# Kiele Sanchez
**Kiele Sanchez** (full name Kiele Michelle Sanchez, born 1977 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actress and writer known for the films *[A Perfect Getaway](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-perfect-getaway)* (2009) and *[The Purge: Anarchy](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-purge-anarchy)* (2014) and for television roles in *Lost*, *The Glades*, *[Kingdom](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingdom-american-tv-series)*, *Criminal Minds*, and *Station 19*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977, Chicago, Illinois, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) |
| Signature TV roles | Nikki Fernandez in *Lost* (15 episodes, 2006–2008); Callie Cargill in *The Glades* (49 episodes, 2010–2013); Lisa Prince in *Kingdom* (40 episodes, 2014–2017)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) |
| Film roles | Gina in *A Perfect Getaway* (2009); Liz in *The Purge: Anarchy* (2014); Stella Oleson in *30 Days of Night: Dark Days* (2010)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [3](https://filmow.com/kiele-sanchez-a56309/) |
| Recent work | Sydney/Bridget Voit in *Criminal Minds* (2022–2024, 8 episodes); Kate Powell in *Station 19* (2023–2024, 7 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) |
| Writing | Staff writer and teleplay contributor on *The Fall of the House of Usher* (2023), including the series finale[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/) |
| Marriages | Zach Helm (2001–2008, divorced); Zach Gilford (married December 29, 2012; divorce filed April 2025)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/) |
| Height | 5′ 2″ (1.57 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) |
## Early life and start in television
Sanchez grew up in Chicago with three siblings and attended Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, where she appeared in a school production of *The Grapes of Wrath*.[4](https://www.biografias.es/famosos/kiele-sanchez.html) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/) According to TV Insider, she overcame stage fright to star in that production at age 13.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/)
Her first attempt to enter the entertainment industry came in 2000, when she traveled to New York City to audition for MTV's *Wanna Be a VJ* contest. She made the final five of thousands of entrants but did not win; the contest instead produced an agent, whose condition was that she move to Los Angeles.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/) The Brazilian profile Filmow places her as runner-up among 4,000 contestants.[3](https://filmow.com/kiele-sanchez-a56309/)
After the move she landed the role of "Dream Woman" in the low-budget independent film *Migrating Forms* (2000), then a starring role in the ABC series *That Was Then* (2002), which was canceled after two episodes.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/) She followed with a guest part on *Young MacGyver* and a small screen role as the "pepper spray cutie" in the Farrelly Brothers comedy *Stuck on You* (2003), then a season as Susan Kelly on the sitcom *Married to the Kellys* (ABC, 2003–04) and a regular role as Anne Sorelli on the WB series *Related* (2005–06).[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/)
## Lost and The Glades
Rather than take another untested pilot, Sanchez joined the established hit *Lost* for its third season as Nikki Fernandez, paired on screen with fellow newcomer [Rodrigo Santoro](https://www.edgepedia.org/rodrigo-santoro).[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/) IMDb credits her with 15 episodes across 2006–2008.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) The character's exit was abrupt: in the 2007 episode "Exposé," Nikki was buried alive by mistake while suffering temporary paralysis, a fate the Spanish profile Fametown links to a harsh audience reaction to the character.[7](https://fametown.com/fams/kiele-sanchez/)
Her longest-running television role followed in 2010: Callie Cargill on the A&E crime drama *The Glades*, filmed in Florida, which she played for 49 episodes from 2010 to 2013.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [7](https://fametown.com/fams/kiele-sanchez/)
## Kingdom and later television
In *Kingdom*, the DirecTV drama set in a mixed martial arts gym, Sanchez played Lisa Prince, Alvey Kulina's girlfriend and business partner, across 40 episodes from 2014 to 2017.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [8](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/775085-exclusive-interview-kiele-sanchez-kingdom) In a 2014 interview she described Lisa as "a really strong female in a male dominated world" and "a hustler," and noted that the role was not physically fighting work but required familiarity with the MMA world; the show's extras were professional or recently retired fighters rather than stunt performers.[8](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/775085-exclusive-interview-kiele-sanchez-kingdom)
Her later series work includes Sydney Voit (also credited as Bridget Voit), wife of the serial killer Elias Voit, in *Criminal Minds* (2022–2024, 8 episodes), and firefighter-paramedic Kate Powell in *Station 19* (2023–2024, 7 episodes).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) Kate was the only casualty of the *Station 19* series finale, killed in a fire tornado.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/) On *Criminal Minds: Evolution* she appeared opposite her real-life husband [Zach Gilford](https://www.edgepedia.org/zach-gilford), who played Elias Voit.[9](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Kiele_Sanchez)
## Film work
Sanchez's film credits include Gina in the Hawaii-set thriller *A Perfect Getaway* (2009), alongside [Milla Jovovich](https://www.edgepedia.org/milla-jovovich), Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, and [Chris Hemsworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-hemsworth), and Liz in *The Purge: Anarchy* (2014), in which she co-starred with Gilford as a married couple on screen as well.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) In *30 Days of Night: Dark Days* (2010) she played Stella Oleson, a role previously played by [Melissa George](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-george) in the first film; in an interview with Dread Central she said scheduling conflicts had kept her out of the original and called landing the sequel "fate."[3](https://filmow.com/kiele-sanchez-a56309/) • [10](https://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/20230/sanchez-kiele-30-days-of-night-dark-days/) Other credits include *Insanitarium* (2008), *Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium* (2007), *Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe* (2011), *Redemption Road* (2010), and the 2018 *Benji* remake.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/)
## Writing
In 2023 Sanchez moved behind the camera as a staff writer on Mike Flanagan's Netflix miniseries *The Fall of the House of Usher*, credited on all 8 episodes for teleplay and staff writing, and she co-wrote the series finale.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/)
## Personal life
Sanchez married writer and director Zach Helm in 2001; they divorced in 2008.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) She met actor Zach Gilford on the set of the television film *Matadors* in 2010, became engaged to him in December 2011, and married him on December 29, 2012.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) • [11](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Kiele%2BSanchez-181633/biography) They have two children, including daughter Zeppelin Adele Gilford, born 2017.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) • [11](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Kiele%2BSanchez-181633/biography) In 2015 she gave birth to a stillborn son, named Winter.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/) In April 2025 Gilford filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/)
## References
1. [Kiele Sanchez, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/)
2. [Kiele Sanchez – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/bio/)
3. [Kiele Sanchez, Filmow](https://filmow.com/kiele-sanchez-a56309/)
4. [Biografía de Kiele Sanchez, Biografías.es](https://www.biografias.es/famosos/kiele-sanchez.html)
5. [Kiele Sanchez – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760989/news/)
6. [Kiele Sanchez – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kiele-sanchez/)
7. [Kiele Sanchez (49), actriz – Biografía, Fametown](https://fametown.com/fams/kiele-sanchez/)
8. [Exclusive Interview: Kiele Sanchez on 'Kingdom', Mandatory](https://www.mandatory.com/fun/775085-exclusive-interview-kiele-sanchez-kingdom)
9. [Kiele Sanchez, Criminal Minds Wiki](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Kiele_Sanchez)
10. [Sanchez, Kiele (30 Days of Night: Dark Days), Dread Central](https://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/20230/sanchez-kiele-30-days-of-night-dark-days/)
11. [Kiele Sanchez Bio, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Kiele%2BSanchez-181633/biography)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames S to Se*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license