Childhood & Early Life
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca was born on January 7, 1987, in Oakland, California. She grew up without any siblings. Her parents divorced soon after her birth. Her mother remarried after a few years.
Lyndsy was an enthusiastic dancer since her early years and never missed a single local dance competition. She joined dance classes early in her life, and by the time she was a teenager, she had become a popular young dancer in the neighborhood.
Dance helped her get in shape. However, in her early teenage years, she started dreaming of becoming an actor. At the age of 13, she participated in an event organized by the ‘International Modeling and Talent Association’ (IMTA), where she earned the third place in the ‘Young Miss Dancer of the Year’ competition. She also became the first runner-up in another competition at the same event.
The event was a huge opportunity for her, as it was attended by a few talent agents who could have helped her get a direct entry into the entertainment industry. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 12, and as her performances at the ‘IMTA’ event had already created a buzz in the industry, she was offered a role in the soap opera ‘The Young and the Restless.’
Continue Reading Below
Career
In 2001, she appeared in the popular soap opera ‘The Young and the Restless.’ She was a young addition to the cast and charmed the producers with her talent and confidence. This resulted in her being a regular part of the show for several years.
Starring in ‘The Young and the Restless’ paved her way for better roles. She soon became part of several projects such as ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ ‘Switched!,’ and ‘NYPD Blue.’ Most of those stints were small and did not do justice to her talent.
In 2005, she earned the first major role of her career in the sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The story revolved around ‘Ted Mosby,’ a father who tells his children how he had met their mother. She played the role of ‘Penny,’ the daughter, and made several recurring appearances in the series.
The producers of the show were worried about maintaining consistency, as Lyndsy would grow up through the course of the series. Thus, all her scenes were filmed in advance. The sitcom became a huge hit, eventually outshining the cult series ‘Friends.’
This remarkable success earned Lyndsy many meaty roles. One of such opportunities was her role in the 2006 drama ‘Big Love,’ which revolved around the concept of polygamy. Apart from being a highly controversial series, it also became a critical and commercial success. Lyndsy played ‘Donna,’ a major role in the first season.
Lyndsy then continued with her career, playing significant roles in the series ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,’ ‘House,’ and ‘Heroes.’
Meanwhile, her film career too flourished. After making her debut with the 2006 film ‘Intellectual Property,’ she starred as ‘Dawn’ in the popular film ‘Remember the Daze.’ The film fared poorly at the box office. Critics referred to it as the worst film ever made.
However, Lyndsy handled her career well, and in 2010, which was the most successful year of her acting career, she appeared in a number of major hits. She played a major role in the superhero satire comedy ‘Kick-Ass.’ The film was appreciated for its screenplay and for the performances of its actors.
This was followed by another major role in ‘Hot Tub Time Machine,’ another successful film. She then played a very different role in the film ‘The Ward.’ It was a psychological thriller, which starred her in the role of ‘Iris,’ a smart and creative young adult.
Continue Reading Below
2010 saw her in another leading TV role in the series ‘Nikita.’ Lyndsy played the role of ‘Alex’ in the series based on the successful 1990 film of the same name.
Lyndsy then played a leading role in the made-for-TV anthology film ‘Five,’ which was a collection of five short stories. Lyndsy was the lead in the fifth story, ‘Cheyanne.’
In 2013, she reprised her role from ‘Kick-Ass’ in its sequel, ‘Kick-Ass 2.’ She earned another major role in the 2015 adventure comedy–drama film ‘Moments of Clarity.’ Lyndsy played ‘Danielle,’ an ill-tempered girl with a heart of gold. Her role in the film received immense accolades.
She then starred in ‘The Escort,’ a romantic drama, where she played the role of a sufficiently educated girl named ‘Natalie.’ The film was appreciated by critics for its unusual subject matter and premiered at the ‘Los Angeles Film Festival’ in 2016.
Lyndsy continued her successful TV stint with ‘Marvel’s Agent Carter,’ where she played a recurring role in the first season. The role was later reduced to a guest appearance in the second season.
In the 2016 limited series ‘RePlay,’ she portrayed the main role in all its 12 episodes. She ended the year 2016 with a single-episode stint in the series ‘Pitch.’
Personal Life
Lyndsy Fonseca dated actor and director Matthew Smiley for a few years, before marrying him in 2009. However, her marriage turned out to be a rocky affair, and the couple split in 2012. The next year, she filed for divorce and stated that Matthew was impossible to live with and that the issues between them could not be resolved.
Lyndsy then started dating actor Noah Bean. In early 2016, she announced her marriage with Noah. They got married in late 2016. Their daughter, Greta, was born in February 2018.
