Hurd's father was the late actor Hugh Hurd and while her actress/mother eventually became a psychologist, her older sisters are still actively trodding the boards. Adrienne currently appears on Broadway in "Annie Get Your Gun" and Denise recently finished a season with the Orlando Shakespeare Company.

Hurd's unique multi-ethnic mix of African-American, German, Irish and Jamaican heritages helped her fit in well in her hometown of New York City. There she attended St. Anne's High School in Brooklyn Heights before moving on to study theater arts at Boston University and later at the National Theatre of Great Britain Training Company.

Among Hurd's television credits are recurring roles on "The Practice," "Malcolm & Eddie" and NBC's daytime drama "Another World." Hurd has also guest starred on NBC's "Law & Order" and "The Cosby Mysteries" as well as "New York Undercover" and "Players."

This fall, Hurd can be seen in the independent feature "Personals," starring Malik Yoba ("New York Undercover). She recently appeared in another independent film, "Double Parked," with Callie Thorne, which earned director Stephen Kinsella the Moviemaker Breakthrough Award at the Slamdance Film Festival. Her other film credits include "Random Hearts" (with Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas), "Wolf," and "King of New York" among others.

On this often graphic and frank series, Hurd portrays a confrontational detective whose team usually probes unseemly sex crimes. "It's fun to play Monique because she has a serious side that I don't have," says Hurd. "I am much more talkative – and less cranky. I enjoy her edge and her tough-as-nails approach as well as her sensitive side. Jeffries is not afraid to take the aggressive approach when necessary."

Away from the set, Hurd enjoys kickboxing, horseback riding, "jump-rope jams," watching movies and traveling to island locations. She resides with Ziggie, her Siberian husky, in New York City. Her birthday is December 21.