Melinda Leigh McGraw aka Melinda biography

Real biography: Melinda McGraw was born in Nicosia, Cyprus to American parents. The youngest of three daughters, she grew up in Cambridge and Dover in the Boston area. Her father served as a diplomat for the Agency of International Development before becoming an executive with a major hotel in Boston. She attended the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge and got her start in acting with the Boston Children's Theater.

Career

After attending Bennington College, McGraw was accepted to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (one of only seven women admitted in her year). Theatrical performances in the West End and elsewhere in Britain followed, among them Don Carlos, The Foreigner and Twelfth Night. She returned to America in 1990.

McGraw's first major on-screen role was as Detective Cydavia "Cyd" Madison on The Commish (1992-1994). McGraw later earned recognition for her role as Melissa Scully, Dana Scully's ill-fated sister, in four episodes of The X-Files ("One Breath", "The Blessing Way", "Paper Clip" and "Christmas Carol"). Other regular TV roles include in The Pursuit of Happiness (1995), Soul Man (1997-1998), Living in Captivity (1998), Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) (2002) and Center of the Universe (2004). Notable guest appearances include Quantum Leap, Night Court, Seinfeld, Cybill, The Larry Sanders Show, Mad About You, The District, The Practice and Inconceivable. She has been featured in four episodes of Desperate Housewives as Annabel Foster, and was cast in Neighbors, an ABC pilot for 2005-06 that was not picked up.

In 2006, McGraw played Jane Braun, campaign advisor to Presidential candidate Arnold Vinick in several episodes of The West Wing, and appeared in an episode of Bones. She played US Attorney Valerie Por in Close to Home, and Hartley Queen in Saving Grace in 2007, as well as two episodes of Journeyman.

McGraw appeared in 2008's The Dark Knight (the sequel to Batman Begins), as Lieutenant Gordon's wife, Barbara. Most recently, she has a recurring role on the AMC original series Mad Men as Bobbie Barrett.