Despite the last name, Annabeth Gish is not related to silent film actresses Dorothy and Lillian Gish. Nevertheless, she would start acting at a young age, like the two. Born on March 13, 1971 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she began acting during her high school years, beginning with the 1986 teen film Desert Bloom, where she played the lead. This was followed by a role in the acclaimed film, Mystic Pizza. After graduating from high school, she entered Duke University, where she eventually graduated with an English degree in 1993. During the time, she appeared on several school plays and also appeared in some movies, notably the 1989 cult hig Shag.
In 1995, Gish appeared in her first regular television series, appearing in the short-lived legal drama Courthouse. Two years later, she would get her first film starring role, appearing alongside Shaquille O’Neal in Steel. She then appeared in several other films, including the independent favorite SLC Punk, which was premiered to acclaim in the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, and the mainstream hit Double Jeopardy.
In 2001, Gish got a role in the science fiction series The X Files. With news of David Duchonvy intending to leave the program, Gish was one of two new cast members groomed to carry the show even if Gillian Anderson eventually decides to leave. She played the role of Moncia Reyes, an FBI agent from Mexico who has little doubt about the paranormal despite her religious upbringing. Although critics warmly received her performance, ratings continued to fall upon Duchonvy’s departure, and the ninth season of the show—where she became one of the topbillers—became its last.
Two years later, Gish would join the cast of the political drama The West Wing. She had a recurring role, playing the eldest daughter of President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen). During the time, she continued to star in films, including the independent release The Celestine Prophecy in 2003. She also appeared in the acclaimed television movie Candles on Bay Street in 2006. Also that year, she joined the cast of the drama Brotherhood, playing Eileen Caffee, the wife of politician Tommy (Jason Clarke), whose trysts with drugs and an extramarital affair were used to fill her loneliness.