# Nora Zehetner
**Nora Zehetner** (full name Nora Angela Zehetner; born 1981) is an American film and television actress from [El Paso, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-paso-texas), best known for playing Laura Dannon in [Rian Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rian-johnson)'s debut film *Brick* (2005) and for recurring television roles as Eden McCain on *Heroes*, Dr. Reed Adamson on *Grey's Anatomy*, Jen on *Maron*, and [Annie Glenn](https://www.edgepedia.org/annie-glenn) on *The Right Stuff*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Nora Angela Zehetner, 1981, El Paso, Texas[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nora_zehetner) |
| Breakthrough | Laura Dannon, the female lead of *Brick* (2005), opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) |
| Recurring TV roles | Eden McCain on *Heroes*; Dr. Reed Adamson on *Grey's Anatomy*; Jen on *Maron* (IFC, 2013–2016); Annie Glenn on *The Right Stuff*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/) |
| *Brick* recognition | The film won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) |
| Lead indie film | Juliette in *Creative Control* (2015), which premiered at South by Southwest and was named one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) |
| Recent work | *Blood for Dust* (2023), *Boneyard* (2024), *Monster Summer* (2024), and the 2025 series *Grosse Pointe Garden Society*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) |
## Early life and path to acting
Zehetner was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised between El Paso and Dallas[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/). She enrolled at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, an early-college program at the [University of North Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-north-texas), intending to study math and science at a high level. An advisor at the school suggested that the teenage film devotee would do better to pursue acting in Los Angeles[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/). She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253).
Her first screen appearances were small: a student in an early episode of *Gilmore Girls* in 2000 and "Girl at Party" in *American Pie 2* (2001)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/). Through 2001–2003 she accumulated credits including *Tart*, *R.S.V.P.*, *Point of Origin*, the cult horror film *May* (as Hoop), and the WB series *Everwood*, where she played Laynie Hart in twelve episodes across the first two seasons[4](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/) • [5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-114981/filmographie/).
## Breakthrough with Brick and independent film
*Brick*, Rian Johnson's directorial debut, cast Zehetner as Laura, the enigmatic female lead opposite [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://www.edgepedia.org/joseph-gordon-levitt). The post-noir mystery won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival), and Zehetner's profile rose with it[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253). She followed with the role of the young woman (the younger version of the character played by [Helena Bonham Carter](https://www.edgepedia.org/helena-bonham-carter)) in *Conversations with Other Women* (2005) and Rose in Johnson's second film, *The Brothers Bloom* (2008)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) • [5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-114981/filmographie/).
Other film work from this period includes *Fifty Pills* (2006), *Beneath* (2007), *Princess* (2008, as Princess Ithaca), *Remarkable Power* (2008), and Drake Doremus's comedy *Spooner* (2009), in which she played Rose Conlin opposite [Matthew Lillard](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-lillard)[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-114981/filmographie/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253).
**Creative Control.** In Benjamin Dickinson's *Creative Control* (2015) Zehetner played Juliette, a yoga teacher in a strained relationship with the protagonist. The black-and-white near-future comedy premiered at the 2015 [South by Southwest](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-by-southwest) festival and was named one of the top ten films of the year by the [National Board of Review](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-board-of-review)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) • [6](https://coproductionoffice.eu/assets/films/creative-control/presskit/DICCRE_PressBook_low.pdf). The same year she appeared in the Netflix film *Imperial Dreams* with [John Boyega](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-boyega) and Keke Palmer; on Rotten Tomatoes it is her highest-rated film at 92 percent[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nora_zehetner).
## Television career
Zehetner's recurring television roles trace a steady move from guest parts to series work. She played the superpowered agent Eden McCain on NBC's *Heroes*, with sources listing nine episodes airing between 2006 and 2009[4](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/). On *Grey's Anatomy* she played Dr. Reed Adamson across the show's sixth season, a ten-episode run between March 2009 and June 2010[4](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/). On AMC's *Mad Men* she appeared in two 2010 episodes as Phoebe[4](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/).
From 2013 to 2016 she played Jen, Marc Maron's younger girlfriend, in six episodes of the IFC comedy *Maron*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253). Guest appearances in this stretch included *Grimm*, *Common Law*, *Warehouse 13*, *Southland*, *The Astronaut Wives Club* (as Marilyn See, 2015), and *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.*[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-114981/filmographie/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/).
**Later series roles.** In the ABC political drama *Designated Survivor* she played Valeria Poreskova, a British MI6 agent working undercover as a Russian intelligence agent, in five episodes[4](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/) • [7](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/trs_nora_zehetner_d9968746.pdf). Her largest later role was Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut [John Glenn](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-glenn), in *The Right Stuff* (2020), the [National Geographic](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-geographic) series based on [Tom Wolfe](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-wolfe)'s book about the early NASA space program; she appeared in eight episodes[7](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/trs_nora_zehetner_d9968746.pdf) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253).
## Recent work
In 2023 Zehetner played Amy in *Blood for Dust*, appearing opposite [Scoot McNairy](https://www.edgepedia.org/scoot-mcnairy) and Kit Harington[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253). In 2024 she was Detective Young in the Lionsgate film *Boneyard* with Mel Gibson and 50 Cent, and Abby Reed in *Monster Summer* with Mason Thames, Lorraine Bracco, and Kevin James[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253). In 2025 she joined the cast of the series *Grosse Pointe Garden Society* as Melissa, in nine episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253).
Across her filmography, review aggregators place her best-received work in independent film: besides *Imperial Dreams* (92 percent), *Brick* stands at 79 percent with critics and 86 percent with audiences, while her lowest-rated credit remains the 2002 comedy *R.S.V.P.* at 20 percent[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nora_zehetner).
## References
1. [Nora Zehetner, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253)
2. [Nora Zehetner - Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/nora-zehetner/)
3. [Nora Zehetner Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nora_zehetner)
4. [Trayectoria profesional de Nora Zehetner, FormulaTV](https://www.formulatv.com/personas/nora-zehetner/trabajos/)
5. [Nora Zehetner : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-114981/filmographie/)
6. [Creative Control press kit, Coproduction Office](https://coproductionoffice.eu/assets/films/creative-control/presskit/DICCRE_PressBook_low.pdf)
7. [Nora Zehetner biography, National Geographic / The Right Stuff](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/trs_nora_zehetner_d9968746.pdf)
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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 X to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license