Vanessa Lengies was born on July 21, 1985, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is of Egyptian, German, and Bahamian descent. Lengies began her acting career at a young age, participating in local theater productions and commercials.
Lengies’s early television roles included appearances in Canadian television series such as “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Caillou.” These roles helped her gain experience and exposure in the entertainment industry.
Lengies achieved wider recognition for her role as Roxanne Bojarski in the NBC period drama “American Dreams” (2002-2005). The series, set in the 1960s, followed an American family as they navigated the cultural and social changes of the era. Lengies’s character was a regular on the show and provided her with a platform to showcase her acting and dancing abilities.
Following “American Dreams,” Lengies continued to work extensively in television. Notable appearances include recurring roles in series like “Popular,” “Pepper Dennis,” and “Glee” where she portrayed Sugar Motta. She also had roles in “Rules of Engagement,” “Mixology,” and “Second Chance.” More recently, she has appeared in series such as “Turner & Hooch” and “Resident Alien.”
Lengies has also appeared in several films. Her film credits include “Stick It” (2006), a teen comedy about a rebellious gymnast; “Waiting…” (2005), a comedy about restaurant employees; and “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001), a parody of teen films. She also appeared in “Perfect Man” (2005) and “My Babysitter’s a Vampire” (2011).