Ginnifer Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American actress. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School in 1996. She then went on to study and graduated from Boston University's School for the Arts. She first had roles in television programs Law & Order and Ed before appearing in the television movie Porn 'n Chicken. She later had substantial roles in the films Mona Lisa Smile, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, and Walk the Line, in which she played Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash's first wife. She currently plays Margene, the third wife in a polygamous family, on the HBO original series Big Love.