Biography: Many actors begin as children who appear in neighborhood plays, but young Carrie Preston took the process even further at age 12 when she became the impresario of her own front-yard theater company as producer, writer, casting director, costumer, director – and of course, actress.

"We wrote the plays and I recruited the local kids as actors," says Georgia-native Preston. "I pulled the wardrobe together, sold lemonade and charged 10 cents for admission. I was very serious and cracked the whip. We made all the local papers."

Preston later opted for a bigger stage on Broadway en route to her newest role on "Emeril" as a confident but quirky food stylist. She was born and raised in Macon, Georgia, where her mother was an artist and art therapist while her dad was a geo-technical engineer who tested soil. She obtained a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Evansville and then an acting diploma from the prestigious Juilliard School.

Shortly after graduation from Juilliard, Preston got her first big break in "The Tempest" as Miranda opposite Patrick Stewart in a Shakespeare-in-the-Park production (which later moved to Broadway). She soon ventured out to Los Angeles to appear in such feature films as "My Best Friend’s Wedding" (as a sassy Southern bridesmaid to star Cameron Diaz) and "Mercury Rising" (starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin). But the theater-trained actress maintained her base in New York and returned for additional stage roles.

Preston recently completed a starring role as Honey in "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis (again with Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl) and in "Chaucer in Rome" at New York’s Lincoln Center. She rates her roles in "My Best Friend’s Wedding" and in "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as two of her favorite roles to date. Among Preston’s other films are "The Legend of Bagger Vance," "For Richer or Poorer" and "Guinevere." She also appeared in the TV movie "Gracie and Glorie." Preston’s other stage credits include "Antony & Cleopatra" with Vanessa Redgrave, "She Stoops to Conquer," and "Hamlet."

Preston notes that both she and her alter ego B.D. on "Emeril" are hard workers but there are differences between them. "She’s capable but kind of obsessed with Martha Stewart, and for her, presentation is everything," says Preston. "It’s funny that I’m playing a food specialist even though I’m not a good cook. But I’m learning on the set."

When not working, Preston enjoys writing prose as well as hiking, jogging, yoga, and the outdoors in general. She also maintains an extensive music collection including many vinyl records. She is married to fellow actor Michael Emerson, a 2000-01 Emmy Award nominee for "The Practice." Her birthday is June 21. (This bio from "Emeril" in 2001)