Petite and blonde, actress Kiele Sanchez possessed a likeability factor that made her a favorite of television casting directors. Generally typecast as the sweet, pretty girl, Sanchez’s roles included a stint as Anne Sorrelli, the empathetic therapist and second eldest of four sisters on the WB series “Related” (2005-06) and the wholesome Midwestern wife on the sitcom “Married to the Kelly’s” (ABC 2003-04). Both series were short lived, but in 2006 she went with a sure thing. Rather than tackling a new, untested pilot, Sanchez made a wise move to the established mega-hit series, “Lost” (ABC 2004- ), taking on the role of Nikki on the addictive thriller and, in the process, getting her fair share of publicity as a bonus.Born in Chicago, IL on Oct. 13, 1977, Sanchez was raised with three siblings, inheriting her smashing good looks via her French and Puerto Rican heritage. And like most performers, her passion to perform presented itself at a young age. At age 13, Sanchez had to overcome her stage fright to star in her school production of “The Grapes of Wrath.” After facing her fears, she was more convinced than ever that this was her life’s work.
Her first attempt to enter the entertainment arena came in 2000 when she traveled to New York City to audition for the MTV “Wanna Be a VJ” contest. Despite making it to the final five – no small accomplishment, considering the thousands of entrants – in the end, she did not win the competition, but earned something just as valuable – an agent. This agent’s only stipulation: Sanchez had to move cross-country to Los Angeles. Sanchez agreed and soon after the move, began working, landing the role of “Dream Woman” in the low budget independent film, “Migrating Forms” (2000). Bit parts followed until she won a starring role in the TV series, “That was Then” (ABC, 2002) about a 30-year-old man who travels back in time to age 16 in the hopes of righting a childhood. Despite high hopes and a cast that included acting veterans Jeffrey Tambor and Bess Armstrong, the series was cancelled after only two episodes. It was back to the unemployment line for Sanchez, but not for long. She scored a guest part on the short-lived series, “Young MacGyver” (WB, 2003-04) and that same year, appeared on the big screen in a small role as the “pepper spray cutie” in the Farrelly Brothers kooky comedy, “Stuck on You” (2003) starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as Siamese twins.
An ideal sitcom star, Sanchez returned to television as Susan Kelly on “Married to the Kelly’s.” Starring as a young Midwestern newlywed who convinces her native New Yorker husband (Breckin Meyer) to trade his beloved Manhattan for her small hometown to live near her suffocating family, the unfunny sitcom did not click with audiences and was cancelled after only one season. In the pilot for “Four Kings” (NBC, 2006) she starred as the perfect girlfriend who gets away. Again, this series failed quickly, but Sanchez was already off filming a new sitcom – one which would for the first time, single out her talents and make her a household name.
The WB series, “Related” centered on the Sorrelli girls – four close-knit sisters who varied in age from college to mid-thirties. Part drama-part comedy, the show appeared to have the makings of a hit – especially considering the stellar pedigree that came along with it. Marta Kaufman, writer and executive producer of “Friends” (NBC 1994-2004) and Liz Tuccillo, head writer for “Sex and the City” (HBO 1998-2004) and co-author of the bestselling dating handbook, He’s Just Not that Into You (2004), were the creative masterminds behind the series, but reviews were unexpectedly lukewarm at best. Some critics described it a watered down version of Kaufman and Tuccillo’s former successes – and a disappointing one at that. Continuing to be dogged by bad reviews and more importantly lackluster response from the audience, the series was cancelled after one season. Despite yet another series crumbling down around her, “Related” had seen enough of a publicity build-up that Sanchez became a known name among many TV viewers; certainly she became a favorite within the industry.
As usual Sanchez was not without a job for long. Shortly after her previous show’s cancellation, the producers of “Lost” recruited her to star as one of its new cast members for its third season. Not bad news for an actress who had suffered through one cancellation after another – to land squarely in the middle of one of the most beloved ensembles on television at that time. As Nikki, Sanchez seemed poised for further character development after the second half of the third season – split in half – returned in early 2007. Fans of the show knew very little of her character, apart from her pairing with fellow “Lost’ newbie, Rodrigo Santoro, as the show's latest couple – both of whom wish to be further involved in helping John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) and their fellow survivors brave the seemingly evil island forces.
