Reiko M. Aylesworth is an American film, television and stage actress, born on 9 December 1972 in Evanston, Illinois. She is confirmed to be of Dutch, Welsh and Japanese ancestry, a heritage reflected in her Japanese given name and English surname; no specific Welsh birthplace, residence or living relatives in Wales have been identified, so the connection here is one of documented family heritage rather than a place-based tie to Wales.
She trained in theatre in Seattle while studying neuroscience at the University of Washington, before beginning her screen career on the soap opera 'One Life to Live'. She is best known for playing CTU agent Michelle Dessler across several seasons of the hit series '24', a role that made her a fan favourite alongside co-star Carlos Bernard. She also played Kelly O'Brien in 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem' (2007), and has since had recurring roles in 'Lost', 'Damages', 'Hawaii Five-0' and 'Scorpion', among many other credits. As of the early 2020s she was serving as a Professor of Practice in theatre at Southern Methodist University.