---
name: "Nora Zehetner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/nora-zehetner"
fi1m_id: "nora-zehetner"
imdb_id: "nm0954253"
tmdb_id: 34070
wikidata_id: "Q232171"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "5 February 1981"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 66
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-05T02:18:21.205266+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Nora Zehetner

## Identity

Nora Zehetner

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/nora-zehetner
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** nora-zehetner
- **IMDb ID:** nm0954253
- **TMDB ID:** 34070
- **Wikidata ID:** Q232171
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Zehetner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232171, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34070

Actor. Born 5 February 1981 in El Paso, Texas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 5 February 1981, El Paso, Texas, USA
- **Active:** 2001–2006
- **Also known as:** Nora Angela Zehetner
- **Average Fi1m score:** 66, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 67 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Romance 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $291m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Zehetner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232171, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954253/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34070

## Fi1m on Nora Zehetner

> Nora Zehetner is an intriguing presence in independent film and genre television, particularly when a character gives little away. We rate her contribution to *Brick*, while wishing its elaborate detective story left her more room to be ordinary.

Laura Dannon is someone we want to watch closely in *Brick* (2006), even when the film leaves her little room to behave like a teenager. Nora Zehetner makes her intriguing, and that matters in Rian Johnson's demanding high-school noir. We recommend the film for its sharpness and tension, with a reservation about how much its plotting asks of the supporting players. We were frustrated by how little adolescent distress reached us through Laura, because the plotting kept her so busy fulfilling the requirements of a detective story.

An early part as Hoop in *May* (2002) came before that breakthrough, and Zehetner worked with Johnson again as Rose in *The Brothers Bloom* (2008). Television provided recurring roles as Eden McCain in *Heroes* (2006) and Dr. Reed Adamson in *Grey's Anatomy* (2009), followed by *Maron* (2013–2016). The career has largely been built from supporting and recurring parts. That gives us reason to be careful about treating the restrictions of one role as proof of everything an actor can or cannot do.

*Brick* also gives us a useful comparison within the same film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes the elaborate talk convincing and keeps the adolescent hurt close; Zehetner's Laura and Lukas Haas's The Pin more often seem occupied with fulfilling the requirements of the mystery. Johnson's plotting bears some responsibility, but being intriguing is not enough on its own to make us care. We want to know what Laura might do without the detective story directing her, and the performance does not quite answer that.

Zehetner's recurring association with enigmatic women is understandable, particularly after *Brick*, but we would be cautious about making that the whole case for her. A part that requires an actor to keep us guessing can make it difficult to show much else, however well the casting works. Her recurring television work asks for something less conspicuous: the ability to fit into an ensemble and sustain relationships between characters. We would welcome a leading part that let her be direct, funny or simply unguarded for a while.

## Biography

Nora Angela Zehetner is an American actress. She was born on 5 February 1981 in El Paso, Texas. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to begin an acting career.

Zehetner is known for her role as Laura Dannon in the 2005 film *Brick*. She has also appeared in films including *American Pie 2* (2001) and *May* (2002), and on television in *Everwood*, *Heroes* as Eden McCain, *Grey's Anatomy* as Dr Reed Adamson, and *The Right Stuff* as Annie Glenn.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Brick* (2006), Fi1m 81, as Laura Dannon — [page](https://film.one/film/brick.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), Fi1m 68, as Eden McCain — [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *American Pie 2* (2001), Fi1m 49, as Girl at Party — [page](https://film.one/film/american-pie-2.md)

## Complete filmography (43)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *E.B. White's Charlotte's Web* (2025), series, as Mrs. Snide / Adult Junior / Quilter (voice)
- *Monster Summer* (2024), as Abby Reed
- *Boneyard* (2024), as Detective Young
- *Blood for Dust* (2024), as Amy
- *The Right Stuff* (2020), series, as Annie Glenn
- *Green Eggs and Ham* (2019), series, as Clerk (voice)
- *It Happened in L.A.* (2017), as Nora
- *Lost in Sound* (2017), Actor
- *Designated Survivor* (2016), series, as Valeria Poreskova
- *Creative Control* (2016), as Juliette
- *Home Is Where Your Heart Aches* (2015), as Kat
- *The Hitchhiker* (2014), as Nancy Adams
- *Danny and the Wild Bunch* (2014), as Miranda
- *Imperial Dreams* (2014), as Janine
- *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2013), series, as Viola
- *Maron* (2013), series, as Jen
- *Common Law* (2012), series, as Kendall
- *Grimm* (2011), series, as Khloe Sedgwick — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/grimm.md)
- *Jerry* (2009), as Girl
- *Warehouse 13* (2009), series, as Rose
- *Spooner* (2009), as Rose Conlin
- *The Brothers Bloom* (2008), as Rose
- *Princess* (2008), as Princess Ithaca
- *Remarkable Power* (2008), as Athena
- *Beneath* (2007), as Christy Wescot
- *Mad Men* (2007), series, as Phoebe — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/mad-men.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), series, as Eden McCain — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Conversations with Other Women* (2006), as Young Woman
- *Fifty Pills* (2006), as Michelle
- *Brick* (2006), as Laura Dannon — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/brick.md)
- *The Adventures of Big Handsome Guy and His Little Friend* (2005), as Plain Jane
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, as Reed Adamson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *The Burning Land* (2003), as Rose
- *May* (2003), as Hoop
- *Everwood* (2002), series, as Laynie Hart
- *She Spies* (2002), series, as Ashley Blaine
- *Point of Origin* (2002), as Trish
- *R.S.V.P.* (2002), as Leigh Franklin
- *Off Centre* (2001), series, Actor
- *American Pie 2* (2001), as Girl at Party — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/american-pie-2.md)
- *Tart* (2001), as Peg
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), series, as Girl #2 — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *Spring Bloom*, as Sabrina

## Gallery

- ![Nora Zehetner](https://film.one/media/person/99462/gallery-bbb2fd5b2ee9.jpg) Nora Zehetner — Stephen Cripps (original), User:optimale (modification), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Norazehetner1_londonexpo07_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Nora Zehetner at London Expo 2007 on 20./21. October 2007](https://film.one/media/person/99462/gallery-a24e087fad57.jpg) Nora Zehetner at London Expo 2007 on 20./21. October 2007 — Stephen Cripps, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Norazehetner1_londonexpo07.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/nora-zehetner