| Briga Heelan | |
| Birth Place: | Andover, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Southern California |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
| Occupation: | Actress, comedian |
| Children: | 2 |
Briga Heelan (pronunciation) is an American actress and comedian. She is known for her work on the sitcoms Cougar Town, Ground Floor, Undateable, Love, Great News, and B Positive.
Heelan was born in Andover, Massachusetts,[1] the daughter of actress and Lowell Public Schools teacher Kimball Heelan and playwright Kevin Heelan.[2] [3] She has a brother named Conor. Heelan's father, as well as being a dramatist, has been a faculty member at Phillips Andover Academy since 1983.[4]
Heelan attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts and studied for a year at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, before transferring to the University of Southern California. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2009.[5] At graduation, Heelan received the James B. Pendleton Award for outstanding contributions to the USC School of Dramatic Arts.[6]
Heelan intended to focus on musical theatre. She met her Ground Floor co-star, Skylar Astin, at a musical theatre convention.[7]
Heelan's break-out TV role was on Cougar Town.[8] She was credited as a recurring character on Undateable, appearing in three episodes plus the pilot. She was able to shoot both Bill Lawrence-helmed Ground Floor and Undateable simultaneously[9] because both comedies are multi-camera, which require fewer production days than single-camera shows.[10] She also guest starred in the first episode of Season 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Regarding Heelan's role in Ground Floor, TV critic Alan Sepinwall said Heelan is "simply terrific as Jenny: warm and quirky while always feeling like a strong and independent character".[11] [12] The Los Angeles Times said Heelan "makes Ground Floor watchable", describing her as "remarkably alive and in the moment; she makes real all that she touches. I could easily recommend tuning in just to watch her work and hereby do."[13]
On May 13, 2023, Heelan made her Broadway debut as Cinderella in Once Upon A One More Time at the Marquis Theatre. She had previously portrayed the same role in the 2021 world premiere run in Washington, D.C.[14]
On her unusual name, she said, "It's an Irish name. In fact, my last name was O'Heelahan back in the day. And Briga, I read somewhere, is some pagan Celtic goddess, which sounds great, so I really like saying that. But I was named after my grandmother's best friend, who was Irish and came from Dublin."[2]
On October 16, 2014, Heelan became engaged to her Ground Floor co-star Rene Gube.[15] They were married on May 8, 2015.[16] [17] On October 31, 2016, they announced they were expecting their first child, a daughter, due in March 2017. Heelan gave birth to their daughter Bennet Alejandra Gube on March 23, 2017.[18] On June 24, 2024, Heelan announced they were expecting their second child.[19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Man Up! | Money | Episode: "Disciplining the Keens" | |
| 2012 | Jane by Design | Amanda Clark | 5 episodes | |
| Cougar Town | Holly | 7 episodes | ||
| 2013 | Happy Endings | Ryan | Episode: "The Ex Factor" | |
| 2013–2015 | Ground Floor | Jenny Miller | Main role (20 episodes) | |
| 2014–2015 | Undateable | Nicki | 7 episodes | |
| 2015 | Truth Be Told | Katherine/Kiki | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Decorate" | |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Connie Cavanaugh | Episode: "That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!" | |
| 2016–2017 | Love | Heidi | 6 episodes | |
| 2017–2018 | Great News | Katie Wendelson | Lead role | |
| 2019 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Keri Brennan | Episode: "He Said, She Said" | |
| Modern Family | Linda | Episode: "Stand by Your Man" | ||
| 2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Valerie Ashburn | Episode: "Happy New Year" | |
| 2020–2021 | B Positive | Samantha Turner | Recurring; 14 episodes | |
| 2022 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Marion Mitchell | Episode: "Compress to Impress" | |
| 2023 | So Help Me Todd | Amy | Episode: "12 Worried Persons" |