Who is Eliza Coupe? Everything You Need to Know

In 2003, Eliza Coupe joined an all-female production of ‘King Lear’ in their tour of France. Her one-woman sketch show, ‘The Patriots’, opened at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York. It garnered her the breakout performer award at HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado in March 2006.

Her first on-screen appearance was in Jay Delaney’s short film ‘The Day the World Saved Shane Sawyer’. In the following year, she shared screen space with Chris Rock, Kerry Washington, and Gina Torres in the romantic comedy ‘I Think I Love My Wife’. She had her TV debut in 2007, in a season-one episode of the HBO series ‘Flight of the Conchords’.

Her television career took off in 2008. She appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived Fox sitcom ‘Unhitched’ and two episodes of the ABC sitcom ‘Samantha Who?’ That year, she was also cast as Gaylor Shakespeare in the HBO comedy series ‘12 Miles of Bad Road’. In 2009, she joined the cast of the NBC (later ABC) medical comedy-drama series ‘Scrubs’ as the recurring character Denise Mahoney, a seemingly insensitive and callous intern at the Sacred Heart Hospital. She became a series regular in the ninth and final season (2009-10) of the show. Coupe also portrayed her character in the web series ‘Scrubs: Interns’ (2009).

In 2010, she appeared in the second film of her career, the comedy-drama ‘Somewhere’. She then played Agent Robin Vohlers in an episode of the NBC comedy series ‘Community’ (2011) and Sheila in the romantic comedy ‘What's Your Number?’ In 2012, she starred in the romance drama ‘Shanghai Calling’ and the short films ‘Frienemies’, ‘Frenemies 2 with Eliza Coupe’, and ‘Manhattan Mixup’.

She was then chosen for a role in the situational comedy ‘Happy Endings.’ Created by David Caspe, the series aired on ABC from April 13, 2011, to May 3, 2013. Cast alongside the likes of Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans, Jr., and Casey Wilson, Coupe portrayed Jane Kerkovich-Williams, the stereotypical control freak among a group of friends. Made in the same vein as ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Happy Endings’ sought to replicate the success of those earlier shows and did accumulate significant popularity during its three-season run. However, it was ultimately cancelled by ABC due to the poor ratings it received in the final season. Coupe also played Jane in the web series ‘Happy Endings: Happy Rides’ (2012).

In 2014, she essayed the lead role of public defender Nina Whitley in the short-lived USA Network comedy-drama series ‘Benched’. She has also portrayed various recurring characters in shows like ‘The Millers’, ‘House of Lies’, ‘Casual’, ‘Superstore’, ‘The Mindy Project’, ‘Quantico’, and ‘Wrecked’. Since 2017, she has been acting opposite Josh Hutcherson in the Hulu series ‘Future Man’. In 2018, she began playing Preggers in Sony Crackle’s comedy web series ‘Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy’.Coupe is set to star in the upcoming comedy-thriller film ‘The Estate’, which is currently in the post-production stage.

Recommended Lists:

Continue Reading Below

Family & Personal Life

Born on April 6, 1981, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA, Eliza Coupe is one of the three children of Ernest and Kathryn Coupe. Her ancestors originally came to America from France, England, and Scotland. She grew up in the same Grafton County town with two brothers, San and Thom. She was a student at Plymouth Regional High School, from where she graduated in 1999.

She appeared in several plays while she was in high school and went on to study at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). After graduating from there, she joined The Groundlings and ImprovOlympic for lessons on improvisational comedy.

On December 31, 2007, Coupe exchanged wedding vows with acting teacher and puppeteer Randall Whittinghill. They parted ways in June 2013. On November 27, 2014, she revealed on her Instagram that she had gotten engaged to entrepreneur Darin Olien, who founded the lifestyle brand SuperLife. The couple tied the knot on December 24, 2014, in New Zealand. After four years of marriage, Olien filed for divorce on April 2, 2018. The case is still in progress.

Recommended Lists:

Female Comedians

American Actresses

American Comedians

American Women Models

Trivia

When Coupe was a child, doctors diagnosed her with dyslexia and ADHD.

Recommended Lists:

Actresses Who Are In Their 40s

American Female Comedians

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

American Female Film & Theater Personalities

Aries Women

Eliza Coupe Biography