Chyler Leigh West (born April 10, 1982), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie. She also portrayed Dr. Lexie Grey on medical drama Grey's Anatomy. She currently stars in Taxi Brooklyn as Cat Sullivan.
Early Life:
Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Yvonne Norton and Robert Potts. Leigh was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where her parents ran a weight-loss business. However, when Leigh was eight, the business went bankrupt and at the age of twelve, following the break-up of her parents' marriage, Leigh moved with her mother and brother Christopher Khayman Lee to Miami, Florida where her mother re-married her first husband. Following her parents' divorce, Leigh was estranged from her father for many years, but the two have since reconciled.
While in eighth grade, she started modelling. She soon began acting by appearing in local television commercials and a syndicated teen news show called Hall Pass. In 1999, Leigh and her mother relocated to Los Angeles, California in order for Leigh to develop a career in acting. At age 16, Leigh took and passed the California High School Proficiency Exam.
Career:
Leigh started acting at an early age and debuted in the film world at age 15 in 1997's Kickboxing Academy, starring opposite her brother, who played her love interest in the movie. She started hosting in local TV shows and modeling; in 2001, Leigh nabbed the lead role in the box-office success Not Another Teen Movie as Janey Briggs. She also appeared in Marilyn Manson's music video "Tainted Love", a song which appeared in the film. She was ranked #65 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2002. In 2002, Leigh was cast in two short-lived TV series: Girls Club, in which she played lawyer Sarah Mickle, and That '80s Show, in which she played punk rocker June Tuesday. She then became a series regular on the ABC legal drama The Practice, but was let go at the end of the season due to budget cuts. Following that, she joined the cast of Reunion in September, 2005.
In ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Leigh first appeared as a woman in Joe's bar who was noticed by Derek Shepherd while in the third season finale, it was revealed that she was Lexie Grey. She was made an official series regular for season four, and remained so until the eighth season finale. Chyler is starring in the TV movie Window Wonderland.