A Field Guide To Rebecca Creskoff

We fell for Rebecca Creskoff during her star turn as the oft naked lady pimp of HBO's "Hung," where week after week she brought a little something extra to the role (by which we mean both boobs and bush). And now we've learned that she's joining the cast of yet another HBO show, with "Silicon Valley" adding her to the ranks of actors portraying Bay Area nerds (hopefully with continued nudity on her part). Was there ever a better time to dig deep and find out what this lovely lady is all about? (Perhaps, but whatever – we're doing it now.)

Rebecca Creskoff was born February 1, 1971, in the city of Brotherly Love (that's Philadelphia, PA, for the clueless). She spent her youth in the suburb of Elkins Park, attending Cheltenham High (go Panthers!), where she acted a bit in school plays. In 1989, she matriculated to the University of Pennsylvania (yes, Ms. Creskoff is certified Ivy League), where she majored in English literature. Though Creskoff's acting career seems like an obvious choice in hindsight, she wasn't always convinced that her path lay in that direction. In fact, while in college, she strongly considered working as a journalist or teacher. But after graduating from U. Penn, Creskoff took a leap and auditioned for an acting program – and the next thing she knew, she was off to the Big Apple to get her MFA at New York University. And that, friends, is when her career really began.

Well, sort of. Like many professional actors, Creskoff's career wasn't filled with immediate, early success, but rather occasional roles here and there – a few independent film roles, the odd Law & Order appearance – before she finally began to secure starring roles in her early thirties. In 2002, Creskoff starred in "Greetings From Tucson" (until it was cancelled after a single season), a year later, she was one of the leads in "Quintuplets"... which was also cancelled after a single season. Her career was back to guest roles and bit parts for quite a few years – until 2009, when she became a recurring character on a little show about the Jonas Brothers.

Yes, Rebecca Creskoff did in fact play Sandy Lucas, mother to the Jonas Brothers, on "Jonas," but we're also totally kidding about that being her seminal (tee hee, we said seminal) role. No, the true role that established Rebecca Creskoff as a force to be reckoned with was the part of Lenore on "Hung" – a part that allowed the actress to showcase all of her talents.

Given how integral nudity was to the role, it's interesting to learn that Creskoff wasn't one hundred percent on board with acting in the buff when she first considered the role. As she told Philly.com, she was actually a bit afraid of revealing that much on camera – and it was her mother Betty Jane (who, no joke, goes by BJ), who talked her into taking the part. Creskoff recounted, "[BJ] said, 'This is a big opportunity. You're an artist. Go for it.' " (Friends, we don't know if we've ever been this grateful for a BJ before.) And once she'd accepted the role, she threw herself in whole hog – seriously, it's hard for us to believe this lady ever had doubts about being naked on film.

But let's not forget that she is, in fact, an actress, and not actually the luscious lady pimp we feel in love with over the years. In an interview with HBO, Creskoff reminded fans that she's actually quite a bit different from her onscreen persona, saying:

She's fearless; I'm totally a scared person.  My sister delights in how different I am from Lenore - friends too. I'm a people pleaser which is totally opposite of Lenore. I worry about things all the time and I don't think she worries about anything. She just does what she does and says the truth and if it doesn't work for you:  Fuck off. I'm the opposite:  I tie myself up in knots about other people's feelings and making things work, and being nice. I'm very shy, which is weird. I'm not one to prance around naked. I'll keep the towel on all the way to the edge of the ocean and then throw it back quickly and run into the water - with a bathing suit on.

(That said, she did find quite a bit of joy in the role, too: "There is fun in being totally unapologetic,  owning my power as a woman... [I]t's fun to be so comfortable in any situation.")

Last but not least: for those who are head over heels in love with this gorgeous ginger, we regretfully report that she's officially off the market. In 2012, Creskoff wedded fertility doctor Michael Glassner (you can read all about their courtship here), with whom she has a daughter, Sadie Edith Glassner. We, too, are bummed to know we won't be able to ask her out on a date any time soon – but hey, at least we get to thrill to her performances on HBO again, right?