Reiko Aylesworth[Reiko Aylesworth Biography (1972-)] (born
December 9,
1972) is an
American film, television and stage
actress, best known for her work on the
television series 24 as
Michelle Dessler.
Life and career
Aylesworth was born in
Evanston, Illinois and is of
Dutch,
Welsh, and
Japanese ancestry.
[Jonathan Reiner, "Reiko & Famous," Soap Opera Weekly, (21 June 1994).] She lived in
Springfield, Illinois, from 1987 to 1988 where she first became interested in acting. After understudying in several productions of the Springfield Theatre Centre, Aylesworth was cast in the role of Consuelo in
West Side Story, while her family was preparing to move to
Seattle, Washington. When her family left for Seattle, she remained in Springfield with family friends for the duration of the play's run.
[Nick Rogers, "All in a Day's Work; '24' Actress Landed Her First Role in Springfield," State Journal-Register, February 6, 2003, Entertainment Section.]
After joining her family in Seattle, Aylesworth would attend the
University of Washington and study
neuroscience with the intention of becoming a
neurosurgeon.
[Dollarhide, Barbara. "Faces to Watch – Hot New Talents Make Contributions to the Arts." Seattle Times. (3 January 1993).] While attending the University of Washington, Aylesworth participated in several local theatre productions including
Invisible Friends at the
Seattle Children's Theatre[Misha Berson, "Invisible Friends is All too Transparent," The Seattle Times, September 18, 1992, Tempo Section.] and the
Intiman Theatre Company's production of
Peter Pan where she played
Wendy.
[Joe Adcock, Intiman Saves 'Peter Pan" from Excessive Sweetness, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 13, 1992, What's Happening Section.]
