Marla Sokoloff

Marla Sokoloff (pronounced SOCK-oloff) (born December 19, 1980)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=vaneBgAAQBAJ&dq=marla+sokoloff+1980&pg=PA384 Broken Dreams by Mel Chizedek]</ref> is an American actress. She is known for playing Gia Mahan on Full House and Fuller House, Cokie Mason in The Babysitters Club movie, and Lucy Hatcher on the legal drama series The Practice. She also appeared as Joey's sister Dina on Friends and as the nanny Claire on Desperate Housewives. She has starred in the films True Crime (1996), The Climb (1999), Whatever It Takes (2000), Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), Sugar & Spice (2001), The Tollbooth (2004), Love on the Side (2006), Play the Game (2009), and The Merry Gentlemen (2024).<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Sokoloff was born in San Francisco, to Cindi (née Sussman) and Howard Sokoloff, a former caterer and podiatrist. Her family is Jewish<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and originates from Russia and Germany. She graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she studied music and theatre.<ref name=":1" />

Career

In 1993, Sokoloff (then aged 12) began pursuing an acting career when she was cast as Gia Mahan in the popular ABC sitcom Full House. She was originally in-mind to play Topanga Lawrence on ABC's Boy Meets World, and had even filmed a few scenes; however, the part was subsequently given to Danielle Fishel. In 1995, she appeared in the film adaptation of The Babysitters Club as Marguerite “Cokie” Mason, the “bad-girl” and archenemy of the babysitters. In 1998, Sokoloff landed the role of receptionist Lucy Hatcher on the legal television drama series The Practice. Along with other popular appearances, she is well-remembered as Joey's pregnant sister, Dina, on season 8 of Friends. She also had a three-episode stint as nanny Claire on the comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives.<ref name=":1" />

In 2000, she played Maggie Carter in the teen romance film Whatever It Takes.

In November 2006, she starred in the ABC television series Big Day, which ended on January 30, 2007. She also made a guest appearance in an episode of Burn Notice, where she played Melanie, working undercover as a receptionist at a Miami art gallery whose owner had murdered her character's father.

Sokoloff also has starred in several movies, including Whatever It Takes, The Climb, The Tollbooth, Dude, Where's My Car?, Sugar & Spice and Love on the Side.

In 2008, Sokoloff starred alongside Paul Campbell, Andy Griffith, Doris Roberts and Liz Sheridan in the romantic comedy Play the Game. She also voices the Glatorian Kiina in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn. She played Imogene O'Neill in the mini series Meteor.

In 2012, she starred in the television film A Christmas Wedding Date.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

She reprised her role as Gia on Full HouseTemplate:'s sequel series Fuller House, making 11 appearances starting with the second season episode "Girl Talk".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life

Sokoloff dated actor James Franco for five years after they met on the set of Whatever It Takes in 1999.<ref name="peoplebio">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2004, she began dating Deadsy drummer Alec Puro. They married in 2009,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and have three daughters.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	So I Married an Axe Murderer	Alcatraz Visitor
1995	Freaky Friday	Rachel French	TV movie
	Template:Sortname	Marguerite "Cokie" Mason
1996	True Crime	Vicki Giordano	Video
1997	Template:Sortname	Stacey	Short
1999	Template:Sortname	Leslie Himes
2000	Whatever It Takes	Maggie Carter
	Dude, Where's My Car?	Wilma
2001	Sugar & Spice	Lisa Janusch
	Prairie Dogs	Starlett	Short
2003	Template:Sortname	Connie	TV movie
2004	Freshman Orientation	Marjorie
	Love on the Side	Eve Stuckley
	Template:Sortname	Sarabeth Cohen
2005	Template:Sortname	Rachel	Short
	Crazylove	Ruth Mayer
	Christmas in Boston	Gina	TV movie
2009	Play the Game	Julie Larabee
	Bionicle: The Legend Reborn	Kiina (voice)	Video
	The Flower Girl	Laurel Haverford	TV movie
2010	Gift of the Magi	Della Young	TV movie
2011	Scents and Sensibility	Marianne Dashwood
	Template:Sortname	Wendy
2012	A Christmas Wedding Date	Rebecca	TV movie
2016	Do You Take This Man	Zoe
	Summer in the City	Mindy	TV movie
2017	Template:Sortname	Mindy
2018	Preschool in L.A.	Miss Allison	Short
2019	The Road Home for Christmas	Lindsey	TV movie
2020	Home, But Not Alone	Mom	Short
2023	Sweet on You	Kate's Mom	TV movie
2024	The Merry Gentlemen	Marie	Netflix

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Boy Meets World	Paige	Episode: "Cory's Alternative Friends"
	The Second Half	Courtney	Episode: "It's My Party"
1993–95	Full House	Gia Mahan	Recurring Cast: Season 7–8
1994	Step by Step	Marissa	Episode: "Thirteen with a Bullet"
1995	Home Improvement	Paige	Episode: "Let Them Eat Cake"
1995–96	Party of Five	Jody Lynch	Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
1996	3rd Rock from the Sun	Dina	Episode: "Post-Nasal Dick"
1997	Over the Top	Gwen Martin	Main Cast
1998	7th Heaven	Jen	Episode: "Nothing Endures But Change"
1998–04	Template:Sortname	Lucy Hatcher	Main Cast: Season 3–7, Recurring Cast: Season 8
2001	Night Visions	Julia	Episode: "My So-Called Life and Death"
	Strange Frequency	Darcy King	Episode: "More Than a Feeling"
	Friends	Dina Tribbiani	Episode: "The One with Monica's Boots"
2004–05	Desperate Housewives	Claire	Recurring Cast: Season 1
2006	Modern Men	Molly Clark	Recurring Cast
2006–07	Big Day	Alice Hopkins	Main Cast
2009	Burn Notice	Melanie	Episode: "Seek and Destroy"
	Meteor	Imogene O'Neil	Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
	Maneater	Jennifer Ellenback	Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
	Drop Dead Diva	Mia Reynolds	Episode: "Crazy"
2011	CSI: NY	Abigail West	Episode: "Party Down"
2013	Melissa & Joey	Dr. Chelsea Mullins	Episode: "Can't Hardly Wait"
2014	Mind Games	Jane	Episode: "Texts, Lies and Audiotapes"
	Template:Sortname	Dani Kirkland	Recurring Cast: Season 1–2
2015	Grey's Anatomy	Glenda Castillo	Recurring Cast: Season 11
	Hot in Cleveland	Chloe	Episode: "Kitchen Nightmare"
2016–20	Fuller House	Gia Mahan-Harmon	Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3–5
2018	Hollywood Darlings	Marla	Episode: "Y2K"

Music videos

Year	Artist	Song	Role
2001	Everclear	"Brown Eyed Girl"	Brown Eyed Girl
2013	Cindy Alexander	"Wonderful"	Girlfriend

External links

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