Reiko Aylesworth (born
December 9,
1972 in
Evanston, Illinois)
is an
American film, television and stage
actress, best known for her work on the
television series 24. She is of
Dutch,
Welsh, and
Japanese ancestry.
[Jonathan Reiner, "Reiko & Famous," Soap Opera Weekly, (21 June 1994).] Aylesworth lived in
Springfield, Illinois, from 1987 to 1988 before moving to
Seattle, Washington. She attended the
University of Washington studying neuroscience before deciding on a full time career in acting.
[Dollarhide, Barbara. "Faces to Watch – Hot New Talents Make Contributions to the Arts." Seattle Times. (3 January 1993).]
Biography
Career
Aylesworth began her career on the soap opera
One Life to Live. She also appeared in minor roles in
Random Hearts, and
You've Got Mail. After guest roles in
Law & Order,
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,
Now and Again,
The West Wing, and
Ed, Aylesworth was cast in the 2001 series
All Souls, which was canceled during its first season. In 2002, Aylesworth starred in the series
The American Embassy — her character replaces one killed during the pilot — that also failed to gain an audience.
In 2001, Aylesworth auditioned for the part of
Nina Myers on
FOX Network's
24 but lost to
Sarah Clarke. In 2002, she auditioned for another role on "24", Kate Warner, and lost to
Sarah Wynter. The producers asked her to join the cast as recurring character
Michelle Dessler, a
CTU agent.
