Meredith Salenger

Personal life

Salenger was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Dorothy, an interior designer, and Gary Salenger, a dentist. Her family is Jewish.

Salenger attended Harvard University from 1988 to 1992, and graduated cum laude with a degree in psychology. She received certificates in "Court-Based Mediation of Family Law Matters" and "Mediating the Litigated Case" from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law in 2009 and 2011, respectively. She works as a mediator for the Agency for Dispute Resolution in Beverly Hills, California, when she is not filming.

In July 2017, it was announced Salenger is engaged to be married to comedian Patton Oswalt.

Career

As a child, Salenger enjoyed performing in front of her family and friends. Her mother took her to her first acting class when she was eight years old. Her first role was a small part as a 'singing and dancing orphan' in the feature film Annie, directed by John Huston. Salenger also did a number of television advertisements.

Salenger's first starring role was in the Disney film The Journey of Natty Gann, co-starring John Cusack and Ray Wise, the first movie to win her Best Actress in a Drama award at the Young Artist Awards for her portrayal of Natty Gann. After starring in four more films by her eighteenth birthday, including A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, she left Hollywood for Harvard to further her education.

Salenger resumed her acting career upon her return to Hollywood with credits including Lake Placid and The Third Wheel. Salenger has also appeared in independent films, including Quality Time and Sparkle & Charm. Other major roles include The Kiss (1988) and Dream a Little Dream (1989).

Salenger appeared in a 1998 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also recorded a song entitled "Flow Through Me" with Koishii and Hush; and she appeared as a background member of the Counting Crows video for "Hanging Around".

Salenger appeared in two episodes of Dawson's Creek in 2002 as film critic Amy Lloyd, and guest-starred on Cold Case playing victim Sloane Easton on the episode "Ravaged". Salenger had a cameo in the Disney film Race to Witch Mountain in 2009, where she played a television reporter named Natalie Gann.

Salenger has done the voices of several characters in Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee and Ione Marcy during second season, Che Amanwe Papanoida during third season, and Pluma Sodi during fourth season. She also appeared as Lisa Sanders in the Nick at Nite series Hollywood Heights, as well as several characters in Mad and Robot Chicken television series. In addition, Salenger voiced a Nightsister ghost in a season three episode of Star Wars Rebels.

Salenger appeared in the one-hour drama series Hollywood Heights, which lasted 80 episodes. She can be seen opposite Elias Koteas in Jake Squared along with Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Jason Leigh.