Sarah Chalke was born on August 27, 1976 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The middle of three daughters, had by two adoption agency mediators, Sarah was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chalke caught the performing bug early on. She started to act in musical theater productions at the age of 8. At 16, she had a spot as an environmental reporter for the Canadian children's program, KidZone. 

She kept busy with roles in made-for-TV movies like 1992's City Boy and 1993's Relentless: Mind of a Killer, but nothing compared to the big break that came her way in 1993, when she was cast as the second "Becky" on ABC's hit sitcom, Roseanne. 

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To facilitate taping the show, Sarah moved to the San Fernando Valley as of the 1994-1995 season, after graduating from high school. She made a good replacement for Lecy Goranson (the original Becky), not only thanks to her physical resemblance to the actress, as many noted, but also for her bright appeal. After four years on the show, Roseanne came to a close in 1997. 

Not too good for the cowboy

Throughout her time on Roseanne, Sarah appeared in many television movies. In 1998, though, one of them turned into a steady job. While back in Vancouver, she starred in the Canadian TV flick, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, and a role in the television series of the same name followed (her role earned her a Gemini nomination in 2000). 

When the series ended, Chalke still found work, albeit in very low-profile projects, such as 2000's Cinderella: Single Again and Spin Cycle, and 2001's Kill Me Later and XCU: Extreme Close Up. But her hard work soon paid off with a starring role in a popular NBC series. 

Scrub-a-dub

NBC's sitcom Scrubs has been likened to a comedic ER, and it shares the same night on NBC as part of Thursday's "Must-See TV" lineup. Since 2001, Sarah has played a central role as Dr. Elliot Reid, an extremely motivated and sarcastic yet compassionate medical intern. Although she admitted to wanting to quit acting and attend college that same year, Sarah shows no sign of leaving the show. 

Chalke continues to migrate between California and British Columbia. She is fond of the outdoors, especially kayaking, hiking and skiing (she is a ski instructor). As well, she has a penchant for cooking Asian food with friends. She volunteers at a hospice for terminally ill children and has long worked for the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund. 

Credit: askmen.com