Alicia Minshew

BIRTHDATE: May 28
BIRTHPLACE: Plantation, Fla.
STAR SIGN: Gemini
YEARS ON SHOW: 2002-present
MARITAL STATUS: married Richie Herschenfeld on October 26, 2008
CHILDREN: daughter Willow, born November 4, 2009

Alicia Minshew was raised in Florida by parents Jim and Lenore, with her three sisters. Despite her parents' divorce, the family remains very close-knit. Minshew knew she wanted to act from an early age. "I was always putting on shows for my family," she recalls. She began doing some serious acting in high school, which led her to receive a musical theatre scholarship to Indian River College. There she performed in the plays Grease, Kiss Me, Kate, Godspell and Nunsense. Also during college, Minshew hosted the satellite music TV show THE MUSIC ZONE, which she continued to do until she made the move to New York at the urging of her managers.

On her third day in Manhattan, she auditioned for AMC, and although casting director Judy Blye Wilson didn't think Minshew was quite ready for a contract role, she tracked the actress' progress and considered her for several other parts as time went on. According to Blye Wilson, "She had grown as an actress, and as a person had really found herself a little more between the first time she tested and the time she came in for Kendall." Before landing the part of Erica's firstborn, Minshew continued her acting training and supported herself as a restaurant hostess and through several profitable commercials, including spots for Always Maxi Pads and Coppertone. After joining the Pine Valley ranks, Minshew quickly forged close bonds with Cameron Mathison (Ryan), Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee) and others, and around the studio has earned any number of affectionate nicknames (Lish, Dish, Luscious and Delish among them). Her official Web site is www.aliciaminshew.com.