Cassidy Freeman
Cassidy Freeman (born April 22, 1982)[1] is an American actress and musician. She is known for her roles as Tess Mercer in The CW's superhero drama Smallville, Amber Gemstone in the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones, and Cady Longmire in A&E's modern western Longmire.[2]
Cassidy Freeman | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Freeman at the Stars Strike Out Child Abuse Celebrity Bowling Fundraiser on October 19, 2014 | |
| Born | April 22, 1982 |
| Alma mater | Middlebury College |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, pianist |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse |
Justin Carpenter
(m. 2012; div. 2015) |
| Partner | Ben Ellsworth |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Crispin Freeman (brother) |
Early life and education
Freeman was born in Chicago, Illinois,[1] to prominent Chicago-area attorneys Glynna and Lee Freeman, who also own a cattle ranch in Montana. She is the youngest of four children, with three brothers, two of whom are voice actor Crispin Freeman and musician Clark Freeman. Her third brother Ryan is adopted.[3] Her father is Jewish.[4] Her mother has German, English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.[3]
Freeman graduated from The Latin School of Chicago, and then magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2005 with degrees in theater and Spanish.
Career
Acting
Freeman has appeared in several shorts, feature films and television series. She starred in the thriller film YellowBrickRoad which was written and directed by Andy Mitton and Jesse Holland.[5] Freeman also played the character Veronica Sharpe in the award-winning short film Razor Sharp. The film won "Best Action Film" at the 2007 Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival. In September 2008, she began starring in The CW's Superman-inspired drama Smallville where she played Tess Mercer after the departure of Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor and continued in this role until the show ended in May 2011.[6]
Freeman has appeared three times in the CBS crime drama franchise CSI. In October 2009, she appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation season 10, episode four, called "Coup de Grâce". In September 2011, she appeared in CSI: NY season 8, episode one, called "Indelible". In March 2012, she appeared in CSI: Miami season 10, episode fifteen, called "No Good Deed".
On January 13, 2012, Freeman was confirmed to be in The CW's fantasy drama The Vampire Diaries as Sage in the third season.[7] Between 2012 and 2017, Freeman starred as Cady Longmire in the A&E and (later) Netflix crime drama Longmire.[2][8]
Between 2016 and 2017, she played the Russian spy Eva Azarova in NCIS: New Orleans. She also starred in a crossover episode with its parent series NCIS. She co-starred alongside Will Patton in the fifth The Purge movie The Forever Purge, which was released in 2021.[9]
Music
Freeman, her brother Clark Freeman, and Andy Mitton formed a band called The Real D'Coy, in which Freeman sings and plays the piano.[8][10]
Allegations against Jeremy Piven
In November 2017, Freeman accused actor Jeremy Piven of predatory behavior. Freeman accused Piven of trying to do something to her when she was young. She came forward with her allegations after actress Ariane Bellamar accused Piven of sexual harassment.[11]
Personal life
In January 2022 Freeman announced that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend Ben Ellsworth.[12] Their daughter, Gigi Kaya Ellsworth was born on 6 February 2022.[13]
Philanthropy
Freeman is an active member of the Heal the Bay charity, which works toward cleaning up and protecting the West Coast waters. She also tutors children in Santa Monica as part of the Virginia Avenue Project.[14]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Razor Sharp | Veronica Sharpe | Short |
| 2006 | Clock | Short | |
| 2007 | Finishing the Game | Shirley | |
| 2008 | Starlet | Courtney | Short |
| 2009 | Shades of Gray | Lisa | Short |
| 2009 | You've Reached Richarde & Gribbeen | Theresa | Short |
| 2010 | YellowBrickRoad | Erin Luger | |
| 2012 | Guitar Face | Hope | Short |
| 2013 | Brahmin Bulls | Ellie | |
| 2014 | One Last Look | Kate | Short |
| 2014 | Don't Look Back | Peyton Lake | |
| 2016 | We Go On | Young Charlotte | |
| 2016 | Fender Bender | Jennifer | |
| 2017 | Cortez | Rosie | |
| 2021 | The Forever Purge | Cassie Tucker | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | An Accidental Christmas | Kristine | TV film |
| 2008 | Austin Golden Hour | Charlie | TV film |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Laura McKinney (1991) | "True Calling" |
| 2008–2011 | Smallville | Tess Mercer | Main role (seasons 8–10) |
| 2009 | Buzz | Serena Zorn | TV film |
| 2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Off. Donna Grayson | "Coup de Grace" |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | Devon Hargrove | "Indelible" |
| 2011 | The Playboy Club | Frances Dunhill | Guest role (4 episodes) |
| 2012 | CSI: Miami | Connie Jaden | "No Good Deed" |
| 2012 | The Vampire Diaries | Sage | "1912", "Break on Through", "The Murder of One" |
| 2012–2017 | Longmire | Cady Longmire | Main role |
| 2013 | Once Upon a Time | Jacqueline 'Jack' | "Tiny" |
| 2016 | NCIS | Eva Azarova | "Sister City, Part I" |
| 2016 | Stitchers | Ellie | "Hack Me If You Can" |
| 2016–17 | NCIS: New Orleans | Eva Azarova | "Sister City, Part II", "Pandora's Box, Part II", "The Asset" |
| 2017 | Doubt | ADA Abby Burris | Recurring role |
| 2019– | The Righteous Gemstones | Amber Gemstone | Main role |
References
- "Cassidy Freeman". TV Guide. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- "Cassidy Freeman as Cady Longmire - Longmire Cast & Characters". A&E TV.
- "Pillow Talking's Interview with Actress, Singer, Musician, Producer CASSIDY FREEMAN". Pillow Talking. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- Freeman, Crispin [@CrispinFreeman] (June 6, 2010). "@binkxy Absolutely! My Jewish father would love that!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
- "DON'T Follow the YellowBrickRoad". Dread Central. June 5, 2012.
- "Slamdance '10: First Stills from 'YellowBrickRoad'". Bloody Disgusting. December 11, 2009.
- "See the Extended Preview of The Vampire Diaries Episode 5.08 - Dead Man on Campus". Dread Central. November 15, 2013.
- "Cassidy Freeman Talks LONGMIRE, SMALLVILLE, and Her Band, THE REAL D'COY". Collider.com. June 24, 2012.
- "Will Patton and Cassidy Freeman Join Blumhouse's New 'Purge' Thriller (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- Steven Eramo (May 1, 2009). "'Lex Schmex' – Meet SMALLVILLE's Tess Mercer". Newsarama.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- Delbyck, Cole (November 2, 2017). "'Smallville' Actress Calls Out Jeremy Piven's 'Predatory Behavior'". HuffPost. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- Wells, David (January 27, 2022). "Cassidy Freeman, star of 'Longmire,' announces her pregnancy". SilverScreenBeat. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- "Cassidy Freeman's Instagram photo: "Welcome to the world, Gigi Kaya Ellsworth ✨✨on Feb 6th 2022 you came to join us and I am in awe of you, so wildly in love with you and very excited to get to know you.❤️❤️❤️"The longest baby I've ever seen" -our midwife"". Instagram. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- "Bios – Cassidy Freeman". CW TV. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010.
External links
- Cassidy Freeman at IMDb
- Cassidy Freeman on Twitter
- Cassidy Freeman interview with BuddyTV (October 23, 2008).
- Cassidy Freeman interview with ACED Magazine (November 25, 2008).