Today is the birthday of actress and comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub.  Born on this day,  June 22, 1971, in Detroit, Michigan, Rajskub was raised in nearby Trenton.  A graduate of Trenton High School, Rajskub  then attended Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, majoring in painting, before she transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute, graduating as a painter.  She also studied music and acting, and for a few years she performed as a stand-up comedian at various clubs and restaurants.

In 1995, Rajskub made her debut on television.  Cast by David Cross as one of the original cast members of Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995), she left the show during its second season,. In 1999 she joined the cast of ‘Veronica’s Closet’ TV series, as Cloe, appearing in 15 episodes of the show.

In the 2000s she has ventured into more dramatic roles, most notably her role as analyst Chloe O’Brian opposite Kiefer Sutherland on the popular TV series 24 (2001). She joined the show in 2003 at the beginning of the show’s third season, and then returned in the show’s fourth season as a recurring cast member. A hit with viewers and critics,Rajskub became a main cast member in the show’s fifth season, then replaced Kim Raver as a female lead.  With top billing second only to Kiefer Sutherland in the season of 2006 – 2007, in 2007 her character was arrested and skipped a few episodes.

She has also appeared in Kelsey Grammer’s The Sketch Show on Fox Television, The King of Queens as a character named “Priscilla”. (“The Secret of Management”), and in numerous films including Mysterious Skin, Legally Blonde 2, Sweet Home Alabama, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Man on the Moon, Punch-Drunk Love, The Anniversary Party, Firewall, Little Miss Sunshine, music videos for Beck, Weezer and Sheryl Crow, as well as portraying a blind woman in the film Road Trip.

Mary Lynn Rajskub is… well, it’s not polite for a gentleman to talk about a woman’s age.  Do the math.

For more on Mary Lynn Rajskub check out her IMDB page.