Lindsey Pearlman

Lindsey Erin Pearlman (October 5, 1978 – February 18, 2022) was an American actress and known for her roles on General Hospital, Chicago Justice and The Ms. Pat Show. She was also active in television commercials.

Personal life
Pearlman was born on October 5, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois and started her acting career at a young age. She was married to Vance Smith, a film producer and director.

She was a staunch animal rights activist. Through her work as an organizer for Circus Protest Chicago, she helped to abolish the use of wild animals in Ringling Brothers Circus. Pearlman devoted a great deal of time and effort to rescuing, fostering, and finding permanent homes for animals. In her final years, she frequently worked as a trap-neuter-return volunteer with the Sante D'Or Foundation.

Career
Pearlman trained at The Second City Conservatory. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2017, she was an active member of the Chicago theatre community. In 2013, she won the Non Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role for her work in the play Never the Bridesmaid. She also toured to colleges and military bases around the world as a performer in Catharsis Productions' Sex Signals, an interactive improvisational comedy show geared towards sexual assault prevention. On television, she recurred in Chicago Justice, in the role of Joy Fletcher, for five episodes. She also had guest roles in Sneaky Pete, American Housewife, The Purge, General Hospital, and countless television commercials. In 2021, she recurred as Martha on The Ms. Pat Show, and as Karen in Haus of Vicious. She also played Diane Warren on Selena: The Series on Netflix (2021).

Death
On February 15, 2022, Pearlman was reported missing to LAPD. Police found her body in a vehicle on February 18, after responding to a radio call for a death investigation at Franklin Avenue and North Sierra Bonita Avenue. The cause of death, confirmed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner, was determined to be suicide by intentional overdose of sodium nitrite.