Kristin Bauer van Straten ( Neubauer) is an American film and television actress, notable for her roles as vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO television series True Blood, Jerry's girlfriend Gillian ("man hands") on Seinfeld, and as Maleficent in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.
Personal life Bauer van Straten was born Kristin Neubauer in Racine, Wisconsin. She is of German descent. During childhood, she played sports, rode horses, and fired shotguns. She graduated from the Prairie School in Wind Point. Bauer van Straten studied fine arts at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as in Boston and at New York City’s Parsons The New School for Design in her youth, but decided to become an actress and moved to Los Angeles, where she has been living since she began acting in 1994. She continues to draw and paint. Her works include commissioned portraits.
On August 1, 2009, she married musician Abri van Straten.
Acting career
In 1995, Bauer van Straten had her first regular role in a television series, as Maggie Reynolds on The Crew. Other recurring roles include Geneva Renault in Total Security, Candy Cooper in That's Life, Rebecca Colfax in Dirty Sexy Money, and Belinda Slypich in Hidden Hills. Perhaps her best known film role was in Dancing at the Blue Iguana in 2000. Bauer van Straten played a porn star appearing as the featured act at a Los Angeles strip club and performed an extended nude dance.
In 2001, she starred in the award-winning short film Room 302, and in 2004 she had a minor role in the film 50 First Dates, which starred Adam Sandler. In the animated series Justice League, she supplied the voice of the superhero Mera.
She has also made a number of guest appearances in several television shows, including L.A. Law, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dark Angel, Two and a Half Men, Star Trek: Enterprise, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, and George Lopez. She famously appeared in a Seinfeld episode (The Bizarro Jerry) as Gillian, Jerry's girlfriend with "man hands", although the actual "man hands", seen only in close-ups, belonged to a member of the production crew.
From 2008 to its conclusion in 2014, Bauer van Straten played the vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO fantasy drama series, True Blood. On December 8, 2009, TV Guide confirmed she had been promoted from recurring status to a series regular.
In 2011, she was cast in the fantasy television series Once Upon a Time as the evil fairy Maleficent (the wicked fairy godmother, using the name from Disney's Sleeping Beauty), the rival of the Evil Queen of Snow White.
Activism Bauer van Straten carries out conservation work to improve the treatment of animals. In 2011, she teamed with the Animal Legal Defense Fund in an unsuccessful fight to release Tony, a Siberian-Bengal tiger who has been kept as a roadside attraction at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tête, Louisiana since 2000. She worked with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to promote cosmetics that are not tested on animals. She is a vegan and has used her platform to support shelter animals by promoting adoption.
Bauer van Straten also encourages people to live more sustainably and be more eco-friendly.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1995GalaxisCommanderGlory DazeDina1997Romy and Michele's High School ReunionKelly Possenger1998My Little HavanaCarmenShort film2000Dancing at the Blue IguanaNico2001Hollywood PalmsKathleenRoom 302KarenShort film200450 First DatesFemale FirefighterLiving with LouJeanShort film2005Life of the PartyCaroline2011Subject: I Love YouSarah Drake2012GottenMotherVideo shortThe Story of LukeCindy2014Teen LustMary2016Nocturnal AnimalsSamantha Van Helsing2018Suicide Squad: Hell to PayCrystal Frost/Killer FrostVoice, direct-to-video A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Happy Anniversary WillaRich Boy, Rich GirlJessica Debenedetto 2020 The Boy Behind the Door Ms. Burton2021Paradise CoveBree
Television Year Title Role Notes1993Star Trek: Deep Space NineBlond Girl (uncredited)Episode: "If Wishes Were Horses"1994L.A. LawMiss EnglishEpisode: "McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey"1994ColumboSuzie EndicottEpisode: "Undercover"1994Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanMrs. LoomisEpisode: "The Prankster"1994Silk StalkingsHeather St. ClairEpisode: "Red Flag"1995CybillKirstenEpisode: "The Curse of Zoey"1995PointmanEllie3 episodes1995–1996The CrewMaggie ReynoldsMain role; 21 episodes1996SeinfeldGillianEpisode: "The Bizarro Jerry"1997Everybody Loves RaymondLisaEpisode: "The Car"1997Men Behaving BadlyRobinEpisode: "I Am What I Am"1997Total SecurityGeneva RenaultMain role; 13 episodes1998Fantasy IslandTamara StevensEpisode: "Estrogen"1998Chicago HopeMelody CacaciEpisode: "Viagra-Vated Assault"2000Kiss Tomorrow GoodbyeKaty ScottTelevision film2000Dark AngelLydia MeyersonEpisode: "Pilot"2000–2001That's LifeCandy CooperRecurring role; 12 episodes2001Dharma & GregStephanieEpisode: "Dharma Does Dallas"2001Just Shoot Me!Allie2 episodes2001–2003Justice LeagueMeraVoice, 2 episodes2002BoomtownProstituteEpisode: "Pilot"2002Hidden HillsBelinda SlypichRecurring role; 10 episodes2003Gary the Rat UnknownVoice, episode: "Manrattan"2003Two and a Half MenLaura2 episodes2004Dr. VegasPortiaEpisode: "Pilot"2004Commando NannyLizzie WinterTelevision series2004QuintupletsMs. KilcoyneEpisode: "Teacher's Pet"2004Crossing JordanMolly GreeneEpisode: "Fire in the Sky"2005CrazyUnknownTelevision film2005JAGMegan RansfordEpisode: "Automatic for the People"2005Star Trek: EnterpriseLt. LanethEpisode: "Divergence"2005Less than PerfectKaye BuchinskiEpisode: "Casey V. Kronsky"2005Close to HomeShannon CookeEpisode: "Suburban Prostitution"2005CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationKenli JohnsonEpisode: "Secrets & Flies"2005Boston LegalTori PinesEpisode: "The Ass Fat Jungle"2006Pink CollarEveTelevision film2006Crossing JordanMolly GreeneEpisode: "Death Toll"2006Desperate HousewivesVeronicaEpisode: "Could I Leave You?"2006Cold CasePaula '04/'06Episode: "The War at Home"2007George LopezCris WatsonEpisode: "George Joins the Neighborhood Wha-tcha and Raises the Vigil-ante"2007Dirty Sexy MoneyRebecca Colfax2 episodes2007BonesJanelle StinsonEpisode: "Boy in the Time Capsule"2008Emily's Reasons Why NotBethanyEpisode: "Why Not to Cheat on Your Best Friend"2008–2014True BloodPamela Swynford De BeaufortRecurring role (seasons 1–2), Main role (season 3–7); 59 episodes2009House RulesKathy McAdamsTelevision film2009Private PracticeSusannaEpisode: "Pushing the Limits"2009Three RiversVal O'LearyEpisode: "Where We Lie"2010JustifiedShirley KelsoEpisode: "Riverbrook"2010A Drop of True BloodPamela Swynford De BeaufortEpisode: "Eric & Pam"2010–2013The Secret Life of the American TeenagerDidi StoneRecurring role; 11 episodes2011The SoupPam the InternEpisode: "8.25"2011–2015Once Upon a TimeMaleficentSeason 1 (2 episodes), season 4 (8 episodes)2013Once Upon a Time in WonderlandMaleficentVoice, episode: "Forget Me Not"2014Saint GeorgeSuzanne DuvalEpisode: "Rich Girl"2017LoreMinnie OttoEpisode: "Unboxed"2019Adam Ruins EverythingTV Network ExecutiveEpisode: "Adam Ruins Himself"2020Sacred LiesShannonMain role; 8 episodes
Music videos Year Title Artist(s) Role 2012 "Gotten" Slash featuring Adam Levine Joanna's Mother 2018"Trouble Man"Chris PierceHerself
Podcasts YearTitleRoleNotes2021BridgewaterCeleste2021-2024Truest BloodHostWith co-host Deborah Ann Woll
References
External links