Penny Johnson Jerald

Penny Johnson Jerald played Sherry Palmer on 24. In the third season, massive fan response convinced the producers to bring her back, even though her return strained credibility.

Given that each season of the show takes place over the course of one day, most actors on 24 are restricted to one or two outfits. To date, Jerald is the only real exception to this rule, having worn around six different costumes in the first season, two in the second season and at least three in the third season.

In 2003, Jerald played Condoleezza Rice in the TV movie DC 9/11: Time of Crisisabout the September 11 terrorist attacks. Gregory Itzin, who plays President Charles Logan on 24, played John Ashcroft.

Biography
She has an extensive career in film and television, best known for her portrayals of Beverly Barnes on The Larry Sanders Show, of Kasidy Yates on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and of Sherry Palmer on 24.

Jerald began her career with small guest roles, and appeared on The Paper Chase from 1984 to 1986 and General Hospital in 1986, before she became recognised world over playing the title character's indispensable, unflappable personal assistant Beverly Barnes on The Larry Sanders Show.

Throughout the 1990s, Jerald guest starred in many television series such as Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Grace Under Fire, Cosby and Family Law.

Following Larry Sanders, Jerald appeared in the 1997 film Absolute Power and guest starred in 17 episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine playing adventurous freighter captain Kasidy Yates, who was also the romantic interest for the series' main character Benjamin Sisko, a role which she held from 1995 to the show's end in 1999. She also had a recurring guest role on ER playing Lynette Evans from 1998 to 1999. She then appeared as Roscoe Dellums in the Emmy Award winning TV movie "The Color of Friendship."

Jerald has been married for over twenty years and has an adult daughter.