Traylor Howard, born Traylor Elizabeth Howard on June 14, 1966, in Orlando, Florida, is an American actress known for her versatile roles in television and film. She grew up in Orlando and attended Lake Highland Preparatory School, where she appeared in a Juicy Fruit chewing gum commercial as a teenager.

After high school, she pursued a degree in communications and advertising at Florida State University, where she also worked at SeaWorld Orlando. Her career began in the mid-1990s with a role in the NBC sitcom "Boston Common," where she played Joy Byrnes, a doctoral student and love interest of the main character.

She gained further recognition for her role as Sharon Carter in the ABC sitcom "Two Guys and a Girl" from 1998 to 2001. Her film credits include "Dirty Work" (1998), "Me, Myself & Irene" (2000), and "Son of the Mask" (2005).

One of her most notable roles came in the USA Network television series "Monk," where she portrayed Natalie Teeger, the assistant to the titular character Adrian Monk, from 2005 to 2009. Her performance in "Monk" earned her widespread acclaim and several award nominations.

Traylor Howard has been married three times. Her first marriage was to Cameron B. Hall in 1990, which ended in divorce. She then married Christian Navarro in 2003, but they divorced in 2006. Since 2011, she has been married to Jarel Portman, and the couple has two sons, Sabu Howard Portman and Julien Portman.

Traylor Howard has received several awards and nominations for her work, including a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for "Two Guys and a Girl."