Melinda McGraw (born October 25, 1968)
The youngest of three daughters, she grew up in Cambridge and Dover in the Boston area. Her father served as a diplomat for the Agency of International Development before becoming an executive with a major hotel in Boston. She attended the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge and got her start in acting with the Boston Children's Theater.
After attending Bennington College, McGraw was accepted to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (one of only seven women admitted in her year). In season 12 of the series, her character's arc was closed when she was murdered in the episode "Check". McGraw appeared again as Diane in 2019, but as a ghost in the episode “Daughters” (season 16). In 2013, she appeared in ABC series Scandal.
Personal life
McGraw is married to composer/recording artist Steve Pierson, and they have a daughter. They all belong to Pierson's band Jambo, which performs roots music for children.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1996
|Albino Alligator
|Jenny Ferguson
|
|-
|1998
|Wrongfully Accused
|Cass Lake
|
|-
|2000
|Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
|Leanne Guilford
|
|-
|2008
|'
|Barbara Gordon
|
|-
|2009
|Weather Girl
|Virginia
|
|-
|2010
|Skateland
|Debbie Wheeler
|
|-
|2011
|Meeting Spencer
|Didi Ravenal
|
|-
|2014
|'
|Carol
|Short
|-
|2017
|Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town
|Mrs. Percy
|
|-
| 2026
| Ugly Cry
|
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1988
|Rockliffe
|WPC Heather Ackroyd
|"Top Man"
|-
|1988
|American Playhouse
|Dixie
|"The Big Knife"
|-
|1990
|Quantum Leap
|Laura Downey
|"A Little Miracle"
|-
|1991
|Night Court
|Wendy
|"To Sleep, No More"
|-
|1992
|Seinfeld
|Angela
|"The Good Samaritan"
|-
|1992
|'
|Rebecca Travis
|Main role
|-
|1992–94
|'
|Cyd Madison
|Regular role
|-
|1994–97
|'
|Melissa Scully
|"One Breath", "The Blessing Way", "Paper Clip", "Christmas Carol"
|-
|1995
|'
|Mackenzie 'Mac' Rutledge
|Main role
|-
|1996
|Cybill
|Lana
|"Cybill, Get Your Gun"
|-
|1997
|'
|Alex
|"Larry's New Love"
|-
|1997
|House of Frankenstein
|Det. Maggie Delbo
|TV miniseries
|-
|1998
|Mad About You
|Cheryl Gendelman
|"Good Old Reliable Nathan"
|-
|1998
|Millennium
|Dr. Stoller
|"The Pest House"
|-
|1998
|Living in Captivity
|Becca Marek
|Main role
|-
|2001
|Ally McBeal
|Nancy Gower
|"Lost and Found"
|-
|2001–02
|'
|Vicky Montgomery
|Recurring role
|-
|2002
|Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)
|Lindsay Urich
|Main role
|-
|2003
|Skins
|Zelda Ziti
|"Amber Synn", "Blowback"
|-
|2003
|'
|Marcie Bartos
|"Goodbye"
|-
|2003
|It's All Relative
|Kate O'Neil
|"Thanks, But No Thanks"
|-
|2004–05
|Center of the Universe
|Lily Barnett
|Main role
|-
|2005
|Desperate Housewives
|Annabel Foster
|"Fear No More", "Sunday in the Park with George", "Goodbye for Now"
|-
|2005
|Inconceivable
|Suzanne Cohen
|Recurring role
|-
|2006
|'
|Jane Braun
|Recurring role
|-
|2006
|Bones
|Gayle Seaver
|"The Truth in the Lye"
|-
|2007
|Close to Home
|Valerie Por
|"Eminent Domain"
|-
|2007
|Saving Grace
|Hartley Green
|"Would You Want Me to Tell You?"
|-
|2007
|Journeyman
|Annette Barron
|"The Hanged Man", "Perfidia"
|-
|2008
|Gotham Tonight
|Barbara Gordon
|"Billionaire Without a Cause", "Top Cop"
|-
|2008
|Mad Men
|Bobbie Barrett
|Recurring role
|-
|2008
|CSI: Miami
|Beth Campbell
|"Wrecking Crew"
|-
|2009
|CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|Mrs. Griffin
|"Miscarriage of Justice"
|-
|2009
|Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
|Samantha Copeland
|"Crush"
|-
|2009
|Legally Mad
|Sylvie
|unaired pilot
|-
|2009–10
|Hank
|Tilly Pryor
|Main role
|-
|2010
|Medium
|Sondra Hahn-Barker
|"Sal"
|-
|2010
|Pleading Guilty
|Elise Malloy
|TV pilot
|-
|2010–11
|Men of a Certain Age
|Erin Riley
|Main role (season 2)
|-
|2011
|Have a Little Faith
|Janine
|TV film
|-
|2011–19
|NCIS
|Diane Sterling
|Recurring role
|-
|2012
|Harry's Law
|Amanda
|Recurring role
|-
|2012
|Fairly Legal
|Judge Victoria Connors
|"Teenage Wasteland"
|-
|2012
|Hawaii Five-0
|Patricia Slater
|"Ohuna"
|-
|2013
|Ben and Kate
|Vera Everson
|"Girl Problems", "Bake Off", "Ethics 101"
|-
|2013
|Scandal
|Debora Clarkson
|"Snake in the Garden"
|-
|2013
|Lauren
|Cynthia
|"2.4", "2.11", "2.12"
|-
|2013
|Family Tools
|Beverly
|"Book Club Romance"
|-
|2014
|Glee
|Clara Banks
|"Old Dog, New Tricks"
|-
|2014
|Delirium
|Lydia
|TV film
|-
|2014
|Crisis
|Julia Devore
|Recurring role
|-
|2014–15
|State of Affairs
|Sen. Kyle Green
|Recurring role
|-
|2015
|Proof
|Sasha Turing
|"Private Matters", "Reborn", "Tsunami: Part Two"
|-
|2016–18
|Outcast
|Patricia MacCready
|Supporting role
|-
|2018
|The Crossing
|Eve
|a.k.a. Greta Pryor
|-
| 2018
| NCIS: New Orleans
| Gina Powell
| "In the Blood"
|-
| 2020–21
| Charmed
| Vivienne Laurent
| Recurring role; 6 episodes
|-
| 2023
| Paul T. Goldman
| Audrey Munson
| Main role; 5 episodes
|-
| 2024
| Ghosts
| Diane
| "Sam's Dad"
|-
| 2026
| 9-1-1
| Bonnie Sheets
| "Mother’s Boy"
|}