Canadian-born actress Andrea Roth, a regular on FX’s edgy firefighter drama “Rescue Me,” has had one of the more enviable jobs on television. As Janet Gavin, ex-wife of insufferable Tommy Gavin, she is one of the few characters who manages to get the last word on star Denis Leary.
Born and raised in Woodstock, Ontario, Roth was interning at an advertising agency while in college when she was approached by a modeling scout. In no time, she did print and runway modeling, and soon fell into acting, establishing a solid career for herself as an actress in Canada.
Her first role in the United States was in an episode of the 1980s remake of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Studying under acting coach Howard Fine, Roth honed her skills, appearing in countless hours of television, including such genre shows as “Friday the 13th” (syndicated) and “The Hitchhiker” (HBO), and standard network fare such as “Murder, She Wrote.” (CBS) Her first higher-profile role was in the 1995 Sally Field miniseries in “A Woman of Independent Means,” on NBC. From there, she continued to work in television, in movies of the week and with small recurring roles on “Bull,” (TNT) and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS). Big screen appearances include the Jim Caviezel film “Highwaymen,” in 2003.
Following her first regular role on the short-lived series “Lucky,” also on FX, she was cast in “Rescue Me.” The role served her well – unlike the typical ex-wife part, the character of Gavin is fully fleshed out and three dimensional, both supportive but also at the end of her rope with her self-destructive former husband and the stresses his job have taken out on him.