Rachel Cronin (born September 29, 1971) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Shirley Pifko on the NBC television series Ed.[1]
Cronin's father was Edmond Jude Cronin, a provincial court judge.[2] She was born in Alberta and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia.[3] She attended Argyle Secondary School, a high school which emphasised the arts, where she won awards and bursaries for her acting.[citation needed] She was then accepted to the University of British Columbia Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting Program and graduated top of her class.[2] Cronin has since been working in theatre, television and film, and in 2000 she was signed on to play the eccentric Shirley Pifko on Ed.