Teri Polo

Biography

Theresa Elizabeth "Teri" Polo is an American actress who has successfully balanced iconic film roles with a prolific career in television drama. Best known for playing the grounded counterweight to Ben Stiller's chaos in the Meet the Parents trilogy, she has also been a staple of family dramas like The Fosters. In 2026, Polo reprises her most famous role as Pam Byrnes-Focker in "Focker In-Law" (November 25, 2026). Directed by John Hamburg, the film sees her character transitioning into the role of the mother-in-law. Now the calm mediator between her husband Greg (Ben Stiller) and her father Jack (Robert De Niro), Pam must navigate the family's new crisis when her son Henry (Skyler Gisondo) brings home his intense pop-star fiancée, played by Ariana Grande. This major theatrical return follows a busy period in network television. Throughout 2025, Polo enjoyed a recurring arc on CBS's "FBI: International" (Season 4), playing Tess Chaplain, a role she originated in the previous season. She also starred in the 2025 indie drama "Relative Control", where she played a mother grappling with complex family dynamics—a performance she cited as personally resonant.