Genevieve Padalecki

A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of Arts, where she earned both a BFA in Drama and a BA in English, Genevieve Cortese initially earned her chops as an actor as a stage actress for touring company productions of plays such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." She finally burst onto the national TV scene in 2005 as Kris Furillo, the horse riding lead character of the ABC Family series "Wildfire." The show ran for four seasons before being canceled in 2008. From there, the San Francisco native barely missed a small screen beat, moving on to an 11-episode arc on the 2008-2009 season of horror series "Supernatural" and a 10-episode assignment for the 2009-2010 season of the single season science-fiction drama "FlashForward." Her stint on "Supernatural" also led to the more substantial role of co-star Jared Padalecki's wife, whom she married in 2010. The wedding took place in Idaho, where Cortese moved with her family when she was in her teens and which she considers home.