Childhood & Early Life
Gloria Elizabeth Reuben was born on June 9, 1964, in Toronto, Canada, to Jamaican parents. Her father worked as an architect, and her mother was a gospel singer. Observing her mother, Gloria turned into an ardent music lover and the support from her parents had her enrolling in music classes at a very early age.
She went deeper into music and learned its theories and techniques at the highly prestigious ‘Canadian Royal Conservatory.’ The support from her mother had her dreaming about a career in the music industry.
Her father’s death shook her and was a big blow for the family. Gloria continued concentrating on her academics and music studies. Following her graduation from high school, she started modeling.
Her interest in acting was sparked by her half-brother, Denis Simpson, who was an active actor. However, she was not highly confident about her acting skills initially. She worked as a model for many magazines and products and eventually forayed into TV advertisements.
Her small on-camera stints provided her enough confidence to imagine a career in acting, and in the early 90s, she started auditioning seriously.
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Career
In 1990, she made her acting debut with the series ‘The Flash.’ She played the role of ‘Sabrina,’ which was a five-episode role. She followed it up with a role in ‘Homicide: Life on the Street.’ By then she had already appeared in films such as ‘Timecop’ and ‘Nick of Time.’
Luckily enough, she did not have to wait for a long time to get her first big break. In 1995, she was selected to play the role of ‘Jeanie Boulet,’ an HIV-positive medical professional, in the medical drama ‘ER.’ Gloria played the emotionally exhausting role to immense critical acclaim and won several awards and nominations too.
The series ran until 1999, and Gloria appeared in 102 episodes of the series. This early success had her getting better roles in films and TV. In 1998, she played the leading role in the thriller ‘Indiscreet,’ opposite Luke Perry. While her film career progressed slowly, her TV career flourished at a fast pace.
In 2001, she played a major role in the series ‘The Agency.’ The drama series portrayed the inner workings of the American intelligence agency ‘CIA’ and had Gloria playing the role of ‘Lisa Fabrizzi.’ The series was shelved after the first season. In 2002, she played a minor role in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’
The same year, she received widespread critical acclaim for her role in the TV film ‘Little John.’ For her performance as ‘Natalie Britain,’ she received a ‘NAACP Image Award’ for ‘Outstanding Actress in a TV Film.’ By then, she had received immense critical acclaim for most of her performances, but major filmmakers were yet to pay attention to her.
In 2003, she appeared in ‘1-800-Missing,’ a Canadian crime drama. In the series, she played the role of an FBI agent. The series received moderate critical response but was a significant commercial success.
In 2008, she played leading major role in the crime thriller ‘Raising the Bar.’ Upon its premier, it became the most-watched pilot in the history of the cable network. The series was a commercial success, but its poor critical reception in its second season resulted in the series being canceled.
Through 2011 and 2012, she played the role of ‘Thelma Gleffey’ in the TV films ‘Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost’ and ‘Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt.’
In 2012, her struggling film career received a mega boost, with her role in the Steven Spielberg-directed ‘Lincoln,’ which had Daniel Day–Lewis playing the titular role. Gloria played the role of ‘Elizabeth Keckley.’ The film was one of the most successful films of the year. As part of the ensemble cast, Gloria was nominated for several film awards.
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The success of ‘Lincoln’ helped her acquire major roles in the following years. First, she starred in the romantic comedy ‘Admission,’ which starred Paul Rudd in the lead role. She followed this up with ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ a Canadian crime thriller, co-starring Samuel L. Jackson. Neither of these films did well on the critical or commercial front.
She also appeared in two TV films, ‘Betty and Coretta’ and ‘Happy Face Killer.’ She played a role in the series ‘Falling Skies.’ Following this, she made a guest appearance in the series ‘The Blacklist.’
In 2015, the ‘Netflix’ TV series ‘Mr. Robot’ featured her as one of the major characters in its first season. Gloria played the role of ‘Krista Gordon,’ the psychiatrist of the leading character, Elliot. The science-fiction thriller became one of the most critically acclaimed series of the year.
Gloria then reprised her role in the second and third seasons too, in which her role was further extended. ‘Mr. Robot’ became the epitome of critical and commercial success and won several awards, including the ‘Golden Globe’ for the ‘Best TV Series—Drama.’
Since then, Gloria has appeared in key roles in several films, such as ‘The Longest Ride,’ ‘Anesthesia,’ and ‘Jean of the Joneses.’ Her TV career received a huge boost after the success of ‘Mr. Robot,’ and she has since appeared in ‘Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise.’
Currently, she is playing major roles in the series ‘Saints & Sinners’ and ‘Cloak & Daggers,’ as she awaits the fourth season of ‘Mr. Robot’ to go on air.
Personal Life
Gloria Reuben devotes enough time to her philanthropic endeavors. She works toward HIV eradication and the prevention of other dangerous illnesses. She has also raised her voice for the betterment of the environment.
In the late 90s, Gloria got into a romantic relationship with TV producer Wayne Isaak. The couple dated for quite some time, before marrying in 1999. Unfortunately, the wedding did not last long, and the couple divorced in 2003.
Gloria has a keen love for music and plays the piano in her spare time.
Facts About Gloria Reuben
She is a passionate advocate for environmental causes and has been involved in various initiatives to raise awareness about climate change.
Gloria Reuben is a certified yoga instructor and often incorporates yoga into her daily routine to stay grounded and centered.
She is a skilled painter and has showcased her artwork in galleries around the world.
Gloria Reuben is fluent in multiple languages, including French and Spanish, which she has used in her acting roles to bring authenticity to her characters.
