Amy Acker holding a figure of Fred from Angel
Amy Louise Acker (born December 5, 1976 in Dallas, Texas) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria, on Alias as Kelly Peyton, and on Dollhouse as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey, and Person of Interest as Samantha Groves/Root. She appeared in the ABC series Happy Town. She played Katherine Walters on HT.
When she was younger, she studied ballet until she suffered an injury and then she switched to acting, a trajectory shared with fellow Whedonite Summer Glau. She liked how somebody could ease into another character. She took the role of Fred Burkle fresh out of college.
On April 25, 2003, Acker and actor James Carpinello were married in California. On January 22, 2005 she gave birth to a son, Jackson James Carpinello, and on September 1, 2006 to a daughter, Ava Grace.
In 2014 she (briefly) joined Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the (former?) love interest of Agent Phil Coulson, cellist Audrey Nathan. She was also a regular on Person of Interest as Samantha "Root" Groves, the anima of the computer at the center of things. She apparently got the last job because creator Christopher Nolan's wife was an 'Angel', and particularly Fred, fan. Amy also appeared as the former girlfriend of the team's muscle in the re-envisioned "MacGyver".