Garlington was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. She has guest starred in a number of notable television series, including The West Wing, 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, Will & Grace, Matlock, L.A. Law, The Practice, Quantum Leap, Home Improvement, Boston Legal, Roseanne, Get a Life, Profiler, Medium, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Two and a Half Men, Lie to Me and among other series. She also played the part of Kirsten, Rose Nylund's (Betty White) daughter in the final season of The Golden Girls and Ronni, the mistress of Joey Tribbiani's father on Friends.[2] From 2002 to 2005, she had a recurring role as Brenda Baxworth on Everwood. She was one of the stars of the series Lenny.[3]
In 2018, Garlington received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role as Darlene in Broken.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 1984 | Jessie | Pat | Episode: "Valerie's Turn" |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues | Maura | Episodes: "Hacked to Pieces", "Seoul on Ice" |
| 1986 | Stingray | Anne | Episode: "Below the Line" |
| 1987 | Matlock | Paula | Episode: "The Chef" |
| 1987 | Sledge Hammer! | Dr. Sara Johanssen / Markovich | Episode: "Comrade Hammer" |
| 1987 | Amen | Domina | Episode: "Into the Night" |
| 1987 | L.A. Law | Regina Furnald | Episode: "Pigmalion" |
| 1987 | Student Exchange | Mrs. Whitcoms | TV film |
| 1987 | Family Ties | Beth Davis | Episode: "Miracle in Columbus" |
| 1987–88 | Hooperman | Gail | Episodes: "John Doe, We Hardly Knew Ye", "The Naked and the Dead", "In Search of Bijoux" |
| 1988 | Down Delaware Road | Janet Rhonda | TV film |
| 1988 | Winnie | Gladys | TV film |
| 1988 | Raising Miranda | Helen Lundquist | Episode: "Marcine Shoplifts" |
| 1989 | Murphy Brown | Shawnee | Episode: "It's How You Play the Game" |
| 1989 | Heartbeat | Judy Pellman | Episode: "What the Inspector Saw" |
| 1989 | Seinfeld | Claire | Episode: "Good News, Bad News" |
| 1989 | Cold Sassy Tree | Mary Willis | TV film |
| 1989 | {{sortname>A|Brand New Life|nolink=1}} | Linda | Episodes: "The Honeymooners", "Above and Beyond Therapy", "Private School" |
| 1989 | {{sortname>The|Nutt House}} | Angelica | Episode: "Suites, Lies and Videotape" |
| 1989, 1991 | Roseanne | Carole Karoszek / Karen Miller | Episodes: "Death and Stuff", "Santa Claus" |
| 1990 | Last Flight Out | Jan | TV film |
| 1990 | {{sortname>A|Killing in a Small Town}} | Peggy Blankenship | TV film |
| 1990 | Bar Girls | Shelly | TV film |
| 1990 | When You Remember Me | Joanne | TV film |
| 1990–91 | Lenny | Shelly Callahan | Main role |
| 1991 | Get a Life | Patti | Episode: "Married" |
| 1991 | {{sortname>The|Whereabouts of Jenny}} | Gina | TV film |
| 1991 | Who's the Boss? | Ms. Foster | Episode: "Tony and Angela Get Divorced" |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Nurse Chatam | Episode: "Shock Theater" |
| 1991 | Posing: Inspired by Three Real Stories | Josette | TV film |
| 1991 | Coach | Barbara | Episode: "I Hate Barbara" |
| 1992 | Reasonable Doubts | Martine Sullivan | Episode: "The Shadow of Death" |
| 1992 | Blossom | Samy | Episode: "Whines and Misdemeanors" |
| 1992 | {{sortname>The|Golden Girls}} | Kirsten | Episode: "Home Again, Rose: Part 2" |
| 1992 | Shame | Tina Farrell | TV film |
| 1992 | Arresting Behavior | Connie Ruskin | Main role |
| 1992 | When No One Would Listen | Lee | TV film |
| 1993 | Kiss of a Killer | Helaine | TV film |
| 1993 | Dying to Love You | Rita | TV film |
| 1993 | Sirens | Ann Hollings | Episode: "Everybody Lies" |
| 1993 | Torch Song | Phyllis | TV film |
| 1993 | River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene | Janice | TV film |
| 1993 | Love Matters | Nan | TV film |
| 1993 | {{sortname>The|Conviction of Kitty Dodds|nolink=1}} | Anne Williams | TV film |
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. | Judy Hampton | Episode: "The Gift" |
| 1993 | Home Improvement | Joanie Graham | Episode: "Feud for Thought" |
| 1994 | Birdland | Diane Van de Ven | Episode: "Crazy for You" |
| 1994 | Wings | Vi | Episode: "Exclusively Yours" |
| 1994 | {{sortname>The|Yarn Princess|nolink=1}} | Wanda | TV film |
| 1994 | Phenom | Marla Casey | Episode: "Just a Family of Doolans Sittin' Around Talkin'" |
| 1994 | Take Me Home Again | Nell | TV film |
| 1994 | Higher Education | Faye | Main role |
| 1995 | See Jane Run | Carole Garson | TV film |
| 1995 | Friends | Ronni | Episode: "The One with the Boobies" |
| 1995 | Whose Daughter Is She? | Annie | TV film |
| 1995 | {{sortname>The|Monroes|The Monroes (1995 TV series)}} | Bailey Izzy | Episode: "Emission Control" |
| 1995, 1997 | Grace Under Fire | Emily | Episodes: "Matthew Gets Busted", "Matthew's Old Lady" |
| 1996 | Summer of Fear | Winnie | TV film |
| 1996 | Champs | Jeanette | Episode: "Two of a Kind" |
| 1996 | Profiler | Dr. Frances Barry | Episode: "Insight" |
| 1996 | Dark Skies | Betty Hill | Episode: "The Awakening (Pilot)" |
| 1996 | Townies | Kathy Donovan | Main role |
| 1997 | Total Security | Karen Des Moines | Episode: "Wet Side Story" |
| 1997 | Nash Bridges | Jill Reichert | Episode: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Carol Sardos | Episode: "The Lung and the Restless" |
| 1997, 1999, 2004 | NYPD Blue | Rosie DePaul / Lea Chambers / Margret Lidz | Episodes: "Three Girls and a Baby", "Mister Roberts", "The Vision Thing" |
| 1998 | {{sortname>The|Net|The Net (U.S. TV series)}} | Carol Walters | Episode: "Bulls and Bears" |
| 1998 | Maximum Bob | Rosellen Fortenot | Episode: "Bay of Big's" |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Judge Mary Ruben | Episode: "Cop Out" |
| 1999 | Can of Worms | Dana Pillsbury | TV film |
| 1999 | Snoops | Alicia Spitz Gordon | Episode: "The Heartless Bitch" |
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Georgette | TV film, segment: '1972' |
| 2000 | Blood Money | Jeri Williams | TV film |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Dr. Kemper | Episode: "The Undertow" |
| 2001 | Stranger Inside | Warden Arnold | TV film |
| 2001 | Titus | Sue | Episode: "NASCAR" |
| 2001 | Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man | Laura Lee Kestes | TV film |
| 2001 | Gideon's Crossing | Barb Palmer | Episode: "Clinical Enigma" |
| 2002 | Touched by an Angel | Dr. Josephs | Episode: "Ship-in-a-Bottle" |
| 2002 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Jessica Harris | Episode: "Hell's Bells" |
| 2002 | Once and Again | Ms. Conway | Episode: "Experience Is the Teacher" |
| 2002, 2005 | Six Feet Under | Fiona Kleinschmidt | Episodes: "Back to the Garden", "The Rainbow of Her Reasons" |
| 2002–2005 | Everwood | Brenda Baxworth | Recurring role (seasons 1–3) |
| 2003 | Abby | Jeanette Morris | Episode: "Abby's First Date" |
| 2003 | Joan of Arcadia | Charlotte Bloom | Episode: "Touch Move" |
| 2003 | Dragnet | Mrs. Price | Episode: "The Magic Bullet" |
| 2003 | Grounded for Life | Louise | Episode: "Been Caught Stealing" |
| 2009, 2009 | Crime Scene Investigation | Mrs. Frommer / Mrs. Briggs | Episodes: "Forever", "The Lost Girls" |
| 2003, 2005–06 | {{sortname>The|West Wing}} | Alana Waterman | Episodes: "Red Haven's on Fire", "Here Today", "Welcome to Wherever You Are" |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Carol Prosser | Episode: "Late Returns" |
| 2004 | {{sortname>The|District}} | Evelyn Parras | Episode: "Passing Time" |
| 2004 | Desperate Housewives | Alberta Holstein | Episode: "Anything You Can Do" |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Annette | Episodes: "Queens for a Day: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2004–05 | 8 Simple Rules | Fran / Leslie | Episodes: "Mother's Day", "VolleyBrawl" |
| 2005 | NCIS | Mary Hanlan | Episode: "The Meat Puzzle" |
| 2005 | Detective | Beatrice Doil | TV film |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Fara Linden | Episode: "Deny, Deny, Deny" |
| 2005 | Invasion | Helen Conrad | Episode: "The Cradle" |
| 2006 | Big Love | Grace Ann | Episode: "Eviction" |
| 2006 | Close to Home | Hannah Turley | Episode: "A Father's Story" |
| 2007 | Big Day | Wendy | Episode: "The Ceremony" |
| 2007 | Crossing Jordan | Dixie | Episode: "Night of the Living Dead" |
| 2007 | Two and a Half Men | Peggy | Episode: "I Merely Slept with a Commie" |
| 2007 | What About Brian | Mona | Episode: "What About Calling All Friends..." |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Alisa McKenzie | Episode: "Trial of the Century" |
| 2007 | {{sortname>The|Young and the Restless}} | Probation Officer Cavanaugh | Episode: "1.8709" |
| 2007–08 | {{sortname>The|Riches}} | Jane Fedley | Episodes: "Operation Education", "Field of Dreams" |
| 2008 | Medium | Marion Wheeler | Episodes: "Wicked Game: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2008 | {{sortname>The|Game|The Game (U.S. TV series)}} | Bren | Episode: "Baby on Board" |
| 2009 | Saving Grace | Sally Meeker | Episode: "Watch Siggybaby Burn" |
| 2009 | Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith | Jane Burns | TV film |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck | Briggitte Reinholt | Episode: "Briggitte Reinholt" |
| 2009–10 | Southland | Cathleen Kerik | Episodes: "Sally in the Alley", "The Runner" |
| 2010 | FlashForward | Carlene | Episodes: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "The Negotiation" |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Mrs. Walker | Episode: "Beat the Devil" |
| 2010 | Psych | Eugenia | Episode: "Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is" |
| 2010 | {{sortname>The|Whole Truth|The Whole Truth (TV series)}} | Judge Amy Shapiro | Episode: "True Confessions" |
| 2011 | Good Luck Charlie | Mrs. Krump | Episode: "Duncan vs. Duncan" |
| 2011 | Friends with Benefits | Billie | Episode: "The Benefit of Mardi Gras" |
| 2011–12 | {{sortname>The|Killing|The Killing (U.S. TV series)}} | Ruth Yitanes | Recurring role (seasons 1–2) |
| 2012 | {{sortname>The|Mentalist}} | Betty Fulford | Episode: "Devil's Cherry" |
| 2012 | Emily Owens, M.D. | Donna Fisher | Episode: "Emily and... the Outbreak" |
| 2013 | Private Practice | Stella Peterson | Episode: "Good Fries Are Hard to Come By" |
| 2013 | {{sortname>The|Bridge|The Bridge (2013 TV series)}} | Sherry Spellman | Episodes: "Calaca", "Rio", "Maria of the Desert" |
| 2013 | Dads | Janet | Episode: "My Dad's Hotter Than Your Dad" |
| 2014 | Suburgatory | Dorothy | Episode: "I'm Just Not That Into Me" |
| 2014 | Longmire | Ruth | Episode: "Of Children and Travelers" |
| 2014 | Stalker | Dep. Chief Diane Kindrick | Episode: "Crazy for You" |
| 2014–15 | Mistresses | Eleanor | Guest role (seasons 2–3) |
| 2015 | 40's and Failing | Rhonda Bodes | Episode: "Statistics" |
| 2015 | Major Crimes | Janet Sloan | Episode: "Turn Down" |
| 2016 | iZombie | Muriel Fletcher | Episode: "Fifty Shades of Grey Matter" |
| 2016 | Childrens Hospital | Geraldine Peters | Episode: "Through the Eyes of a Falcon" |
| 2016 | {{sortname>The|Engagement Clause|nolink=1}} | Elizabeth 'Bitsy' Tate | TV film |
| 2017 | {{sortname>The|Magicians|The Magicians (U.S. TV series)}} | Dana | Episode: "The Cock Barrens" |
| 2018 | Alexa & Katie | Loretta | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2018 | Broken | Darlene | TV series |
1. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BlgE42QlZkI/|title=Lee Garlington on Instagram: “Best way to spend a birthday is with the love of your life!! Meet mine - husband, best friend... and handyman😉💕”|publisher=Instagram|date=July 21, 2018|accessdate=February 26, 2019}}
2. ^Hey! It's That Guy!: The Fametracker.com Guide to Character Actors - Page 994, via Google Books
3. ^1 Lee Garlington Biography ((?)-), Film Reference
4. ^{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Nothing - "The Seinfeld Chronicles"|medium=DVD|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|date=2004-11-23}}