Allison Barron (born July 31, 1972), known professionally as Allison Dunbar, is an American actress. She has appeared on TV series such as The Sopranos, Quick Draw, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, StartUp, Single Parents, and For All Mankind. She was a longtime member of the Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe.

Early life

Dunbar grew up in Ardentown, Delaware, the daughter of Wendy and Tim Barron. Her mother worked for the Villanova University School of Law, and her father was a deputy attorney general for the state. She began acting in plays at an early age. She attended St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, where she starred in the theater program and graduated in 1990. Her high school theater teacher said of her: "She was not the starry-eyed, I'm-going-to-be-an-actress kind of person. She knew about showing up at 6 a.m. for an audition and getting pictures and résumés done." She studied theater at Fordham University in New York City, graduating with honors in 1994. During college, she performed in several off-Broadway productions and TV commercials. She also made a Broadway appearance in Waitin' in the Wings at the Majestic Theatre.

Career

Dunbar made her TV debut with a guest role on Law & Order in 1994. After graduating from college, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a TV career, saying: "Some people come out here to win Academy Awards or to be some heavy actor, but doing a sitcom has been my dream." During her early years in Los Angeles, she had further guest roles on TV series including Wings (1996), Silk Stalkings, Pacific Blue (both 1997), and Diagnosis: Murder (1998). She said of her preferred character type: "There's nothing more interesting than a spicy bad-girl role. It fits me. I'm no pushover."

In 2000, Dunbar booked her first TV series regular role on the Comedy Central sitcom Strip Mall, playing pornographic actress Hedda Hummer. After wrapping the second and final season of the show in 2001, she moved to Boston for two years as her then husband, Sean O'Donnell, signed with the Boston Bruins. Soon after returning to Los Angeles in 2003, she was cast as Nicole Lupertazzi, the wife of mobster Little Carmine, on the fifth season of the HBO series The Sopranos. Over the next several years, she made guest appearances on TV series including Criminal Minds (2005), Bones (2006), Shark (2007), 10 Items or Less (2008), and Castle (2010). She also co-wrote, produced, and starred in a television pilot called Nobody's Happy.

After being told she was "too old" for certain roles, Dunbar decided to "reinvent myself as a comedy actor" and studied improvisational theater with the Groundlings comedy troupe. She was promoted to the main company in 2012, going on to spend 13 years with the group. Following her departure, the Groundlings wrote on social media that she had "left a lasting mark on our theatre and community, and we're so grateful for the talent, creativity, and laughter she brought to our stage". She also worked as a burlesque dancer and choreographer and created a burlesque troupe, Smokeshow, based at the Harvelle's music club in Santa Monica.

In 2013, Dunbar became a series regular on the Hulu original show Quick Draw, a partly improvised parody of the Western genre; she played saloonkeeper and madam Honey Shaw on both seasons. Over the next decade, she had recurring roles on TV series including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2018), StartUp (2018; alongside future husband Ron Perlman), Single Parents (2019), and For All Mankind (2022), and appeared in comedy films including The F**k-It List, The Opening Act (both 2020), and Maggie Moore(s) (2023).

Personal life

Dunbar married ice hockey player Sean O'Donnell in 2001. They met while Dunbar was working as a bartender and O'Donnell was playing for the Los Angeles Kings. They divorced in 2004. In 2022, Dunbar married her StartUp co-star Ron Perlman in Italy after three years of dating. She is an avid supporter of pet adoption.

Filmography Film

Year Title Role Notes 1999 Body Shots Girl #3 2000 Davina 2000 Time of Her Time 2000 Daybreak Reporter 2001 Falcon Down Connie Eldridge TV film 2007 Cassie 2007 Christian's Wife 2010 Sheltered Susan 2019 Flashout Karen 2020 Leslie Willem 2020 Browse Rachel/Candy 2020 Helga 2020 Film Fest Kim Lincoln 2022 Classified Kitty Rash TV film 2023 Maggie Moore(s) Stephanie 2024 McCurdy Point Jason

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1994 Law & Order Allison Marissa Hall Episode: "Doubles" 1994 Guiding Light Boutique Salesclerk 1 episode 1996 Wings Bartender Episode: "Single and Hating It" 1997 Cybill Woman #1 Episode: "In Her Dreams" 1997 Silk Stalkings Patti Prescott/SweetPea Episode: "[email protected]" 1997 Renegade Karen Episode: "Blood Hunt" 1997 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Woman Episode: "The Spa" 1997 Mike Hammer, Private Eye Sharon Diamond Episode: "False Truths" 1997 Pacific Blue Jillian Ashford Episode: "Avenging Angel" 1998 Diagnosis: Murder Spring Dano Episode: "Retribution: Part 1" 2000–2001 Strip Mall Hedda Hummer Main role 2001 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Rachel Carson Episode: "Table Stakes" 2004–2007 Nicole Lupertazzi Recurring role (season 5–6) 2005 Dr. Vegas Giselle Episode: "Babe in the Woods" 2005 Drake & Josh Peggy Sherman Episode: "The Affair" 2005 Paige Fuller Episode: "Old Wounds" 2005 Barbershop Missy Starlight 2 episodes 2005 Criminal Minds Allison Crawford Episode: "The Fox" 2006 Bones Brianna Lynch Episode: "The Titan on the Tracks" 2006 Cold Case Alison Huxley Episode: "The Key" 2007 Shark Maria Correlli Episode: "Backfire" 2008 10 Items or Less Miriam Episode: "The Bromance" 2008 Doris Schon Episode: "The Manicoid Teleportation Conundrum" 2010 Castle Sandra Meyers Episode: "Food to Die For" 2011 Woman Episode: "Perfect Condition" 2011 Rizzoli & Isles Kim Marks Episode: "Don't Stop Dancing, Girl" 2012 2 Broke Girls Susan Episode: "And the Pearl Necklace" 2013–2014 Quick Draw Honey Shaw Main role 2014 Judy Lomax Episode: "The Silver Briefcase" 2015–2018 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Stacy Whitefeather Recurring role 2016 Angie Tribeca Julie Gaffney Episode: "Murder in the First Class" 2016 Modern Family Abigail Episode: "Thunk in the Trunk" 2016–2019 Mike Tyson Mysteries Various Voice; 2 episodes 2017 Famous in Love Adriana Episode: "Not So Easy A" 2017 Nobodies HBO Rep Episode: "Not the Emmys" 2018 StartUp Kelly Recurring role (season 3) 2019 Single Parents Charlene 2 episodes 2019 Lynda Episode: "Scrambling" 2019 Yellowstone Veronique Episode: "Enemies by Monday" 2020 Tacoma FD Hannah Barbioso Episode: "Mike & Ike" 2021 Dave Sherry Episode: "Ad Man" 2022 For All Mankind Jenna Leigh 3 episodes

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