Clea Lewis (born July 19, 1965) is an American actress, best known for her television role as Ellen Morgan (Ellen Degeneres)'s annoying friend Audrey Penney in the sitcom Ellen. Lewis also played Margaret Redding on Royal Pains and Deirdre Kemp on The Americans. She guest-starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,the pilot episode of Friends, and was a series regular on Flying Blind and Andy Barker, P.I. Additionally, she appeared in movies like The Rich Man's Wife, Diabolique, and Perfect Stranger, and is also known for her theatre roles, including on Broadway in Absurd Person Singular, and her voiceover work, such as in the movie Ice Age: The Meltdown and voicing Nicky Little in the Disney cartoon Pepper Ann.

Personal life

Clea Lewis was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to a writer mother and a former vaudeville performer and lawyer father. Lewis graduated from Brown University in 1987. She has two sons with her husband, playwright and children's book author Peter Ackerman: Stanley, born in 2002, and Alvin, born in 2005.

Career

As well as playing Audrey Penney on Ellen, Lewis appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and was a series regular on Flying Blind. She also appeared in the pilot episode of Friends, in which she played Frannie. She has appeared in numerous films, including Scotch & Milk, The Rich Man's Wife, and Diabolique. In 2000, she performed the voice of Amy Lawrence in Tom Sawyer. Lewis played Gina, a chatty ad agency worker, in 2007's Perfect Stranger.

Lewis played Margaret Redding on Royal Pains and Deirdre Kemp on The Americans. She also appeared on the short-lived Andy Barker, P.I. as Jenny Barker, the wife of the title character Andy Barker (Andy Richter).

Lewis's somewhat nasal, squeaky voice has meant a great deal of animation voice-over work for her, including in both television (ABC's Saturday morning cartoon, Pepper Ann) as Nicky Little and film (Ice Age: The Meltdown). She also recorded the book-on-CD for books 4-10 of The Princess Diaries book series.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992HeroSylvia
1996DiaboliqueLisa Campos
The Rich Man's WifeNora Golden
1998Scotch and MilkIlsa
2000Tom SawyerAmy Lawrence (voice)
The Office PartyGraceShort film
2004SuperstoreJoanShort film
2006Ice Age: The MeltdownFemale Mini Sloth/Dung Beetle Mom (voice)
2007Perfect StrangerGina
2009MotherhoodLily
Confessions of a ShopaholicMiss Ptaszinski
Ice Age: Dawn of the DinosaursStart Mom (voice)
2013Life of CrimeTyra Taylor
2020AntarcticaDiane

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991Doogie Howser, M.D.LylaEpisode: "It's a Wonderful Laugh"
1992The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirKristaEpisode: "Hilary Gets a Life"
1992–1993Flying BlindMeganMain cast (22 episodes)
1994FriendsFrannyEpisode: "The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate"
1994–1998EllenAudrey PenneyMain cast (79 episodes)
1995Mad About YouSalespersonEpisode: "Purseona"
Double RushDanielleEpisode: "Love Letters"
1997–2001Pepper AnnNicky Little (voice)Main cast (63 episodes; 103 segments)
1998All Dogs Go to Heaven: The SeriesAdditional voices14 episodes
1998–1999Maggie WintersRachel TomlinsonMain cast (16 episodes)
1999Tracey Takes On...CarolEpisode: "Road Rage"
The Angry BeaversWanda (voice)Episode: "Tough Love/A Little Dad'll Do You"
2000Madigan MenWendyEpisode: "Pilot"
2007Andy Barker, P.I.Jenny BarkerMain cast (6 episodes)
2008Law & Order: Special Victims UnitHeaven MoscowitzEpisode: "Trade"
2010The New Adventures of Old ChristineEmilyEpisode: "Truth or Dare"
2015The AffairSimoneEpisode: "2.4"
2015–2016Royal PainsMargaret Redding5 episodes
2017DoubtTanya GibsonEpisode: "Pilot"
The AmericansDeirdre Kemp4 episodes
The BlacklistAlexa GirardEpisode: "Philomena (No. 61)"
2021American RustJillian4 episodes
2026Best MedicineSally Mylow7 episodes

Theatre

YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
1998All in the Timingunknown roleGeffen Playhouse
1999Things You Shouldn't Say Past MidnightGracePromenade Theatre
2002Once in a LifetimeMiss LeightonAdams Memorial Theatre
2005Absurd Person SingularJaneBiltmore Theatre

External links