Lauren Lee Smith

Lauren Lee Smith was born on June 19, 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and spent her formative years split between the West Coast of Canada and the sun‑baked streets of Los Angeles after her family relocated there when she was fourteen. In Los Angeles she began a modest modeling career that introduced her to the world of entertainment, and by the age of nineteen she landed her first significant film role in the remake of Get Carter. This early break opened doors to television, where she quickly made a name for herself starring as Christy Huddleston in the TV movie Christy: The Movie and its subsequent miniseries. Smith’s breakout television role arrived in 2001 when she was cast as Emma deLauro on the science‑fiction drama Mutant X, a part she inhabited until 2003, showcasing her ability to blend action‑packed storytelling with nuanced character work. Throughout the 2000s she became a familiar face in genre television, guest‑starring on The Dead Zone, The Twilight Zone, and Blade: The Series, while also delivering a memorable recurring performance as sous‑chef Lara Perkins on The L Word.

In 2008 Smith joined the iconic CBS franchise CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Riley Adams, a witty and rebellious addition to the team that highlighted her comedic timing and dramatic depth, albeit for a single season. Her film résumé grew with daring choices such as the sexually explicit Lie with Me (2005) and the thriller Pathology (2008). Returning to Canada, she anchored the CTV series The Listener as Sergeant Michelle McCluskey and later head‑lined the CBC period detective series Frankie Drake Mysteries, a role praised for its “glorious oomph” by The Globe and Mail. Smith’s personal life mirrors her professional stability: she married actor Dillon Casey in 2024 and is the mother of a daughter born in 2016. With a career spanning more than two decades, Smith remains a versatile and respected figure in North American television and film.