Traylor Howard

Sharon Carter

Traylor Elizabeth Howard was born on June 14, 1966 (which makes her a Gemini) and raised in Orlando, Florida. Her unusual first name was taken from her grandfather's surname. "It's my mother's maiden name. I was born on my grandfather's and great-grandmother's birthday, so they wanted a family name. Plus it' s a very southern thing to take your mother's maiden name." She is the middle child to two brothers, and admits to growing up as a bit of a tomboy. In fact, her childhood dream was to become a professional tennis player, a sport she continues to enjoy today.

She landed her first role in a national televison commercial for Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum while still a junior at Lake Highland Prep (she was popular in high school but she wasn't prom queen). Acting in commercials afforded her the opportunity to enroll in acting lessons and to spend more time auditioning. She was also in a Milky Way Lite commerical. "I ate 200 Milky Way Lite bars that day. Yuck! They let me spit it out, though."

After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in Communications, English and Advertising, Howard left her close-knit family and moved to Los Angeles where she worked for a public relations firm and a greeting card company, both jobs she disliked. Meanwhile, Howard continued to act in local theater productions and appeared in more than 20 national commercials. Her credits also include guest starring roles on "Lois & Clark" and "Buddies." Howard originally auditioned for the role of `Wyleen' (played by Hedy Buress) on "Boston Common". However, the producers of "Boston Common" thought she was more ideal to portray beautiful graduate student, `Joy Byrnes,' and cast her in that role instead. Traylor Howard's film credits include the independent feature, "Confessions of a Sexist Pig," and the soon-to-be-released "Dirty Work" for MGM. She is single but taken, well, by her dog... Harry who's an English Springer Spaniel, whom she says is very spoiled. "I take him home with me to Florida, and my mom always says "he's a city dog that's gone country!" I live on a lake with a lot of property, so he runs around and has a good time. He pouts when I bring him back to L.A."

She loves St. Barts in the Caribbean. "They have the most incredible food. You're whole day revolves around food! It's very French, so you spend a lot of time waiting, but that's OK, you meet people the night before, on a boat, and then you end up being friends the whole trip. I'd love to have a home there some day."

Her musical tastes flow more towards the new young hip sound of Hanson and the older classical sound of the Allman Brothers.

In her spare time, Howard enjoys playing tennis and practicing yoga, snow skiing, and food. "It's a big part of my life! (laughs) I go through phases. I'm definitely a pizza addict--hot sausage is her favorite pizza topping (how fitting!). And sushi!"