Monica Potter, born Monica Gregg Brokaw on June 30, 1971, in Cleveland, Ohio, is an American actress known for her versatile roles in both film and television. Raised in Cleveland, she was the daughter of Nora Marie (Sexton), a homemaker and part-time cleaning lady, and Paul Ely Brokaw Jr., who invented the first flame-resistant car wax.

Her maternal grandparents were Irish immigrants, and she was raised Catholic. As a child, Monica wanted to be a nun and attended the Villa Angela Academy before graduating from Euclid High School.

Her acting career began at the Cleveland Play House when she was in elementary school. She later moved to Los Angeles in 1994 after appearing in several commercials in Chicago. Her screen debut came in 1994 on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless" as Sharon Newman.

She gained recognition for her roles in films such as "Con Air" (1997), "Patch Adams" (1998), and "Along Came a Spider" (2001). She also appeared in the horror film "Saw" (2004) and the remake of "The Last House on the Left" (2009).

In television, Monica Potter is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated role as Kristina Braverman in the NBC drama series "Parenthood" (2010-2015). She was also a series regular on "Boston Legal" and "Wisdom of the Crowd".

Off-screen, she is the founder and principal owner of Monica Potter Home, an upscale home goods, natural skincare, and home decor business in Cleveland. She has also been involved in producing a sitcom with Ellen DeGeneres and Warner Bros. Television, as well as a docu-series about renovating her childhood home.