Callies moved to Honolulu, Hawaii with her family when she was one year old. Throughout her youth, she expressed an interest in acting through participating in various school plays at the independent Punahou School. After graduating from high school, Callies entered Dartmouth College where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama in 1999, with a minor in women's studies and a senior fellowship in Indigenous theology.[2][3] In conjunction with her studies, Callies remained involved in theatre. She continued her education at the National Theatre Conservatory, where she obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2002.[1]
Career
Callies moved to New York in 2003 and then quickly landed her first television role as Kate O'Malley, a recurring part on the short-lived CBS show Queens Supreme.[4] Her first starring role was as Detective Jane Porter on The WB's Tarzan.
After making various guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Dragnet (2003), and NUMB3RS, Callies gained a starring role on Fox's Prison Break as Sara Tancredi. She played the role in the first two seasons, but her character was killed off for the third season before being brought back for the fourth season. According to Prison Break's executive producer Matt Olmstead, although the writers, the network, Callies herself, and he all wanted her to stay on the show, the character was written out due to contract disputes.[5] She stated through a spokesperson to TV Guide in fall 2007:
As hard as we all tried, the Prison Break powers that be and I were unable to find a way to meet both the needs of the story and the needs of my family. We parted wishing each other well. I had a wonderful time working with the creative team and have a world of respect for all of them; they took great care of Sara. I'm also enormously grateful to the fans. They've been so gracious and supportive, and I hope they continue to enjoy the show.[5]
Callies at the Edmonton Expo 2013
However, in March 2008, Olmstead stated that the character of Sara is still alive and would return in season four. Though the character Sara Tancredi appeared to have a violent death, Olmstead stated "...we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive."[6] Executive Producer Matt Olmstead admitted the fans' overwhelming response to her death had influenced the decision to bring the character, and Callies, back to the show.[7]
Callies starred in her first feature, the independent film The Celestine Prophecy, in 2006.[11] She also starred in the horror film Whisper alongside Josh Holloway the following year.[12] In April 2010, she appeared on the Fox Television drama House as a patient of the week, whose open marriage fascinates House and the team.[13] In August 2010, Callies' first screenplay, an adaptation of Campbell Geeslin's children's book Elena's Serenade, was optioned by French production company Fulldawa Films.[14]
Callies starred in the Nigerian movie Black Gold (2011) and one of the female lead roles in the Canadian thriller Faces in the Crowd (2011).[14] In 2015, she co-starred with Nicolas Cage in Uli Edel's thriller film Pay the Ghost.[15] In 2016, she returned to television in the lead role of Katie Bowman in Colony.[16]
Personal life
Callies is married to Josh Winterhalt, whom she met at Dartmouth College.[17] On January 23, 2007, her publicist announced that the couple were expecting their first child.[18] Their daughter was born in July 2007.[19] Their second child, an adopted son, was born in 2013.[20]
