandy’ in the indie romantic comedy ‘Results,’ which premiered at the ‘Sundance Film Festival’ on January 27, 2015. The following year, she starred in the drama film ‘Run the Tide.’ She has also been seen in the films ‘The Hammer’ (2007), ‘Demoted’ (2011), and ‘The Babymakers’ (2012). She will appear as the voice of ‘Veronica Cale’ in the forthcoming direct-to-video animated superhero film ‘Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.’ It is planned for a digital release on October 5, 2019. It will also be released on ‘4K Ultra HD’ and ‘Blu-ray’ on October 22, 2019.
She directed two episodes of the 2018 series ‘UnREAL.’
Family & Personal Life
Zimmer met American special-effects artist Steve Johnson in the late 1990s, while working on a TV ad for ‘Duracell.’ The two married in 1999 but divorced in 2001.
She later became romantically involved with director Russ Lamoureux. Their daughter, Colette Zoe, was born on January 5, 2008. Zimmer and Lamoureux later got engaged and announced it on June 20, 2010. They eventually got married on October 9 that year.
She participates in various charitable activities. She supports non-profit organizations such as ‘Make-A-Wish Foundation,’ ‘Heifer International,’ and the ‘Natural Resources Defense Council.’
