Eden Sher

Plucked from elementary school obscurity by a visiting Jay Leno, the late night talk show host was impressed enough with the charismatic child's flair for comedy to offer her a recurring spot on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC, 1992-2014). Not long after, Eden Sher had few opportunities to look back on her subsequent career, so quickly did she find herself a sought after working actress. Making the jump from commercials to ensemble roles on television sitcoms and dramas, she impressed critics as an awkward but insightful preteen on the critically-lauded but short-lived NBC series "Sons & Daughters" (2006-07). Sher kept busy with character work on "The Middleman" (ABC Family, 2007), "The OC" (Fox, 2003-07), and on Showtime's award-winning "Weeds" (2005-12), staying with the latter through most of its second season. Success and a deserved measure of critical affirmation came when Sher joined the cast of ABC's "The Middle" (2010- ), starring alongside Patricia Heaton and Chris Kattan as the hopelessly hopeful middle child of a middle-class family growing up in the middle of nowhere. With this role, Sher put a fresh spin on the exquisite agonies of the average American teenager, proving that desperation and dreams were not mutually exclusive. With critics and fans in total agreement, "The Middle" proved the optimum showcase for Sher to make a name for herself as an up-and-coming talent with considerable comedic chops.