Kiele Sanchez, born on October 13, 1977, in Chicago, Illinois, is an American actress known for her roles in TV series such as "Lost" and "The Glades."

She grew up in a middle-class family with her three siblings and is of Puerto Rican, French, and Polish descent. Her father, Oscar Sanchez, worked as a racetrack jockey agent. She struggled with stage fright as a child but overcame it through high school stage productions, particularly a performance in "The Grapes of Wrath."

Her acting career began in 2000 when she auditioned for MTV's "Wanna Be a VJ" contest and was selected as one of the five finalists. Although she didn't win, an agent saw her performance and offered to represent her, prompting a move to Los Angeles.

She made her acting debut in TV films like "Live Girls" and "Class Warfare" and appeared in the short-lived drama series "That Was Then" and the sitcom "Married to the Kellys."

In 2006, Kiele Sanchez joined the cast of the hit ABC show "Lost" for its third season, playing the role of Nikki Fernandez. Despite fan responses to her character, she was killed off six episodes after her first appearance.

She also had a recurring role on the ABC show "Samantha Who?" and played a leading role in the 2008 film "Insanitarium" alongside Jesse Metcalfe. She co-starred as Gina, Nick's girlfriend, in the 2009 thriller "A Perfect Getaway," where her character was famously seen nude swimming near a waterfall.

Her film career includes roles in "30 Days of Night: Dark Days," where she took over the role of Stella Oleson from Melissa George, and "The Purge: Anarchy." She starred in the DirecTV drama series "Kingdom" and appeared in 49 episodes of "The Glades," which ran for four years.

In February 2020, she was cast as Lorna, the ex-wife of Mickey Haller, in the CBS series "The Lincoln Lawyer."

Kiele Sanchez was married to screenwriter and director Zach Helm from 2001 to 2008. In 2010, she began dating actor Zach Gilford, with whom she co-starred in the ABC television pilot "The Matadors."

They got married on December 29, 2012, and have one child, Zeppelin Adele Gilford, born through a surrogate mother in November 2017. Kiele and Zach Gilford also appeared together in "The Purge: Anarchy," playing a married couple.