After bouncing around for nearly a decade from one forgettable role to another, blond Aussie import Poppy Montgomery finally arrived as one of the new millennium’s brightest TV stars. A popular cover girl for such testosterone-friendly publications as Maxim, FHM and Stuff, Montgomery was voted TV’s “Hottest Cop” in a 2005 Maxim readers’ poll for her role as FBI agent Samantha “Sam” Spade on the hit CBS crime procedural, “Without a Trace” (CBS, 2002- ).Born Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth Devereaux Donahue on June 19, 1972 (though she herself claimed 1975) this native of New South Wales, Australia grew up in Sydney. The daughter of a restaurateur and market researcher, Montgomery and all four of her sisters were named after flowers. A lifelong fan of Hollywood, Montgomery recalled that she and her sisters spent an inordinate amount of their childhood playing “dress up;” pretending to be movie stars, a la Marilyn Monroe.
Arriving in Los Angeles in the early 1990’s and quaintly carrying a copy of Wendy Hyland’s book, How to Make It in Hollywood, Montgomery reportedly tracked down Julia Roberts' personal manager to inform him that she was available. While Roberts' people passed, this naïve but gutsy move did eventually lead Montgomery to her first representation. In 1995, Montgomery made her feature film debut in director Carl Franklin’s underrated thriller, "Devil in a Blue Dress." Montgomery’s small role in the film led to a handful of television guest roles on such mainstays as “NYPD Blue” (ABC, 1993-2005) and “Party of Five” (Fox, 1995-96).
Soon after, Montgomery landed her first regular series role, playing Kimberly Williams' younger sister, Jennifer Lukens, on the short-lived romantic drama, "Relativity" (ABC, 1996-97). Critically adored, but abysmally rated, ABC pulled the plug on “Relativity” after just 17 episodes. But fortunately by this point, Montgomery was already on a roll. In 1998, Montgomery scored the female lead role in the MTV-produced comedy, “Dead Man on Campus” (1998), starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tom Everett Scott. Reviews of the film were, not surprisingly, generally harsh.
In 2001, Montgomery landed the dream role of her lifetime when she was cast as childhood idol, Marilyn Monroe, in the CBS miniseries, “Blonde” (2001). Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Joyce Carol Oates, “Blonde” was a fictionalized account of the iconic bombshell’s life, as seen through her own eyes. To better look the part, the small-framed Montgomery put on 12 pounds and worked tirelessly with a dialect coach in order to master Monroe’s famed wispy-voiced delivery. Aired over two nights during May sweeps, “Blonde” performed respectably in terms of ratings, but reviews were mixed on the show and Montgomery’s portrayal, both.
Still searching for her breakthrough vehicle, Montgomery came close to finding it when she was cast in the short-lived mystery series, “Glory Days” (WB, 2002) – the brainchild of “Dawson Creek” creator, Kevin Williamson. Unfortunately, “Glory Days” failed to catch on and died less than halfway through its first season. Fortunately, Montgomery’s patience was finally rewarded later that year when she landed the role of Special Agent Samantha Spade on the crime series, “Without a Trace.” Unlike Montgomery’s previous series, “Without a Trace” proved to be a ratings winner straight out of the gate – providing the actress a welcome departure from the norm.