# Rachel Blanchard
**Rachel Blanchard** (full name Rachel Louise Blanchard) is a Canadian actress born in 1976 in Toronto, Ontario, best known for playing Cher Horowitz in the television series *[Clueless](https://www.edgepedia.org/clueless-tv-series)* (1996–1999), Nancy in the British sitcom *Peep Show*, and Susannah Fisher in *The Summer I Turned Pretty* (2022–2025).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=3082) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Rachel Louise Blanchard, 1976, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) |
| Breakout role | Cher Horowitz in *Clueless* (ABC/UPN, 1996–99), a role played by Alicia Silverstone in the 1995 film; she appeared in 61 episodes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=3082) |
| Awards | Golden Nymph from the Television Festival of Monte Carlo for *Peep Show*; a Gemini for *Call Me Fitz* per Rotten Tomatoes, recorded by TV Guide as a 2011 nomination[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rachel-blanchard/bio/3000248063/) |
| Signature comedy roles | Nancy in *Peep Show* (2004–2007, 8 episodes), Sally in the *Flight of the Conchords* pilot, Kitty Nygaard in *Fargo* season 1 (5 episodes)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) |
| Longest series role | Emma Trakarsky in *You Me Her* (Audience Network, 2016–2020, 50 episodes)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) |
| Recent work | Susannah Fisher in *The Summer I Turned Pretty* (2022–2025, 17 episodes); Bonnie in Netflix's *Tires* (2026, 6 episodes)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) |
| Screen credits | 66 acting credits listed by IMDb, plus one producing credit[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) |
## Early life and Canadian television
Blanchard began acting at an early age, appearing in television commercials, including one for [McDonald's](https://www.edgepedia.org/mcdonalds), and taking a recurring role in 1984 on the CBC children's series *The Kids of Degrassi Street* (1979–1986), where she played Melanie Schlegel.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/31343/rachel-blanchard) Over the following decade she worked steadily in Canadian television, with recurring roles as Debi, the daughter of Suzanne McCullough, in the syndicated *War of the Worlds* (1988–1990), and as the ghost story aficionado Kristen on *Are You Afraid of the Dark?* (YTV/[Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon), 1990–96, 1999–2000).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/31343/rachel-blanchard)
She continued acting through her teenage years while completing high school at Havergal College, an all-girls school in Toronto, and then attended Queen's University in [Kingston, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingston-ontario), where she briefly considered a career in psychology. She left before graduating to focus on acting.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
## Clueless and teen-oriented work
Her career peaked in 1996 when she was cast as Cher Horowitz in *Clueless*, the series based on the 1995 film, which was itself based on [Jane Austen](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-austen)'s *Emma*. The broad comedy ran for one season on ABC before moving to UPN for its final two years, and Blanchard appeared in 61 episodes from 1996 to 1999.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [2](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=3082) To prepare for the role, she visited some Los Angeles high schools and found the scene somewhat like the film had portrayed.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
The series led to other teen-oriented projects, including the film *The Rage: Carrie 2* (1999).[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rachel-blanchard/) She then settled into a two-year recurring role on *7th Heaven* (2002–2004) as Roxanne, a police officer teamed with [Geoff Stults](https://www.edgepedia.org/geoff-stults)'s Kevin Kinkirk.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/31343/rachel-blanchard)
## Film work
Blanchard played sweet, often befuddled young women in a string of modestly popular comedies: *Road Trip* (2000), *Sugar & Spice* (2001), and *Without a Paddle* (2004).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) She tried to move away from that character type with a turn as a murdered journalist in [Atom Egoyan](https://www.edgepedia.org/atom-egoyan)'s thriller *Where the Truth Lies* (2005), opposite [Kevin Bacon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-bacon) and [Colin Firth](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-firth), and as Mercedes in the horror comedy *Snakes on a Plane* (2006).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) On Rotten Tomatoes' critics scale, *Snakes on a Plane* is her highest-rated film at 69 percent, while *Chasing Holden* (2001) is her lowest at 0 percent.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) Later film work includes the Canadian productions *Adoration* (2008) and *Daydream Nation* (2010), and *Deep Water* (2022) with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rachel-blanchard/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
## Television comedy
Television comedy remained her strongest showcase. As Nancy, the American girlfriend of [Robert Webb](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-webb)'s character Jeremy Usborne in the British sitcom *Peep Show* ([Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4), 2003–2015), she earned a Golden Nymph from the Television Festival of Monte Carlo; she appeared in the second series and reprised the role in the fourth, for 8 episodes in total.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/31343/rachel-blanchard) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) She played Sally, a woman who comes between eccentric bandmates played by [Jemaine Clement](https://www.edgepedia.org/jemaine-clement) and Bret McKenzie, in the pilot episode of HBO's *Flight of the Conchords* (2007–09).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard)
For *Call Me Fitz* (HBO Canada/Movie Central/Movie Network, 2010–13), in which she played a brain-damaged woman involved with [Jason Priestley](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-priestley)'s morally bankrupt hero, Rotten Tomatoes records that she won a Gemini Award, while [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide)'s biography lists a 2011 Gemini nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Comedic Series.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rachel-blanchard/bio/3000248063/)
She then took a recurring role as ex-beauty queen Kitty Nygaard in the debut season of FX's *Fargo* (2014, 5 episodes), and made guest appearances on *Childrens Hospital* and *Another Period*.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) Her return to series lead work came with *You Me Her* (Audience Network, 2016–2020), a U.S.-Canadian comedy in which she and Greg Poehler play a couple who enter a polyamorous relationship after her character falls in love with an escort ([Priscilla Faia](https://www.edgepedia.org/priscilla-faia)); Blanchard appeared in all 50 episodes as Emma Trakarsky.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
## Recent work
Blanchard played Susannah Fisher, the mother of the protagonist's love interest, in the Prime Video adaptation *The Summer I Turned Pretty*, appearing in 17 episodes across 2022–2025.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) Her film and guest credits in this period include *Vicious* (2025, as Lainie) and an episode of *9-1-1* (as Dina Montridge).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) • [7](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-34432/filmographie/) In 2026 she joined the cast of Netflix's comedy *Tires* as Bonnie for its third season, in 6 episodes; the season reached number five on Netflix's Global Top 10 English TV list the week of August 17, 2026, and the series was renewed for a fourth season.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/news/)
## References
1. [Rachel Blanchard Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rachel_blanchard)
2. [Rachel Blanchard, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=3082)
3. [Rachel Blanchard, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/)
4. [Rachel Blanchard Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rachel-blanchard/bio/3000248063/)
5. [Rachel Blanchard, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/31343/rachel-blanchard)
6. [Rachel Blanchard, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rachel-blanchard/)
7. [Rachel Blanchard : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-34432/filmographie/)
8. [Rachel Blanchard - News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004761/news/)
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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 › Canadian actors › Surnames A to Co*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: 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