Film & TV / Comedy
Mary Lynn Rajskub
born 1971 · actress, comedian
Detroit-born, Downriver-raised comedian and actress, known as Chloe O'Brian on 24, who studied art in Detroit before turning to comedy.
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Mary Lynn Rajskub was born in Detroit on June 22, 1971, and grew up in Trenton, a Downriver suburb south of the city, the youngest of three daughters of a pipefitter and a pharmacy technician. She first wanted to be a visual artist and studied at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, now the College for Creative Studies, before transferring to the San Francisco Art Institute. In San Francisco she started doing open mics, and after moving to Los Angeles she landed on HBO's sketch show Mr. Show with Bob and David and The Larry Sanders Show. Her deadpan, prickly style made her a favorite as the computer analyst Chloe O'Brian on 24. On stage she has drawn on home too: her character Dicki is built from people she grew up with in and around Michigan.
Highlights
- Chloe O'Brian on 24 (2003–2010) and 24: Live Another Day (2014)
- Cast member of Mr. Show with Bob and David
- Gail the Snail on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Films include Punch-Drunk Love, Little Miss Sunshine and Safety Not Guaranteed
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · c. 1989–1990
College for Creative Studies
Rajskub studied art here before moving on to the San Francisco Art Institute.