'Actress Of The Week, Elisabeth Rohm' AskMen.com January, 2005 Why we like her? We're smitten with Elisabeth Rohm's well-rounded but unrestrained philosophy of life. Her combination of beauty and thoughtfulness give us a few ideas of our own. Why is she famous? Elisabeth Rohm plays no-nonsense Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn on the long-running hit NBC drama, Law & Order. Before she took on that role, she played Kate Lockley on the WB's Angel. Quote "Going to a restaurant doesn't cut it. You'll never get to know someone just sitting across the table and talking. You have to experience each other. I think taking a road trip together is really good for romance." -Elisabeth Rohm Biography Elisabeth Rohm was born on April 28, 1973, in Dusseldorf, Germany. Her German father, Eberhard, is a corporate attorney, while her American mother, Lisa, is a writer. The Rohm family moved to New York City in 1974, and Elisabeth still holds dual American/German citizenship (although her parents divorced when she was 8). Elisabeth attended the boarding school Saint Andrew's-Sewanee in Tennessee, and between the ages of 5 and 11, she trained to be a professional equestrian. To this day, she enjoys horseback riding and wants to learn how to jump. When Elisabeth was 17 -- during her self-described "wild" years -- she traveled to Miami to see if she could make a go at modeling. Not much came of it, and Elisabeth moved to Bronxville, New York, where she attended Sarah Lawrence College. There, Rohm studied writing and European history, thinking that she would pursue a career in a related field -- but things turned out differently. To make friends in her freshman year, Elisabeth auditioned for the play Bondage, and was cast; as soon as she was onstage, she was hooked. Elisabeth Discovers One Life To Live Once she had her bachelor's degree, Elisabeth became an assistant to an agent in New York. That served as a springboard to minor theater roles, and Elisabeth even had an uncredited appearance in Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997). Next, Elisabeth landed a recurring role on the soap opera One Life to Live, from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, she got a role on the made-for-TV movie The Invisible Man, produced by Dick Wolf, while 1999 saw Elisabeth in two miniseries: NBC's The '60s and the BBC's Eureka Street. That same year, Elisabeth landed her longest-running role to that point, appearing as Kate Lockley on Angel, the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, from 1999 to 2001. In 2000, Elisabeth starred in the TNT Wall Street drama series, Bull. Elisabeth Rohm On Law & Order Elisabeth Rohm's breakout role came in 2001, when she was picked by Dick Wolf (who was familiar with her work on The Invisible Man) to replace Angie Harmon on Law & Order. As Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn, Elisabeth became the latest in a long line of brainy and beautiful sidekicks to A.D.A. Jack McCoy, played by veteran actor Sam Waterston. "Sam Waterston has been a great teacher and friend," Elisabeth would later admit, "who has taught me about taking risks." Elisabeth Rohm Joins Miss Congeniality 2 In spite of the good experience on the show, Elisabeth may be leaving Law & Order. Although she's committed to a few more episodes, she'll then be free to pursue other opportunities, such as the Sandra Bullock vehicle Miss Congeniality 2 (to be released in 2005) and a number of upcoming TV projects. In the meantime, Elisabeth is dating MSNBC's legal correspondent, Dan Abrams, and splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, where she is active singing, writing and supporting local artists. What else do you need to know? Quote "I always wanted the fairy tale, but now I want someone who is a great partner. When you fall head over heels for someone, you're not falling in love with who they are as a person; you're falling in love with your idea of love." -Elisabeth Rohm Overall Rating 81 Though born in Germany, Elisabeth Rohm was raised in America. Her first childhood interest was riding horses, which she trained for intensively. But her goals shifted to writing, in the form of fiction and history, by the time she entered Sarah Lawrence College. It was while she was in college that the thoughtful and risk-taking Rohm fell in love with acting. After getting her degree, she quickly found work on the soap opera One Life to Live; she followed it up with a long line of guest appearances on the cult favorite Angel. In 2001, she was cast in the role for which she's best known, A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn on Law & Order. Now Elisabeth is starting to look for opportunities beyond the familiar Law & Order format. But the need to find new challenges is not unusual for someone so multitalented. Elisabeth has written a novel, sings, and continues to ride horses; she also counts hiking, biking, skiing, traveling, and studying architecture among her hobbies. Personality & Talent 78 Outgoing, but at the same time introspective, Elisabeth Rohm has a remarkably well-rounded personality. Her interests range from history to equestrianism, and she has a keen sense for psychology, too. "I believe you're supposed to do something every day that you're afraid of," she says. "I live by that motto, which is why some people see me as ballsy." It's easy to see that Elisabeth has acting talent to spare. Dick Wolf, creator/producer of Law & Order (and its plethora of spinoffs) praised her as "one of the finest young actresses working in television." But Elisabeth has many amateur skills as well. In addition to horseback riding, she sings and has even written a novel (as yet unpublished). Sexiness 85 Elisabeth Rohm's sexiness is undeniable. She enjoys eating at steakhouses, for instance, so dinner with her wouldn't be one of those I'll just have the garden salad affairs. She thinks traveling is sexy too, but that's easy for her to say; anyplace would be sexy if Elisabeth Rohm were going there. In 2002, Elisabeth made Maxim magazine's "Hot 100" list. And considering her vivacious personality and sense of fun -- not to mention her lithe and graceful good looks -- Elisabeth makes it onto our own personal "Hot 1" list. Accomplishments & Fame 76 Elisabeth Rohm's accomplishments have been impressive and steadily paced. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sarah Lawrence College in the mid-1990s, she decided to become an actress. First, she cut her teeth on the daytime soap One Life to Live, then she gained cult popularity with a recurring role on Angel. Finally, she reached a mainstream audience on Law & Order, playing A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn. Elisabeth's fame has been growing, too. On One Life to Live and Angel, she had a relatively small, but dedicated, group of fans. With Law & Order, she's become a household name to millions. But she still has a way to go before she becomes a star in her own right and carries a TV series or movie. She will surely gain more recognition when she'll be seen in 2005's Miss Congeniality 2, starring Sandra Bullock. Natural Beauty 83 At 5'8" tall, with blonde hair and greenish eyes, Elisabeth Rohm is the prototypical German beauty. She has high cheekbones and slightly angular features which, on anyone else, would look severe. But Elisabeth's warmth and ready smile more than compensate. Even when she's looking pensive, there's still a little twinkle in her eyes. Plus, Elisabeth complements her natural beauty with judicious use of beauty products; in the April 2004 issue of Women's Day magazine, she shared some of her beauty tips and preferred products. As men, it was all Greek to us, but judging by the results, we assume she knows what she's talking about. Personal Style 81 Elisabeth Rohm has an excellent sense of style. She can pull off any color, and can use it effectively. For example, she uses black to great effect -- since it provides a great contrast with her stunning blonde hair -- whether she's wearing an elegant evening gown for a night out, or a black blouse and denim jacket to watch a basketball game. Don't let Elisabeth's Law & Order character, Serena Southerlyn, give you the wrong impression. "She's a bit icy," Elisabeth explains, "I'm more granola!" Indeed, Elisabeth likes a kind of personal style, from floral prints to wavy hair, which would give the more staid Serena an aneurysm. Secret Wish To have Elisabeth Rohm take a look at our legal briefs. This article is the intellectual property of AskMen.com and its author. It is transcribed simply for fan purposes. No copyright infringement is intended. :: Back up ::       2008 Rohm with a View. Rohm with a View (lis-rohm.net) is an independent publication and is not endorsed by Elisabeth Rohm, her management or any related companies. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Elisabeth Rohm or her management.