Biography

Jennifer Gareis (August 1, 1970, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American actress and former beauty queen. She gained recognition as Miss New York USA in 1994 and reached the Top 6 in the Miss USA pageant. Her acting career began with guest roles in films such as The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) and Private Parts (1997). She later starred in Miss Congeniality (2000), Boat Trip (2002), and The 6th Day (2000). On television, she became known for her role as Grace Turner in The Young and the Restless (1997–2014). Since 2006, she has played Donna Logan in The Bold and the Beautiful, a role for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2024. In addition to acting, Gareis worked as a model and appeared in magazines such as Glamour and Esquire. She holds a degree in accounting from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Gareis is married to Bobby Ghassemieh and has two children.