Actor / Actress
Actor / Actress
Alison Bartlett O'Reilly (born July 14, 1971) is a New York-based actress who has portrayed Gina Jefferson on Sesame Street since 1987, and has reprised the role in various related specials, direct-to-video productions, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.
Bartlett began her career as a child actress, appearing at the age of 12 as Joanne in the 1984 stage production of Landscape of The Body, co-starring Dann Florek and directed by Gary Sinise. Other stage credits include the role of Donna in the Broadway show Hurly Burly from 1985, and Off Broadway in Jersey City (1990).
In September 1985, her agent presented her with a "day player role" of Gina, one of Gordon's science students. Despite "warm feelings towards the show", she passed on the part, having been convinced she'd permanently maintain her tough girl typecasting; a rejection from Sesame Street would "sting too much", and destroy its place in her mind. Her agent urged her into an audition, and she credits show director Jon Stone for seeing past her self-depreciation. In 1991, she starred in the ABC After-School Special It's Only Rock and Roll, where she met her husband to be, writer/director Harry O'Reilly; at this point, she began receiving credit on Sesame Street under her married name, Alison Bartlett O'Reilly. She also guest starred on NYPD Blue in 1995. Taking time off to have three children, O'Reilly's work was primarily limited to Sesame Street.
However, in 2002, she began actively seeking other roles. In addition to appearing in the 2003 independent film Crooked Lines (directed by her husband), the actress began appearing in a variety of roles in different TV crime dramas, including the short-lived FOX series The Jury, various episodes of the Law & Order franchise, and a two episode stint on HBO's The Sopranos as Gwen McIntyre, a maternal woman who has fallen in love with an ex-con (Steve Buscemi's Tony Blundatto). In 2006, she appeared in several episodes of the FX show Rescue Me as Deb Stackhouse, the wife of a firefighter injured in a fire.
Alison Bartlett is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 26 verified screen credits connected to this profile.
Selected work includes The History of Sound (2025), Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie (1988), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Law & Order (1990), FBI (2018), The Sopranos (1999), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), Rescue Me (2004). The recorded credits span 1988 to 2025, including 15 movies and 11 TV shows.
The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.
Alison Bartlett O'Reilly · Alison Bartlett · Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly · Alison O'Reilly
MovieThe History of Sound
MovieSesame Street: Put Down the Duckie
TV ShowLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV ShowLaw & Order
TV ShowFBI
TV ShowThe Sopranos
TV ShowLaw & Order: Criminal Intent
TV ShowRescue Me
MovieMarty Supreme
MovieMaterialists
TV ShowMercy
TV ShowKidnapped
TV ShowGolden Boy
TV ShowThe Jury
MovieJim Henson Idea Man
TV ShowCanterbury's Law
MovieSesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration
MovieThe Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
MovieCrooked Lines
MovieThe Innkeepers
MovieSesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures
MovieKaraoke!
MovieSesame Street Stays Up Late!
MovieSesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
MovieDo I Know You From Somewhere?
MovieSesame Street: Elmo and Friends: The Letter Quest and Other Magical Tales