| Amy Jo Johnson | |
|---|---|
Amy Jo Johnson, 1998 |
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| Born | October 6, 1970 Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA |
| Years active | 1993-present |
| Spouse | Oliver Giner (2010-present) 1 child (2008) |
| Website | |
| http://www.amyjojohnson.com | |
Amy Jo Johnson (born October 6, 1970) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and musician.
She is best known for her roles in the TV series Flashpoint,[1] Wildfire, The Division, Felicity, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She also starred in television films including Susie Q, Killing Mr. Griffin, Perfect Body, Sweetwater, and Magma: Volcanic Disaster.
Johnson released her first song, Puddle Of Grace, when she was on Felicity. Since then, she has released a few solo albums. Besides, she has been a volunteer. She has participated as a tutor for refugee children through the International Rescue Committee's summer program in the Bronx and made trips to Bosnia as a volunteer with the Global Children’s Organization.[2]
For her role as Jules Callaghan on Flashpoint, Johnson was nominated for the 2009 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.[3]
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Johnson was born in Dennis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, a daughter of Greig Johnson, a car salesman, and his wife Christine, who managed a clothing store.[4] She became interested in gymnastics and, after training for years, decided to aim for the Olympic Games. She reached Class One and participated in competitions hosted in the United States and Europe in uneven bars, vault, beam and floor. She was forced to abandon gymnastics following a severe injury.
Johnson is married to Oliver Giner. They have one daughter, Francesca Christine, born December 1, 2008.[5]
At the age of eighteen, after graduating from Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School,[6] Johnson moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. She attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the American Musical and Acting Academy. She moved to Los Angeles to audition for her first part.
Johnson's first role was as Kimberly Ann Hart, the Pink Ranger, in the 1993 series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She acquired the role within the first month of her main stay in L.A. Her gymnastics background was an advantage for her in fight scenes, as the Hart character was also an accomplished gymnast. Her martial arts skills were learned from choreographers in the studio. The series achieved unexpected success, and Johnson had a fair share of media exposure. Her appearances on the show jump-started her career and served as a positive influence for many younger viewers and fans. After she left the series in 1995, Johnson went on to star in the Disney Channel's Susie Q and the Saved by the Bell: The New Class episode "Backstage Pass" as Linda.
In 1997, she starred in NBC's adaptation of Lois Duncan's novel Killing Mr. Griffin as Susan McConnell and also played Andie Bradley, a gymnast with an eating disorder, in Perfect Body. She also reprised her role as Kimberly Hart in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. She jokingly stated in the I Love the '90s 1993 special that having been the Pink Power Ranger was something she would "never live down." When she was interviewed on The Sharon Osbourne Show, Johnson said that Power Rangers was a "great first job." She also participated in the film Without Limits.
In 1998, Johnson played the part of a vampire in Cold Hearts. Soon after, she was invited to play Julie Emrick, a college freshman who becomes the Keri Russell's best friend on The WB series Felicity. She was in the series for two and a half years. Her character in the series was originally described as a dancer, but Johnson convinced the producers to change that to a singer and guitarist, which led Johnson to being able to perform "Puddle of Grace", a song she wrote. The song was added to the show's official soundtrack. Her talent in music also led her to star in Sweetwater: A True Rock Story, a biography about Nancy Nevins and Sweetwater, who were the first band to play at the Woodstock festival.
Johnson then took roles in Interstate 60, Pursuit of Happiness, Infested, and Hard Ground. She also had guest starring roles on Spin City and E.R. She starred as Stacy Reynolds in the fourth season of The Division. She released her debut album, The Trans-American Treatment, and performed in the Los Angeles area with "The Amy Jo Johnson Band". She released another album, Imperfect, in March 2005.
In 2006, Johnson co-starred in Magma: Volcanic Disaster, a Sci-Fi Channel telefilm. Johnson also was on ABC Family's original show Wildfire as Tina Sharp, the villain of the first season. She also starred a few episodes of What About Brian, as Karen, Brian's girlfriend. She has also taken on roles in two independent films, Veritas, Prince of Truth and Islander. Johnson also starred in the Lifetime Television movie Fatal Trust.
In December 2007 she contributed guest vocals to Koishii & Hush's cover of The Cars track "Since You're Gone", which was released as a single.[7]
Beginning in 2008, Johnson became a cast member of Flashpoint as Jules Callahan, a member of the Strategic Response Unit of the Toronto Police service. The series premiered on CTV and CBS on July 11, 2008.[8] Her song "Dancing In-Between" was featured on Flashpoint and was released as a single. The show received 19 nominations at the 24th Gemini Awards, including Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for Johnson.[9]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | Kimberly Hart/Pink Power Ranger | |
| 1997 | Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie | Kimberly Hart | |
| 1998 | Without Limits | Iowa's finest | |
| 1999 | Cold Hearts | Alicia | |
| 2001 | Pursuit of Happiness | Tracy | |
| 2001 | Liar's Club | Karen | |
| 2002 | Interstate 60 | Laura | |
| 2002 | Infested | Jesse | |
| 2005 | Adjusting Arbie | The Fairy (psychedelic scene) | |
| 2006 | Islander | Cheryl | |
| 2007 | Veritas, Prince of Truth | Marty Williams | |
| 2011 | Summer Song | Jenni | |
| 2011 | Tiger Eyes | Gwen Wexle |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Kimberly Hart/Pink Power Ranger | Starring role |
| 1995 | The Eddie Files | Cindy | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Susie Q | Susie Q/Maggie | Television film Starring role |
| 1996 | Campus cops | Swimsuit | "Swimsuit contestant" |
| 1996 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Linda | "Backstage pass" |
| 1997 | Killing Mr. Griffin | Susan McConnell | Television film Starring role |
| 1997 | Perfect Body | Andy Bradley | Television film Starring role |
| 1998–2002 | Felicity | Julie Emrick | Starring role |
| 1999 | Sweetwater: A True Rock Story | Nansi Nevins | Television film Starring role |
| 2001 | Night Visions | Sara | "Episode 5, Rest Stop" |
| 2001 | ER | Jill | "Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain" |
| 2002 | Spin City | Stephanie | "Sex, Lies and Video Date" |
| 2003 | Hard Ground | Elizabeth Kennedy | Television film Starring role |
| 2003–2004 | The Division | Stacy Reynolds | Starring role |
| 2005–2007 | Wildfire | Tina Sharp | Guest role |
| 2006 | Magma: Volcanic Disaster | Brianna Chapman | Television film Starring role |
| 2006 | What About Brian? | Karen | Guest role |
| 2006 | Fatal Trust | Kate | Television film Starring role |
| 2008–present | Flashpoint | Jules Callaghan | Starring role |
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Work | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | TV Star Choice Sidekick | Felicity | [10] |
| 2002 | Nominated | Slamdunk Film Festival | Best Actress | Pursuit of Happiness | [11] |
| 2009 | Nominated | Gemini Awards | Best Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Flashpoint | [12] |
| 2010 | Nominated | Monte Carlo TV Festival | TV Best Actress | Flashpoint | [13] |