Reiko M. Aylesworth Bio
Reiko M. Aylesworth (born December 9, 1972) is an American actress widely recognized for her breakout performance as Michelle Dessler on the Fox television series 24. Of Dutch, Welsh, and Japanese ancestry, Aylesworth built a steady career across television, film, and stage after first studying neuroscience at the University of Washington. She is married to Rob Clare, a Shakespearean theater scholar, and has been based in New York City since 1993. In recent years she has also joined the academic world, serving as a Professor of Practice at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts.
Early Life and Background
Reiko M. Aylesworth was born on December 9, 1972, in Evanston, Illinois, and grew up in a household with Dutch, Welsh, and Japanese roots. Her given name, Reiko (礼子), is Japanese, while her surname, Aylesworth, is English. The family later moved within Illinois, settling in Springfield, where Aylesworth spent her late teenage years and first discovered a passion for performance.
While living in Springfield from 1987 to 1988, Aylesworth began taking part in productions at the Springfield Theatre Centre. She understudied several roles before being cast as Consuelo in a stage production of West Side Story. Even as her family prepared to relocate to Seattle, Washington, she chose to stay behind in Springfield with family friends so she could complete the play’s run, an early sign of her commitment to acting.
After joining her family in Seattle, Aylesworth enrolled at the University of Washington, where she studied neuroscience. She continued to act on the side, appearing in productions including Invisible Friends at the Seattle Children’s Theatre and in the Intiman Theatre Company’s staging of Peter Pan, in which she played Wendy. Her performance in Peter Pan drew the attention of talent scouts from ABC, setting the stage for her professional career.
Path to Celebrity
Aylesworth’s path into professional acting began through her Seattle theater work. Her casting as Wendy in Peter Pan at the Intiman Theatre Company quickly caught the eye of ABC scouts, who helped her land her first on-screen role as Rebecca Lewis on the long-running soap opera One Life to Live. The soap served as her television debut and gave her early on-camera experience.
Once her character was written out of One Life to Live, Aylesworth moved on to a series of small screen and film projects. She appeared in the independent film Childhood’s End and in the final episode of the HBO series Lifestories: Families in Crisis, while also performing in at least three Off-Broadway productions in New York. These early credits helped her establish a foothold in both television and stage work.
She continued building her résumé with guest spots and supporting parts, including a guest appearance on Law & Order, a role in the miniseries A Will of Their Own, and small parts in the films Random Hearts and You’ve Got Mail. She also earned a guest star turn on the CBS series Now and Again. Although NBC cast her as Becca Coltrane in a pilot titled Sherman’s March, the project aired only as a standalone television movie and was not picked up to series.
Reiko M. Aylesworth Career
Early Career (1988–2001)
Aylesworth began her professional career in 1988, working in regional theater in Illinois and Washington before moving into television. Her early credits included soap opera work on One Life to Live, an appearance on Law & Order, and a role in the miniseries A Will of Their Own. She also balanced her on-screen work with Off-Broadway stage performances in New York.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, she took on a string of guest roles and supporting parts. These included appearances in The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the CBS series Ed, and a lead role in the short-lived supernatural hospital drama All Souls. She also joined the cast of The American Embassy, which was cancelled after only four episodes.
Breakthrough (2001–2007)
After the cancellation of The American Embassy, Aylesworth auditioned for 24, initially for the part of Nina Myers and later for Kate Warner, but both roles went to other actresses. The producers were impressed with her work and offered her a ten-episode recurring role as CTU agent Michelle Dessler in the show’s second season. Although she was credited as a guest star, she appeared in all 24 episodes of that season.
Director Jon Cassar noted the chemistry between Aylesworth and Carlos Bernard, who played Tony Almeida, which led the writers to develop their onscreen relationship. By the third season, Aylesworth had been promoted to the main cast, with Michelle and Tony married and serving in leadership positions at CTU. The pairing became a fan favorite and would later resurface as a driving force in the show’s seventh season.
When 24’s third season ended, the producers released most of the cast, including Aylesworth. She quickly landed a recurring role as DNA analyst Chandra Moore on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, though the character was written out after a single episode. Michelle Dessler later returned to 24 in the fourth season as CTU Director, only to be killed by a car bomb in the opening episode of season five.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond 24, Aylesworth’s most recognizable credits include her role as Amy Goodspeed in three Season 5 episodes of Lost, a recurring turn as Dr. Malia Waincroft across seven episodes of Hawaii Five-0, and a recurring role as Allie Jones in nine episodes of Scorpion during 2016 and 2017. She also appeared in the 2007 feature film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem and worked opposite Kevin Costner in Mr. Brooks.
Reiko M. Aylesworth Award Nominations
Verified award nomination totals for Reiko M. Aylesworth are not available from the supplied sources. With no confirmed nominations to summarize, this section is omitted rather than estimated.
Reiko M. Aylesworth Awards Won
Verified award wins for Reiko M. Aylesworth are not available from the supplied sources. With no confirmed wins to summarize, this section is omitted rather than estimated.
Reiko M. Aylesworth Family
Reiko M. Aylesworth comes from a family of Dutch, Welsh, and Japanese ancestry. Her given name is Japanese, while her surname is English. She is married to Rob Clare, a scholar and expert on Shakespearean theater. As of the fall of 2022, she also serves as a Professor of Practice at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts theater department.
Personal Life
Aylesworth has lived in New York City since 1993 and is married to Rob Clare, an authority on Shakespearean theater. Her diverse background, which includes Dutch, Welsh, and Japanese heritage, has shaped both her personal identity and her wide-ranging work across television, film, and stage. In addition to her acting career, she has continued to take on academic work in theater education.