Cynthia Ettinger is an American actress, known for her stage and television work, most notably her appearances on the TV series Carnivàle and in the unaired pilot of the TV series Smallville. She also played a recurring, albeit minor role, as a traveling actress in Deadwood on HBO.

Career

Ettinger was originally cast as Martha Kent for Smallville, but during filming everyone realized that she was not right for the role, including Ettinger. She turned to theater jobs, and when the opportunity for Carnivàle came up, she chose that project because of the theater-like experience. Also appeared in the episode The Parking Garage in the popular TV series Seinfeld and in the 2000 movie Fail Safe by Stephen Frears. In 2004 she played a fellatio teacher in Season 4, Episode 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2006, Ettinger continued the momentum, landing a ten-episode run on another HBO series: the gritty, irreverent historical drama Deadwood, where she played Claudia.

Personal life

Ettinger met actor Wally Kurth when they were in college. They were friends for years before beginning a relationship. They dated for a year and a half before marrying in May 1990. They divorced in 1993.