Why Bates From One Chicago's 2025 Crossover Event Looks So Familiar

Contains spoilers for the One Chicago crossover event, "In The Trenches" Parts 1, 2 and 3

In the action-packed and constantly frenetic three-part "One Chicago" 2025 franchise crossover, one new face stands out — former police officer Lauren Bates (Jennifer Regan). A long-time friend of Trudy Platt (Amy Morton), who came up in the force with her, Bates has been working private security for quite a while, most recently at the government building where a deadly explosion occurs under mysterious circumstances. She proves to be abrasive throughout the entire crossover, and it turns out she has a dark secret connected back to the building's true purpose — which may be deadly for her as well.

Jennifer Regan, meanwhile, has gathered a whole lot of different guest-starring spots under her belt in the years since she entered the acting game in 1997. She's appeared in dramas and comedies, breaking through with an incisive soap opera parody — and subsequently becoming a voiceover artist, proving she's definitely a jack of all trades.

Jennifer Regan's breakthrough role came courtesy of the surreal Adult Swim soap opera parody "The Heart, She Holler." A hillbilly and horror-flavored parody of soap operas led by Patton Oswalt (who made his TV debut years earlier on "Seinfeld"), it lasted for three seasons, long enough to prove to be one of the network's more popular live-action outings. Regan essayed the role of Direne, the wife of Jacket (David Cross). A proud Southern redneck like her husband, Direne helps Jacket run his combination bar/convenience store. 

Naturally, though she starts out as a sweet, humble barmaid and checkout girl, Direne ends up becoming progressively more debased throughout the show, just like her husband and the entire, incestuous Heartshe clan who run the holler. It's an Adult Swim show, so heads are liable to roll. Direne meets her mysterious and gory fate during Episode 7 of Season 3, when Hambrosia (Heather Lawless) blows her up with the power of her mind — but Regan went on from there, continuing to act in all sorts of places.

Jennifer Regan has recurred and guest-starred in multiple dramas and sitcoms over time: she had a three-episode stint as Amber on "As The World Turns," while also appearing on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" as Ellen Lowry. She appeared as Agent Claudia Camden in Season 1 of "Elementary" and turned up in four episodes of another Adult Swim comedy, "Neon Joe: Werewolf Hunter" as Susan Duane. She's also played three different roles on "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," portraying both a perp and a witness. 

Reagan has also essayed a number of voice acting roles, including an unnamed woman in the podcast series "Marvel Wastelanders: Old Man Star Lord." Her very first role in Hollywood was as a voiceover actress, providing additional voices for "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story." That's proof that she's never gotten too far from her roots, even as her live-action acting excursions have allowed her to stretch them.