From starring in one of the most popular teen soaps of the 2000s to becoming a leading lady on the Hallmark Channel, it seems like Autumn Reeser has done it all. Throughout her rise to fame and steady career over the years, Reeser has proven to be an incredible example of a working mother who despite busy film sets and interviews still prioritizes camping with her children and attending their school plays.
Autumn Reeser grew up in La Jolla, California but after a childhood of loving performing, she decided to move to Los Angeles after high school to study theater and ultimately pursue a career in Hollywood.
"I started in theater when I was six, after I saw my first play. I performed in dozens of local stage productions and moved to LA when I was 17 to attend theater school at UCLA," Reeser explained to Career Contessa.
"I found a job interning at a casting agency to learn more about the business side of the film and television. While I was working there, I landed a manager and agent, and was working as an actor by the age of 20. By 22, I was able to support myself entirely on my acting career, which continues to this day. It is probably what I'm most proud of in my career."
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Reeser's career kicked off in 2001 with a role on Star Trek: Voyager followed by roles on Grounded for Life, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and her breakout role playing Taylor Townsend on the final two seasons of the FOX teen drama series, The O.C. Playing Taylor changed the game for Reeser and she went on to book more notable parts including junior agent Lizzie Grant on two seasons of Entourage on HBO as well as Julie Benz's assistant Katie Andrews in ABC's No Ordinary Family. She's had roles on countless other TV shows over the years including Necessary Roughness, Last Resort, Hawaii Five-0, Royal Pains, Pushing Daisies, and Ghost Whisperer. But since 2012, Reeser has been known for being a regular face on the Hallmark Channel ever since her debut film, Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
For nearly a decade, Reeser has appeared in numerous Hallmark movies including Midnight Masquerade, A Country Wedding, A Bramble House Christmas, Valentine Ever After, All Summer Long, Christmas Under the Stars, Love on the Menu, and A Glenbrooke Christmas. Really all she needs now is her own mystery series! Because Hallmark is so family-friendly, she's even able to bring her children to set with her on occasion.
Outside of work, Reeser lives in Los Angeles where she is focused on raising her two boys, Finn and Dashiell (Dash), whom she shares with her ex-husband Jesse Warren. Despite her busy career juggling her many acting jobs, Reeser explains that she thinks working moms can have it all, as long as you put things into perspective.
"You can have it all, but not all at the same time, so take a big picture view. Work-life balance does not mean that every day is an evenly portioned dinner plate! For example, this week I'm working 16 hour days and only seeing my kids for about 15 minutes a day. But next week, I'll be off this movie and I'll be the one driving them to school, making their lunches and cooking dinner for them. So I do think I have work-life balance, but I have to look at it through a yearly, not daily, lens. I recommend other working moms try to do the same thing."
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