Childhood & Early Life
Emily Swallow was born on December 18, 1979, in Washington, DC, to Jo Swallow and Gary Swallow. She was raised in Jacksonville, Florida and Sterling, Virginia.
Swallow attended the ‘Stanton College Preparatory School’ in Florida and initially intended to pursue a career as a foreign service officer. At the same time, she also began acting for various college, amateur, and professional theater productions.
Swallow then attended the ‘University of Virginia’ and graduated with a BA degree in Middle Eastern studies in 2001. However, an audition for ‘New York University’s ‘Graduate Acting Program’ inspired her to change course. She moved to New York to earn an MFA in acting from the ‘Tisch School of the Arts.’
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Career
Until 2006, Swallow acted in plays such as ‘High Fidelity,’ ‘King Lear,’ ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream,’ ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,’ ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’ She participated in ‘Broadway’ events and ‘Shakespeare in the Park.’ She was part of the world-premiere of ‘Off-Broadway’ shows such as ‘Romantic Poetry’ and ‘Measure for Pleasure.’
In 2006, Swallow made her TV debut with the soap opera ‘Guiding Light.’ She appeared as ‘Regina’ in one episode.
In 2007, Swallow appeared in the post-apocalyptic action drama TV series ‘Jericho,’ portraying the role of a nurse in the episode ‘Why We Fight.’ The same year, she appeared in two other TV series: ‘Flight of the Conchords’ and ‘Journeyman,’ in the roles of ‘Becky’ and a ‘Security Chief,’ respectively.
In 2008, Swallow debuted in movies with ‘The Lucky Ones,’ which featured her as ‘Brandi.’ The film focuses on the lives of three army soldiers.
In 2009, Swallow appeared in three TV series: ‘Southland’ (starring as ‘Dina Clarke’ in five episodes), ‘Medium’ (starring as ‘Erica Duvall’ in the episode ‘New Terrain), and ‘NCIS’ (starring as ‘Darlene Kelp’ in the episode ‘Child’s Play’).
In 2010, Swallow appeared as ‘Becca Facelli’ in the TV film ‘The Odds.’
In 2011, Swallow appeared in the legal drama series ‘The Good Wife.’ Her character, ‘Mandy Cox,’ appeared in the episode ‘The Death Zone.’ The same year, she appeared in another TV series, ‘Ringer,’ starring as ‘Detective Elizabeth Saldana’ in three episodes.
In 2012, Swallow collaborated with singer/comedian Jac Huberman to create a stage show named ‘Jac N Swallow,’ which they performed at the ‘Laurie Beeckman Theater’ and ‘Joe's Pub’ in New York. The show focused on the comic mishaps of the duo as they struggled through life.
In 2013, Swallow acted in the series ‘Ironside’ (as ‘Tabitha Gates’ in the episode ‘Hell on Wheels’), ‘Monday Mornings’ (as ‘Dr. Michelle Robidaux’ in nine episodes), and ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ (as ‘Elizabeth Keating’ in the episode ‘Build for Speed’). The same year, she collaborated with Mark Rylance and poet Louis Jenkins in the world premiere of ‘Nice Fish’ at the ‘Guthrie Theater.’
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In 2013, Swallow received her first breakthrough role when she was cast as ‘Kim Fisher’ in ‘The Mentalist.’ She appeared in 14 episodes of the series.
In 2015, Swallow appeared in as ‘Carla’ in two episodes of ‘Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.’ The same year, she starred as ‘Mrs. Zalman’ in an episode of ‘Beauty & the Beast,’ titled ‘Heart of the Matter.’ She also appeared in the eleventh season of ‘Supernatural,’ as ‘Amara/The Darkness’ in 12 episodes. The latter brought her more recognition as a TV actor. She also lent her voice as a voice artist in the video game ‘The Order: 1886.’
In 2016, Swallow was cast as ‘Lisa Cameron’ in the TV series ‘How to Get Away with Murder.’ She appeared in three episodes of the series. She also appeared in ‘Adoptable’ (as ‘Lisa Crane/Lisa Fishman’ in six episodes). The same year, she was featured in the ‘Center Theatre Group' production of Ayad Akhtar's ‘Disgraced.’
In 2017, Swallow starred in two TV series: ‘Man with a Plan’ (as ‘Doctor Knox’ in the episode ‘Doctor No’) and ‘Castlevania’ (as a voice artist for ‘Lisa Tepes’ in three episodes).
In 2018, Swallow appeared as ‘Bathsheba Pope’ in an episode of the science-fiction time-travel drama series ‘Timeless,’ titled ‘The Salem Witch Hunt.’ She also appeared as the mother in the short film ‘Forget Me Not.’
In 2019, Swallow appeared in two TV drama series: ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘Bull’ (as ‘AUSA Audrey Valdez’ in the episode ‘The Good One’).
