Sara Rue (born January 26, 1979) is an American actress. She's best known for the roles she played as Carmen Ferrara on the comedy-drama Popular and Claudia Casey on the sitcom Less Than Perfect. She also guest-starred on the show Will & Grace as Joyce, the sister of Grace Adler (Debra Messing). She's currently starring in the Supernatural Dramedy Eastwick as Penny Higgins.


Early life

Sara Rue was born Sara Schlackman in New York City, New York, the daughter of Joan (née Rue), a municipal employee and former actress, and Marc Schlackman, a stage manager. The elder of two daughters, she was raised in New York, where her parents were active in Broadway theaters. She began her own acting career at the age of nine, appearing in the 1988 film Rocket Gibraltar as Kevin Spacey's daughter (and as the late Burt Lancaster's granddaughter). She also played a young Roseanne in the first meeting of Roseanne and Dan at a dance on the TV show Roseanne.
Career

Rue won critical acclaim for her television series debut, starring in the comedy Grand, before going on to work on Phenom, Minor Adjustments, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, ER, The Division and Popular.

She has appeared in several films (A Map of the World, Can't Hardly Wait, A Slipping Down Life, Gypsy 83 and had a small part as a babysitter in Gore Verbinski's adaptation of The Ring), and so impressed director Michael Bay that a role was written into the movie Pearl Harbor for her. Rue briefly appeared in the 2006 Mike Judge film Idiocracy, in the role of the Attorney General.

She currently stars in the stage musical Little Egypt with French Stewart, Jenny O'Hara, and Gregg Henry at The Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles.

Rue guest starred in Two and a Half Men as Berta's youngest daughter Naomi who is pregnant and, as the episode progresses, eventually has her baby on Charlie's couch. Rue is currently working on the movies Man Maid and For Christ's Sake, both of which are in post production.

Rue had a stint on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, playing the character of Leonard Hofstadter's girlfriend, Stephanie for 3 episodes. Her first appearance on the show occurred on November 17, 2008.

Rue will be producing an upcoming movie. The movie will be a suspense thriller revolving around the world of online social networking. The yet to be titled film will be released through Dimension Films.

Rue will be starring on the ABC show Eastwick. The show is based on the novel and movie The Witches of Eastwick. Eastwick will premiere on ABC in the fall of 2009.
Personal life

Rue married director/writer/producer Mischa Livingstone in 2001. The couple were married for six years, and then divorced in 2007.

On August 11, 2009, Rue became engaged to boyfriend Kevin Price.