Criminal Minds

Season 9
on CBS

KIRSTEN VANGSNESS
Penelope Garcia in "Criminal Minds"

Kirsten Vangsness started acting in the theatre and maintains a strong attachment to those roots. She continues to be an acting member of Theatre of NOTE, a critically acclaimed Hollywood theatre company, and sits on its board of directors.

In 2012 Vangsness wrote, produced and starred in her first full length play, "Potential Space"
-- which will have a 2013 remount -- as well as writing a new short play, "The Block of Thoon." She also performed her one woman show, "Mess," at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In addition she has read short stories with Isaiah Sheffer on the Symphony Space/PRI program, "Selected Shorts," and on the podcasts of "The Thrilling Adventure Hour."

Vangsness stars in Season Three of "Pretty" (www.prettytheseries.com), on which she is a producer, "Vampire Mob" (www.vampiremob.com), the upcoming "Shelf Life" (www.shelflifetheseries.com), and has appeared in "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior." She is also executive producer and star of the soon to be cult noir comedy classic, "Kill Me, Deadly."

A two-time Golden Betty Award winner, Vangsness is a voracious pleasure seeker who makes really good soup.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN Los Angeles, CA
BIRTHDATE July 7