April Michelle Bowlby is an American actress, widely recognized for her role as ‘Stacy Barrett’ in the legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series ‘Drop Dead Diva’ and as ‘Kandi’ in the sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men.’ She began her career in modeling before transitioning to film and television series. Her first appearance on television was as an “extra” in the series ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,’ which was followed by guest roles in other shows. Shortly after, she landed the pivotal role of ‘Kandi’ in ‘Two and a Half Men.’ Her performance as ‘Stacy Barrett’ in the acclaimed series ‘Drop Dead Diva’ has brought Bowlby considerable fame internationally. She also played the recurring character ‘Rita Farr/Elastigirl’ in the web series ‘Titans,’ and will reprise this role in the spin-off series ‘Doom Patrol.’ Additionally, Bowlby has featured in TV films like ‘Sands of Oblivion’ and ‘The Wrong Daughter.’ She made her feature film debut in ‘All Roads Lead Home’ and later appeared in movies such as ‘The Slammin’ Salmon’ and ‘From Prada to Nada.’
Childhood & Early Life
April Michelle Bowlby was born on July 30, 1980, in Vallejo, California, USA. There is limited information about her parents, family history, and early years, other than the fact that she moved with her family to Manteca, California, during her childhood. There, she attended East Union High School, a secondary institution.
She pursued her studies at Moorpark College, a community college in Moorpark, Ventura County, California. Her academic focus included marine biology, French, and ballet. As a young girl, she aspired to be a ballerina.
Bowlby began her journey into the entertainment industry as a model. She later decided to pursue acting and trained under Ivana Chubbuck, a coach known for working with stars like Sharon Stone, Brad Pitt, and Beyoncé.
Career of April Bowlby
Bowlby moved to Los Angeles, California, and started attending auditions for movies. She made her acting debut on television, playing an extra named Kaitlin Rackish in the episode “Eating Gilbert Grissom?” of the CBS forensic crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She subsequently appeared in one-off roles in other series like CSI: NY (2005) and Freddie (2005).
Her significant breakthrough occurred in 2005 when she landed a recurring role as Kandi/Kimber in the third season of the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. She was featured in 17 episodes, receiving credit as a main cast member in the fourth season and as a guest star in the tenth and twelfth seasons.
At the same time, she took on the role of Heather in the David Flores-directed original movie Sands of Oblivion for the Sci-Fi Channel, which premiered on July 28, 2007. Additionally, she played Meg in four episodes of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
She made her feature film debut in the 2008 movie All Roads Lead Home. This film was honored as the Best Feature Drama at the International Family Film Festival and showcased her in the role of Natasha.
She appeared as Mia in the comedy film The Slammin’ Salmon, produced by Broken Lizard. This film made its debut at the Slamdance Film Festival on January 17, 2009, and was later released in limited theaters in the US on December 11, 2009, receiving mostly negative reviews.
Her next significant television project was the main role of Stacy Barrett in the American legal comedy–drama/fantasy series Drop Dead Diva, which is arguably the most notable role of her career to date. She portrayed this character throughout all six seasons of the show, which aired on Lifetime from July 12, 2009, to June 22, 2014. The series not only boosted her fame in the US but also brought her international recognition, being broadcast in various countries, including the UK, Australia, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.
She played the mean and self-absorbed Olivia in the US romantic comedy From Prada to Nada. This film had a limited release in the US on January 28, 2011, and earned $3 million at the box office.
She starred as Rachel Wilson in the TV film Marriage of Lies, which was initially titled Presumed. The movie premiered in the US on May 21, 2016, and was later showcased in France and Spain the following year. In 2016, she also played Katie Tate in the TV comedy The Engagement Clause, originally named Married by Christmas, which was released in the US on November 6 and later premiered in the UK, France, and Spain that same year.
Actress Bowlby made her debut as the ‘DC Comics’ superheroine ‘Elasti-Girl’ in the character’s initial live-action appearance in the show ‘Titans,’ which launched on October 12, 2018. A spin-off from this series, named ‘Doom Patrol,’ is scheduled to premiere in 2019, featuring Bowlby in the main cast.
She has guest-starred in individual episodes of shows including ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2010), ‘Psych’ (2010), and ‘You’re the Worst’ (2015). Additionally, she has been seen in TV films such as ‘The Wrong Daughter’ (2018) and ‘Homecoming Revenge’ (2018).
Family & Personal Life
In her personal life, Bowlby was in a romantic relationship with American musician and actor Josh Groban from November 2009 to March 2010. She has kept her current relationship status private, frequently sharing photos with various men. Despite rumors regarding her marriage and a potential pregnancy, Bowlby is currently single and does not have any children.
Net worth of April Bowlby
Her estimated net worth is around $2 million. She enjoys reading, cycling, and boxing as leisure activities. On social media, she has gained considerable recognition, with over 62 thousand followers on ‘Instagram’ and more than 37 thousand on ‘Twitter.’ At present, she resides in Los Angeles.
On April 13, 2017, she guest-starred as ‘Rebecca’ in an episode titled ‘The Separation Agitation’ from the tenth season of the ‘CBS’ sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ which was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. In the same year, she played the role of ‘Nikki’ in the TV movie ‘A Mother’s Crime,’ alongside Jenny Gabrielle and Matt Page. This film premiered in Canada on August 21 and subsequently in Spain and France.