Alison Brie's Real Name: Alison Brie Schermerhorn

Quick answer: Alison Brie's real name is Alison Brie Schermerhorn. She was born on December 29, 1982, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress lists the variant Schermerhorn, Alison Brie and records birth on December 29, 1982, in Hollywood, Los Angeles. She shortened her professional billing to Alison Brie, using her middle name as a surname on screen. She graduated from South Pasadena High School and earned a BFA in acting from the California Institute of the Arts. Early stage, clown work at children's parties, and small television credits preceded her breakout sitcom and cable drama roles. Her mother is Jewish; her father has Dutch, English, and Scottish ancestry—details she has discussed in interviews that match major profiles.

Quick facts

• Real name: Alison Brie Schermerhorn
• Known as: Alison Brie
• Born: December 29, 1982, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
• Known for: Actor
• Notable work: Community, Mad Men, GLOW, Horse Girl
• Sources checked: Library of Congress Name Authority

Career highlights

Brie played Annie Edison on NBC's Community (2009–2015) and Trudy Campbell on AMC's Mad Men. She later starred as Ruth Wilder in Netflix's GLOW (2017–2019), earning Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations, and has written and produced film projects including Horse Girl (2020). Additional film work includes The Post, Promising Young Woman, and comedies with her husband, actor Dave Franco. Across credits she is billed Alison Brie; legal and authority records retain Schermerhorn as the family surname.

Name notes

Brie is her middle name used as a professional surname; Schermerhorn is the birth surname documented by LOC and film databases. Searchers looking for "Alison Schermerhorn" will find the same person. Prefer LOC over entertainment blogs that invent alternate spellings.

Beyond sitcoms, she has leaned into darker indie leads and producing, which keeps search interest tied to both Community nostalgia and newer film credits under the same Alison Brie billing.