Ellen Cannon Reed

Tracy Pollan is an American actress born on June 22, 1960. She gained significant recognition for her portrayal of Ellen Reed in the NBC sitcom Family Ties from 1985 to 1987. Later, she played Harper Anderson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, earning an Emmy nomination for her performance.

Pollan's career also includes roles in films such as Baby It's You, Promised Land, and Bright Lights, Big City. On television, she appeared in Spin City and several TV movies. She married actor Michael J. Fox in 1988 after meeting on the set of Family Ties. The couple has four children. Following her marriage, Pollan reduced her acting commitments to focus on her family.

In addition to her acting career, Pollan has co-authored two cookbooks with her family: The Pollan Family Table (2014) and Mostly Plants (2019), which focus on family recipes and plant-based eating, respectively.

Born into a Jewish family on Long Island, Tracy Pollan was raised in Woodbury, New York. She attended Syosset High School before graduating from the Dalton School in Manhattan. Her acting education included studies at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the Lee Strasberg Institute, foundational training for her subsequent career in performance.

Pollan's acting career began with notable roles, including her most recognized part as Ellen Reed on the popular sitcom Family Ties (1985–1987). While working on the show, she met Michael J. Fox. Although they did not begin a relationship at that time, they reconnected in 1987 during the filming of Bright Lights, Big City. They married in 1988. Pollan has spoken about intentionally scaling back her professional activities to prioritize her marriage and raising their four children. Her other television work includes a role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Beyond her acting endeavors, Tracy Pollan has ventured into the world of culinary writing. In 2014, she collaborated with her mother and sisters to publish "The Pollan Family Table," a cookbook featuring family recipes and cooking advice. This was followed in 2019 by "Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes from the Pollan Family," another cookbook co-authored with her family, focusing on plant-based cuisine.