Milena Govich

Milena Govich is an American actress, director, singer, dancer, and musician born on October 29, 1976, in Norman, Oklahoma. Her father, Dr. Bruce Michael Govich, was of Serbian descent and taught music at the University of Oklahoma, while her mother, Dr. Marilyn Green Govich, of Scottish and English ancestry, was a music professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her aunt, Milica Govich, is also a performer with Broadway, television, and film credits, including a recurring role as Trial Judge Leanne Dreben on Law & Order beginning in 2022. Govich graduated as valedictorian from Norman High School in 1995 and later earned a double degree in performance and pre-medical studies from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999, again finishing as valedictorian, with a minor in dance and violin. Following graduation, she relocated to New York City to pursue a professional acting career.

Govich's Broadway work spans from 1998 to 2005 and includes three productions. She joined the long-running 1998–2004 revival of Cabaret in December 2000, initially performing as Lulu — a role that incorporated her singing, dancing, and violin playing — before serving as understudy and eventual replacement for the lead role of Sally Bowles. She also appeared in the 2002 revival of The Boys from Syracuse and in the musical Good Vibrations. Outside of Broadway, Govich starred as Millie Dillmount in the first regional production of Thoroughly Modern Millie and, in July 2012, took the title role of Charity Hope Valentine in a production of Sweet Charity in Oklahoma City.

On television, Govich first drew national attention playing Gabby in the pilot episode of the CBS series Love Monkey, followed by the role of Candy, a prostitute and con artist, on Rescue Me. She appeared in the lead cast of Conviction, a Dick Wolf-produced mid-season replacement series that aired in early 2006. Wolf subsequently cast her as Detective Nina Cassady in the main cast of Law & Order for the 2006–2007 season, where her character partnered on screen with Jesse L. Martin's Detective Ed Green; both were replaced the following season. Additional television credits include New Orleans District Attorney Lyndsey Swann on the 20th Century Fox Television series K-Ville, Assistant District Attorney Tracy Hunt on the CBS series The Defenders, Regina Turner on Make It or Break It, and a leading role on the MTV drama Finding Carter. Twelve years after her Law & Order tenure, Govich returned to work with Wolf as a director and co-executive producer on his CBS series FBI.

Her film appearances include Bad Behavior (2004), In Love (2006), Sordid Things (2009), A Novel Romance (2011) opposite Steve Guttenberg, and Lucky Number opposite Method Man. As a director, Govich was selected as one of eight filmmakers for the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women, where she was mentored by Paul Feig. Her short film Temporary, which secured her acceptance into the AFI program, won multiple awards on the film festival circuit. She also directed the short film Unspeakable, written by her husband, writer, composer, and film producer David Cornue, which was conceived as a proof-of-concept pilot for a one-hour television drama. On October 10, 2008, Govich sang the United States national anthem at the New Jersey Devils' home opener at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and has appeared twice on tour as a guest performer with Taiwanese pop star Fei Xiang.