Calista Kay Flockhart (born November 11, 1964 in Freeport, Illinois) is an American actress. She was raised in upstate New York and later moved to New Jersey where she attended Shawnee High School in the town of Medford. After high school she went to Rutgers University.
After working on Broadway and landing roles in the films Quiz Show and The Birdcage, she became known for playing the title role on the television series Ally McBeal.
Her apparent weight loss over the first few seasons of the show caused much media speculation that she might have suffered from anorexia nervosa and sometimes earned her harsh criticism for playing an 'incompetent' underfed waif, particularly considering the show's popularity with teenage girls. Her December 11, 2000 collapse on set fueled rumours of bulimia, although it was announced she suffered from dehydration and exhaustion. Her name, Calista, is a tribute to her Greek great-grandmother.
