Background
Capshaw was born in Columbia, Missouri, the daughter of actress and producer Kate Capshaw, and Robert Capshaw, a sales manager, marketing director, business executive, and high school principal.
Capshaw was born in Columbia, Missouri, the daughter of actress and producer Kate Capshaw, and Robert Capshaw, a sales manager, marketing director, business executive, and high school principal.
She graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1994 and Brown University in 1998 with an English degree. She then attended acting classes at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London.
She is known for her role as Jamie Stringer in The Practice and Doctor Arizona Robbins on the American Broadcasting Company medical drama Grey"s Anatomy. She was introduced in the latter show"s fifth season as an attending surgeon and the new head of pediatric surgery. Originally contracted to appear in three episodes, Capshaw"s contract was extended to the remainder of the fifth season, with her becoming a series regular in the sixth season.
She is the stepdaughter of director Steven Spielberg.
In the 2001 slasher film Valentine, Capshaw played Dorothy Wheeler. In 2009, she became a regular on the medical drama Grey"s Anatomy.
lieutenant was first reported in December 2008 that Capshaw would be joining the cast of Grey"s Anatomy as pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins, for a multi-episode arc. Initially scheduled to appear in three episodes of the show"s fifth season, series creator Shonda Rhimes later extended Capshaw"s contract to appear in all of the season"s remaining episodes, becoming a series regular in the sixth season.
She was established as a love-interest for orthopedic resident Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez).
Series creator Shonda Rhimes was pleased with the chemistry between Robbins and Torres, citing the addition of Capshaw to the cast as an element of the season of which she was most proud. Speaking of the new addition, Rhimes said: "I love Jessica Capshaw, and when I say love I mean love. She couldn"t be a more wonderful person, and I feel like the chemistry Arizona and Callie have feels like the Meredith and Derek chemistry to medical
I find them delightful to watch." Initial media reaction to the character was positive.
Matt Mitovich of television Guide described her as a "fan favorite", and Chris Monfette for IGN praised the addition of "fresh, new characters", such as Robbins over the course of the season.
Quotations:
"I love Jessica Capshaw, and when I say love I mean love. She couldn"t be a more wonderful person, and I feel like the chemistry Arizona and Callie have feels like the Meredith and Derek chemistry to medical I find them delightful to watch." Initial media reaction to the character was positive.
Matt Mitovich of television Guide described her as a "fan favorite".