M I S S P A R K E R Go Back To The Cast Page An elite Centre operative leading the hunt for Jarod. Miss Parker is also the daughter of the Chairman of the Centre. While pursuing Jarod, she also searches for keys to her own past, including the truth about the death of her mother, Catherine Parker, who died of an apparent suicide in a Centre elevator when Miss Parker was young. Miss Parker has had several recent revelations. The first, described in the mysterious "red files," is that she was reared to be a Pretender. She then discovered, much to her disdain, that she is the twin sister of Mr. Lyle. She was recently made to believe that her mother was actually killed by Jarod's father, but later realized that he was framed for the horrific crime. |
Andrea Parker
Ever since she left home at 15 to become a ballerina, a confident Andrea Parker always knew that she would achieve succcess. After recurring roles on NBC's ER and JAG, she knew as soon as she started reading the pilot script for The Pretender that she was destined to play the alluring female lead. "It was kind of strange," says Parker. "As soon as I saw the role of Miss Parker, I said, 'Hey, my name's all over this script.' I knew I had to make it mine. There was just too much synchronicity for it not to happen. After I was cast, I had to tap into a lot of anger and pain in playing her. We're both alike in that we go after what we want, but I would never dream of treating people the way she does." A native of Southern California, Parker is the oldest of four children. She began to study ballet at age six and trained with youth ballet programs during summers in New York, San Francisco and Cleveland. Her hard work paid off at 15 when she joined the San Francisco Ballet, with which she performed at the Metropolitan Opera House and toured during her three-year tenure. Parker returned to Southern California and began a career as a contemporary dancer, appearing in videos, commercials and fashion shows. She also tended bar part-time for five years to pay bills while putting herself through acting classes. Her appearance in a Los Angeles production of the play Fine Line got her a manager, who quickly arranged auditions. Despite having no credits or tape to present to casting directors, Parker landed her first speaking part in a small, but memorable, appearance as a hospital nurse in The Contest, a classic, Emmy-winning episode of NBC's Seinfeld. More series episodes followed with guest-starring roles on Dream On, Coach, Dave's World, Ellen, Can't Hurry Love, Married ... with Children and Murder, She Wrote. She soon was cast in recurring roles on The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., JAG (as a Navy lawyer) and NBC's ER (as a pharmaceuticals saleswoman who wooed George Clooney's character, Dr. Ross). Her TV movies include NBC's Ed McBain's 87th Precinct and Victim of Love. Away from the set, Parker enjoys honing her skills as a precision stunt driver as well as testing her marksmanship at the gun range. She also likes to ride horses, read and spend time with her family and friends, and she is active in My Good Friend Foundation, a pediatric cancer charity organization. Parker's birthday is March 8. |