Teri Polo
Played the mother in 'The Fosters' for 104 episodes, portraying one of American television's first married lesbian leads for five seasons.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American actress·Birthday: June 1·Generation X
Biography
Teri Polo anchored 104 episodes of the ABC Family/Freeform series 'The Fosters' as Stef Foster from 2013 to 2018. She first appeared on screen as Christine Daaé in the 1990 television film 'The Phantom of the Opera' opposite Charles Dance. Polo later secured the female lead in the 'Meet the Parents' film trilogy, playing Pam Byrnes opposite Robert De Niro from 2000 to 2010. Those three films grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. Her television career includes a starring role in the NBC drama 'I'm with Her' in 2003 and a recurring part on 'The West Wing' as Helen Santos. Polo returned to the 'Fosters' universe for the spin-off 'Good Trouble' in 2021. Her performance as a police officer and foster mother provided a steady, grounded center to a series that tackled adoption, same-sex parenting, and juvenile justice. She demonstrated that a durable career can be built on understated reliability rather than flash.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Teri was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Teri Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Teri's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred in the 'Meet the Parents' trilogy, which grossed a combined $1.1 billion globally.
- Nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for 'The Fosters' in 2016.
- Played the lead role in the Hallmark Channel's 'The Christmas Club' in 2019.
Did You Know?
Was a nationally ranked figure skater in her youth before switching to modeling.
Provided the voice for Martha Wayne in the 2015 video game 'Batman: Arkham Knight'.
Studied ballet at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York.
“Stef Foster is probably the closest to who I am as a person that I've ever played.”
