Michelle Hurd, born December 21, 1966, in New York City, New York, is an
American actress known for her extensive work in television, film, and theater.
She has built a reputation as a versatile performer, appearing in a wide range
of genres from crime dramas to science fiction.
Hurd is the daughter of Hugh Hurd, an actor and civil rights activist, and Dr.
Merlyn Purdy, an actress and clinical psychologist. She grew up in a creative
household alongside her sister, Adrienne Hurd, who is also an actress and
dancer. Hurd attended Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn and later earned a Bachelor
of Fine Arts (BFA) from Boston University. She further honed her craft at
London’s National Theatre and trained at the Alvin Ailey School.
Hurd began her career in theater, performing in Off-Broadway productions such as
The Constant Couple (1990), which critics predicted would lead her to Broadway.
She made her Broadway debut in Getting Away with Murder (1996), a play by
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. Her stage credits also include Othello,
Hamlet, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. She won the Robbie Award and the
California Theatre Award for her performance in The Violet Hour.
Hurd’s television career took off in the 1990s, with appearances in New York
Undercover, The Practice, and The Cosby Mysteries. She gained widespread
recognition for her role as Detective Monique Jeffries in Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit (1999–2001). She later starred in Leap Years (2001–2002) and had
recurring roles in ER, Gossip Girl, The Glades, and Blindspot.
In 2020, Hurd joined the Star Trek universe as Raffi
Musiker in Star Trek: Picard, a role that showcased her depth as
an actress. She also appeared in the romantic comedy film Anyone
but You (2023), which became her highest-grossing film.
Hurd has been married to Garret Dillahunt, an actor known for
his roles in Deadwood and Fear the Walking Dead, since 2007. The
couple met while working together in theater and have
collaborated on various projects throughout their careers.