Jewel Staite

Biography

Jewel Belair Staite, a Canadian actress born on June 2, 1982, gained recognition for her roles as Catalina in Space Cases, as well as Kaylee Frye in the cult series Firefly and its film continuation, Serenity. Additionally, she portrayed Dr. Jennifer Keller in the popular sci-fi series Stargate Atlantis. Most recently, Staite appeared as Raquel Westbrook in the Canadian drama series, The L.A. Complex.

Originally from White Rock, British Columbia, Staite is the youngest of seven siblings. She began modeling in her youth and has been acting since she was six years old. Staite has indicated that her heritage includes British, Irish, French Canadian, and Iroquois roots. She honed her craft at the Vancouver Film School and also participated in the Vancouver Youth Theatre.

Staite married actor Matt Anderson on April 25, 2003, but announced their divorce in a blog post on December 13, 2011. Her portrayal of Kaylee Frye in Firefly earned her a devoted fanbase, and she contributed a chapter titled "Kaylee Speaks: Jewel Staite On Firefly" to the book Finding Serenity. In addition to her work in Firefly, she played Heidi Gotts in the series Wonderfalls and appeared in an episode of The X-Files.

As Dr. Keller in Stargate Atlantis, Staite joined the ranks of fellow Firefly alumni who transitioned to the Stargate franchise. She previously portrayed a Wraith child named Ellia in the episode "Instinct." Furthermore, Staite has lent her voice to animated series such as Mummies Alive! and Sabrina: The Animated Series. As of 2012, she was a regular on The L.A. Complex and also featured in an episode of The Listener.