Ally McBeal
FOX (ended 2002)
Cast & Crew
EDIT
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Calista Flockhart
Ally McBeal
Calista Flockhart, best know for her role in a hit comedy-drama show "Ally McBeal," was born on November 11th, 1964. She was named after her great-grandmother. It is also her mothers name mixed around. Her mother is named Kay Calista and she is Calista Kat. Her mother Kay, was a school teacher, and her father, Ronald, worked for Kraft Foods Inc. Calista has one older brother, Gary. They moved around a lot during her childhood because of her fathers job. They lived in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York and New Jersey. She attended Rutgers University in New Jersey to study acting. After College she worked in regional theatre in Cleveland, Louisville, Chicago, and Houston for $400 for eight weeks of work. She has an impressive stage and theater repertoire. She is also known for her thinness, which made fans believe that she had bulimia, but she claims that her health is OK. She and actor Harrison Ford have been together for years. Together they adopted a new born child, Liam in 2001. Currently, Calista is starring in the show "Brothers & Sisters".moreless -
Gil Bellows
Billy Thomas (Seasons 1-3)
Gil Bellows is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Billy Thomas in FOX's drama series "Ally McBeal." He made his debut on American television as a guest star in an episode of "Law & Order." Gil is married to actress Rya Kihlstedt, whom he met in 1991 while they were both working on the Williamstown Theater Festival. They have two daughters together. His most popular movie role was "The Shawshank Redemtpion." Gil attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, California.moreless -
Lisa Nicole Carson
Renée Raddick (Seasons 1-4)
Lisa Nicole Carson has the distinction of having simultaneously starred in television's most lauded comedy and drama series. She has both amused audiences as Renee Radick, the D.A. roommate of Calista Flockhart on Fox's "Ally McBeal" (1997) and riveted them as Carla Reese, the mother of Eriq La Salle's son on NBC's "ER" (1994). Carson has been repeatedly nominated for a variety of awards as a result of these credits. Additional forays into television include the series Divas (1995) (TV) and guest turns on "Law & Order" (1990), as well as the telefilm Aftershock: Earthquake in New York (1999) (TV). Her feature credits are just as impressive. Among her many roles are the comedy _Life (1999)_ with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, the temptress in Eve's Bayou (1997) with Samuel L. Jackson, Love Jones (1997) with Larenz Tate, Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) with Denzel Washington and Jason's Lyric (1994) with Jada Pinkett Smith. Born in Brooklyn, and having spent her teen years in Gainesville, Florida - graduating from Buchholz High School in June 1987 - Lisa moved to New York City after graduation to live with her grandmother and pursue an acting. She is a recent transplant to Los Angeles. In addition to acting, she is also an accomplished vocalist.moreless -
Greg Germann
Richard Fish
A native of Houston raised on Lookout Mountain outside of Golden, Colorado, Germann was exposed to the performing arts at an early age, particularly through his father, an award-winning children's playwright and theater professor. As a Theater major at the University of Northern Colorado, a constant stream of plays led him to the gradual realization that acting would be his professional future. Buckling down at UNC, he graduated in two years and moved to New York. He became a member of Circle Repertory Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre, accumulating credits in such off-Broadway and Broadway plays as Steven Sondheim musical "Assassins", "The Person I Once Was" opposite Holly Hunter and David Mamet's "War Games", among others. He has distinguished himself on the big screen portraying roles in various films. In addition to acting he also devotes himself to writing. His short film, "Pete's Garden" for which he also served as director and star, premiered in competition at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and went on to air on The Sundance Channel in January 1999. He also wrote "The Observatory" a play performed at New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre.moreless -
Vonda Shepard
Herself (Seasons 2-5, recurring previously)
Vonda is an American singer, best known for performing on FOX's drama series "Ally McBeal." She moved to California with her father Richmond (an actor)and her sisters as a child. She had shown musical talent from an early age and after years of practice she finally got a job as a singer/songwriter for Rickie Lee Jone's band at the age of 20. She then worked with Al Jerreau and Jackson Browne and in 1987 recorded her first self titled album. It wasn't a huge success but Vonda carried on, and 10 years later she was asked by T.V producer David E. Kelley to do the music for a pilot show "Ally McBeal." The show was a success and so was Vonda. She appeared on almost every episode and her soundtracks for the show have sold millions of units. She toured the world singing a mix of Ally songs and her own.moreless -
Jane Krakowski
Elaine Vassal
Award-winning actress Jane Krakowski has enthralled and entertained television audiences worldwide with her brilliant portrayals of the dim-witted yet ambitious blonde actress Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock and the attention-starved snoopy secretary Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal. She is also recognized for her exceptional vocal talent, which she has exhibited with the characters she has played on stage and in television. Exposed to the local theater at an early age and encouraged by her parents to become a performer, Jane took ballet lessons when she was four and attended the prestigious Professional Children's School in New York City. At age 15, she made her small screen debut in the made-for-TV movie No Big Deal and appeared in her first feature film as the oversexed cousin Vicki in National Lampoon's Vacation. Over the next decade and a half, Krakowski was involved in several film and television projects, most notable of which are her Daytime Emmy award-nominated appearance on the long-running CBS soap Search for Tomorrow (1986) and her roles in the Glenn Close stalker thriller Fatal Attraction (1987) and the 1996 romantic dramedy Mrs. Winterbourne, starring alongside Shirley MacLaine and Brendan Fraser. During that period, Jane was also active in the New York City and Los Angeles theater circuits, performing in various stage productions such as Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express from 1987-1989 and Grand Hotel (1989) which earned her critical praise and Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Featured Actress. Her love for the theater never faded even as her television career flourished beginning in the mid-'90s. In 2005, she starred opposite Ewan McGregor in the musical revival Guys and Dolls in London, a performance which won her the Laurence Olivier Best Actress Award in 2006. In 1996, Jane landed the television role of her career as she was hired to play Elaine, the energetic and vivacious personal assistant of Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) on the popular FOX legal comedy-drama by David E. Kelley. In the series, she often showcased her versatility as a singer/performer during the show's numerous musical productions. She portrayed the character for five full seasons, during which she received a Golden Globe Best Actress award nomination and consecutive Screen Actors Guild nominations as part of the ensemble cast. Ten years after her breakthrough TV role, Krakowski once again found herself portraying a fascinating and colorful character in Jenna -- putting her own spin to the dumb blonde stereotype on Tina Fey's 30 Rock, an award-winning sitcom which has wittily parodied the making of a live sketch-comedy show.moreless -
Courtney Thorne-Smith
Georgia Thomas (Seasons 1-3)
Courtney Thorne-Smith has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses. After first gaining international attention on the phenomenal primetime soap opera, Melrose Place, she catapulted to further acclaim playing Georgia in Fox Television's Emmy-winning series, Ally McBeal. This fall, she returns to ABC's According to Jim, co-starring Jim Belushi and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Larry Joe Campbell.
Born in Mill Valley, California, Thorne-Smith first realized her love of acting while performing in her kindergarten production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She was discovered in high school when 20th Century Fox was searching for a new face to play Charlie Sheen's girlfriend in their feature film, Lucas. Soon after, she was officially bitten by the acting bug; she canceled her plans to attend Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, moved to L.A. and has not looked back since.
Her combination of talent and beauty has enabled Thorne-Smith to build a long acting resume. Other film credits include featured roles in Summer School, Revenge of the Nerds II, Side Out, and Chairman of the Board. She has also starred in several theatrical productions, including Masking, Rainbow, Don't Be Cruel, and Sincerely Confused. But it is her substantial work on television that has produced her most notable recognition. She played Alison Parker for five seasons on Melrose Place, starred in the NBC series Day By Day and had a recurring role as Harry Hamlin's Laker Girl girlfriend on the hit series L.A. Law. She has also appeared in the series Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Anything But Love, and the television films Beauty's Revenge, Tour of Duty, First Flight -- with Beau Bridges -- "Infidelity," and made a guest appearance as the object of Norm Macdonald's desire on Norm.
When Thorne-Smith auditioned with Aaron Spelling for a series pilot about young doctors, Spelling was so impressed that he had six more projects sent to her doorstep the next day. The one that caught her eye was Melrose Place. For her portrayal as the constantly put-upon Alison, TV Guide praised her as "one of the standout stars of (the) glossy ensemble cast -- and the hottest cat ever to scratch and snarl on the sun-scorched roof of Melrose Place."
Thorne-Smith has also donned the hat of professional writer. Having started with a feature article in Self magazine, she has been a contributing editor for that publication and has also written for In and Allure magazines. Last year she was a spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation, Race for the Cure. In support of the foundation, she appeared on the cover of "Special K," "Special K Red Berries," and "Smart Start" cereals.
Thorne-Smith currently resides in Los Angeles where she enjoys relaxing with her dogs, Norman and Ed. George. She spends her free time reading, working out and hanging out with friends.
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Julianne Nicholson
Jenny Shaw (Episodes 91-103)
Julianne Nicholson was born and raised in Medford, Massachusetts, and is the oldest of four siblings. After graduating from high school, she modeled in New York for six months, quit for a year, then resumed her modeling career in Paris for another six months. After returning to New York, she attended Hunter College for two years, supporting herself as waitress. She eventually left school to study acting and begin her professional career. In her spare time, she is learning rock climbing and enjoys reading and hiking in the country.moreless -
Peter MacNicol
John Cage (Episodes 12-103, recurring otherwise)
Peter is a boyish-looking actor who made a big splash on film in the early 1980s, with leading roles in the fantasy Dragonslayer and in Alan J. Pakula's acclaimed adaptation of Sophie's Choice (as the young writer 'Stingo'). After that, Peter concentrated on stage work and did not return to the screen until the tepid actioner Heat. He has since appeared in Hard Promises, Housesitter, and, most memorably, as the indecipherable art restorer 'Janosz' in Ghostbusters II. He costarred in Addams Family Values and is currently starring in the hit CBS drama Numb3rs.moreless -
Portia de Rossi
Nelle Porter (Episodes 33-112, recurring previously)
Portia was born in Melbourne, Australia on January 31, 1973. She got her big screen debut in the movie Sirens, also starring Hugh Grant. Since then she has been in several movies including Scream 2, Stigmata, and Cursed. She has also appeared in several television shows including Veronica's Closet, Mister Sterling, and Too Something. Portia is probably best known for her role in the sitcom Arrested Development, as the character Lindsay Bluth, or as Nell Porter on Ally McBeal.moreless -
Hayden Panettiere
Maddie Harrington (Episodes 102-112)
Hayden Leslie Panettiere was born on August 21, 1989 in Palisades, New York.
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Her mom got her into the business when she was only 11 months old. She started off doing numerous commercials but at the age of 4 she was cast to star in the soap opera One Life To Live. In 1997, she left the soap opera and appeared in many feature films. She is best known for the role of Lizzie in the drama Guiding Light.
Recently, Hayden's increasingly impressive list of accomplishments includes her now three-year long association with Neutrogena as the beauty company's "New Face." Hayden stars in the popular NBC Television drama Heroes, portraying the role of a high school cheerleader who is literally indestructible.
She has starred in Disney movies such as, A Bug's Life, as "Princess Dot" and as "Suri" in Disney's Dinosaurs. Her work for A Bug's Life Read-A-Long gained her a Grammy Nomination for Best Spoken Word Album, as well as a nomination for The Hollywood Reporter's Young Star Award for Best Young Voiceover Talent. She has appeared in Fireflies in the Garden with actress Julia Robertsand Emily Watson. She also appeared in Mr. Gibb co-starring Bill Sadler and Tim Daly. Additionally, she starred in Tiger Cruise, a dramatic story based on the true events of September 11th which debuted to rave reviews on The Disney Channel.
Hayden's other film credits include Message In a Bottle and Object of My Affection. Her television appearances have won her numerous nominations and awards. Hayden is an Ambassador for the IUCN Wildlife Foundation. The organization helps to raise funds to support and save endangered species. Nelson Mandela and Queen Noor are fellow Ambassadors. She has recently joined forces with Pierce Brosnan to save the whales through the Whaleman Foundation. -
Regina Hall
Corretta Lipp (Season 5, recurring previously)
Regina Hall is a versatile African-American actress. She was born on December 12, 1970 in Washington, Disctrict of Columbia. Regina begin her career on the soap opera Loving and several television show appearances. Regina then went on to leave a lasting impression on viewers as Candy in the movie "The Best Man". Regina then gained more recognition when she joined on board the "Scary Movie" trilogy... Who could forget her theater scene in the first movie? Aside from all of that, Regina has also starred in the television series Ally McBeal (she received a NAACP Image Award nomianation). Regina currently resides in Los Angeles.moreless -
James LeGros
Mark Albert (Season 4, recurring previously)
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Josh Hopkins
Raymond Milbury (Season 5)
Josh Hopkins spent several years working on stage honing his craft before landing TV and film roles that have played off his good looks and versatility. The son of a former Republican Congressman, he was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was a basketball star in high school. After training in voice and theater at Auburn University, Hopkins returned to his home town and joined the Actors Theater of Louisville. In 1994, he made his Broadway debut as an understudy for Kyle Chandler in the revival of Picnic. That same year, he filmed his first movie role in the little-seen Parallel Sons, which wasn't released until two years later. 1997 proved a banner year for the actor. He hosted the four-part TV series Street Skills for Kentucky Educational Television and landed a featured role as one of the recruits alongside Demi Moore in G.I. Jane. In 1999 Hopkins portrayed Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in the TNT original movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. Next he scored a recurring role as a potential love interest on the romantic comedy-drama Jack & Jill on The WB. Hopkins was next seen as an egotistical actor who falls for a journalist (Famke Janssen) in the sprightly romantic comedy Love & Sex. He was also tapped for a featured role in the John Woo-directed Windtalkers, which came out in 2002. Hopkins then returned to television in a string of popular recurring roles. In 2001 he joined the cast of the long-running Fox series Ally McBeal, playing Raymond Millbury, an attorney and potential love interest for the title character. In 2003 he began a run on the CBS series Cold Case playing the role of Assistant District Attorney Jason Kite. He later worked with his former Ally McBeal co-star Calista Flockhart when he had a recurring role on Brothers & Sisters in 2006. He finally got a chance to shine as a leading man in 2006 playing news anchor Charlie Babcock on the short lived WB series Pepper Dennis opposite Rebecca Romijn. In 2008 he joined the ensemble cast of CBS's sexy summer drama Swingtown. Josh currently stars on the hit comedy Cougar Town as Courtney Cox's love interest.moreless -
Lucy Liu
Ling Woo (Episodes 33-96; 103, recurring previously)
Lucy Liu was born to Chinese immigrants in Queens in 1968. She graduated from College with a degree in Asian Studies and a big interest in Acting.
She auditioned for every part she found, but found it difficult not to be typecast as the Oriental Girl. By 1998, Liu had been to hundreds of auditions, and had only landed small roles on Jerry Maguire and TV shows such as ER. All that was about to change, however.
She originally auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter on Ally McBeal, and went up against stiff competition. She lost the part but show producer David E Kelley was so impressed that he wrote a guest starring role just for her. The part of politicallly incorrect and absolutely hilarious Ling Woo was so poular Liu stayed on as a full time cast member for four years.
After Ally McBeal, Liu became one of the best known Hollywood actresses, starring in big flicks Charlie's Angels and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.moreless -
Robert Downey Jr.
Larry Paul (Season 4)
Robert Downey Jr. was raised in Greenwich Village with his sister Alison, by avant-garde filmmaker, Robert Downey Sr. and actress Elsie Downey. His mother instilled a love for acting in the young boy. His parents divorced when he was 13 and he was forced to move to L.A. with his father. He dropped out of high school to begin an acting career. At age 16, he moved back to New York to live with his mother. Downey Jr. made his film debut in 1970 as a puppy in his father's movie, Pound. In 1983, Robert began making feature films. He starred in Baby It's You, First Born, Weird Science and many more. In 1985, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live but left the cast the following year. His first leading role was as a handsome, charming womanizer in the 1987 flick, The Pick-Up Artist, directed by James Toback and co-starring Molly Ringwald. Downey also starred in Less Than Zero, a movie about a serious drug addict. This role was irony since he had his own drug problems, having had a self-described "love-affair" with cocaine. He was introduced to drugs at eight years old when his father gave him some marijuana. He has been in and out of rehab since 1987. A high point in his career was the Academy Award Nomination he received for his poignant portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 movie Chaplin. He did not win this award and was crushed, believing that he "deserved that award". In June 1996, Downey was stopped for speeding. When the officer stopped him, he discovered crack cocaine, heroin and an unloaded firearm in his car. Robert was arrested again a month later in Malibu, when he had stumbled into a neighbor's home and fell asleep in a child's bed. Three days later he fled a drug rehab center where he had been ordered to stay. In November 1996, Downey was fined $250.00 and three years probation after pleading no contest to drug and weapon possession. He entered yet another rehab program but when he admitted to using drugs again, he was sentenced to a possible three years in prison. In the summer of 2000, after serving most of this term, Downey came out of prison. Almost immediately, he started working on the David E. Kelley series, Ally McBeal. He played the role of Ally's love interest, Larry Paul, for which he has received critical acclaim. He received a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild Award for this role and was nominated for a TV guide award, but lost to Sean Hayes. On November 25, 2000, Downey was arrested once again. He was spending the Thanksgiving weekend at the Merv Griffin Resort in Palm Springs, where he was found to be in possession of cocaine, methamphetamine (speed) and the prescription drug Vicodin. He has been able to keep himself clean and has been married to producer, Susan Levin (August 27, 2005), whom he met while filming Gothika (2003). They planned to have a wedding, which was supposed to have taken place at the Hamptons on Ron Perlman's estate after The Great Gatsby, was moved to a new location after the press got news of it. With the success of both Ironman (2008) and Tropic Thunder (2008), Downey is once again at the top of his game.moreless -
James Marsden
Glenn Foy (Episodes 91-103)
James Marsden was born September 18, 1973 in Stillwater, Oklahoma and is best known for playing "Cyclops" in the X-Men movies as well as having a regular role in the 5th season of Ally McBeal.
When he's not busy shooting James is at home with wife Lisa, and their 2 children.moreless -
Portia de Rossi
Nelle
Portia was born in Melbourne, Australia on January 31, 1973. She got her big screen debut in the movie Sirens, also starring Hugh Grant. Since then she has been in several movies including Scream 2, Stigmata, and Cursed. She has also appeared in several television shows including Veronica's Closet, Mister Sterling, and Too Something. Portia is probably best known for her role in the sitcom Arrested Development, as the character Lindsay Bluth, or as Nell Porter on Ally McBeal.moreless -
Lucy Liu
Ling Woo
Lucy Liu was born to Chinese immigrants in Queens in 1968. She graduated from College with a degree in Asian Studies and a big interest in Acting.
She auditioned for every part she found, but found it difficult not to be typecast as the Oriental Girl. By 1998, Liu had been to hundreds of auditions, and had only landed small roles on Jerry Maguire and TV shows such as ER. All that was about to change, however.
She originally auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter on Ally McBeal, and went up against stiff competition. She lost the part but show producer David E Kelley was so impressed that he wrote a guest starring role just for her. The part of politicallly incorrect and absolutely hilarious Ling Woo was so poular Liu stayed on as a full time cast member for four years.
After Ally McBeal, Liu became one of the best known Hollywood actresses, starring in big flicks Charlie's Angels and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.moreless -
Peter MacNicol
John Cage
Peter is a boyish-looking actor who made a big splash on film in the early 1980s, with leading roles in the fantasy Dragonslayer and in Alan J. Pakula's acclaimed adaptation of Sophie's Choice (as the young writer 'Stingo'). After that, Peter concentrated on stage work and did not return to the screen until the tepid actioner Heat. He has since appeared in Hard Promises, Housesitter, and, most memorably, as the indecipherable art restorer 'Janosz' in Ghostbusters II. He costarred in Addams Family Values and is currently starring in the hit CBS drama Numb3rs.moreless -
Bobby Cannavale
Wilson Jade
A native of Union City, New Jersey, Bobby Cannavale has had varied film and stage experiences. Bobby lived in New Jersey until he was thirteen. After his parents divorced, Bobby and his mother moved for two years to Puerto Rico. Later on he moved to Coconut Creek, Florida, where he graduated from high school before returning to New Jersey to live with his grandmother. Cannavale says he always knew that he wanted to be an actor, and as a child seeking refuge from his bad neighborhood started performing in a church theater company. "When I grew up in Union City, NJ, there weren't many role models around," Bobby said. "I guess the biggest influences in my life were my parents who kept me off the streets and out of trouble. Now, we're celebrating Latin role models on national television." Bobby was married to writer and former actress Jenny Lumet, daughter of Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne. He met Jenny when he was acting on stage: "I was doing a theater show and when I bowed for the curtain call, I spotted [her] in the audience. I was playing a character who had AIDS, and when the play was over, I ran out to find her but I forgot to take the lesions off my face," he remembers. He introduced himself to her and recommended that she "stick around. There's a party afterwards and ... I want to talk to you.' We got married six months later."moreless -
Tracey Ullman
Dr. Tracy Clark
This versatile comedienne and actress happily buries her own personality-and features-to create diverse characters in films and television. After receiving a scholarship to theatrical school at the age of twelve, she toured as a dancer and singer, eventually making a name for herself on stage and especially on television. Her TV popularity led to her film debut, opposite Paul McCartney in Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984). Meanwhile, she scored four top-ten hits on the British pop charts, leading to the American hit single "They Don't Know." Fans who thought of her mostly as a singer and comedienne were then dazzled by her performance as Meryl Streep's eccentric friend in Plenty (1985). She moved to America and starred in "The Tracey Ullman Show" (1987-90), playing a multitude of characters every week (and winning an Emmy in the process). She also appeared in Jumping Jack Flash (1986), had the lead-with a flawless American accent-in I Love You to Death (1990), and has costarred in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, as a haggish witch), I'll Do AnythingWoody Allen's Bullets Over Broadwayand Robert Altman's Ready to Wear/Prt--Porter (all 1994). She continues to star in cable TV specials that feature her talents as a chameleonlike comedienne.moreless -
Phil Leeds
Judge Boyle
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Albert Hall
Judge Seymore Walsh
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James LeGros
Mark Albert
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Dyan Cannon
Whipper
With her luxurious, sun-streaked, long curly blond hair, Dyan Cannon is an actress who is hard to miss. She has been in films and occasionally on television since making her debut opposite Art Carney in The Ding-a-Ling Girl, a presentation on the television series Playhouse 90. Cannon got her start as a showroom model in L.A. following two years of study in anthropology at the University of Washington. Thanks to the help of writer/producer Jerry Wald who came up with her stage name, (which was originally Diane Cannon, she landed a contract at MGM and made her feature film debut playing Wiggles, a troubled high school student in This Rebel Breed (1960). She then appeared in The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960). After a couple appearances on Broadway and some work on television, she met and fell in love with Cary Grant, who was 38 years her senior. While involved with him, she placed her acting career on hold. They married in 1965 and had a daughter, Jennifer. Three years later, Grant and Cannon went through a divorce. In 1969, she returned to films in the then-controversial sex comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and won the Best Supporting Actress award from the New York Film Critics. Her role also won her an Oscar nomination. The 1970s were her most active period as an actress and Cannon appeared frequently in films. In 1978, she earned another Best Supporting Actress nomination for playing a conniving, adulterous wife in Heaven Can Wait. By the early '80s, Cannon sharply curtailed her feature-film career, but did appear in a few television movies and miniseries. In 1976, she wrote, produced, directed, and even helped edit a 42-minute film sponsored by the American Film Institute. Titled Number One, she designed it to teach children about sexuality and their bodies. It earned an Oscar nomination for best live-action short. Cannon has since directed two more films, including The End of Innocence, which is based on her autobiography. She returned to acting on a limited basis in the 1990s and continued to appear on television in such movies as Christmas in Connecticut(1992) and features such as Out to Sea(1997).moreless -
Jesse L. Martin
Greg
Jesse L. Martin was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia. He has four older brothers. His parents were truck driver Jesse Reed Watkins and college counselor Virginia Price. His family called him by his middle name, Lamont, to distinguish him from his father. Jesse's parents divorced while Jesse was a child and he and his brothers took his stepfather's surname. When he was in grade school, the family moved to Buffalo, New York. Jesse was embarrassed of his thick Southern accent and became painfully shy. A concerned teacher encouraged him to join an after-school drama program and cast him as the pastor in The Golden Goose. The act was a hit and Jesse began to come out of his shell. He attended high school at The Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts. Jesse was voted "Most Talented" in his senior class. For college, he enrolled in the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Theater Program. While in college, he did bit roles on various soaps to support himself. He never graduated and toured the states with the John Houseman's The Acting Company, starring in various plays. Jesse returned to Manhattan a few years later.
Because he could not yet support himself through acting, Jesse began waiting tables at various restaurants, including the Moondance Diner. He would often burst into song during the dinner rush. He is still friends with many people from those days and keeps in contact.
Jesse made his Broadway debut in Timon of Athens, and then performed in The Government Inspector. Jonathon Larson, who Jesse had worked with at the Moondance Diner, approached him for a role in his new Off-Broadway show, Rent. Jesse played Tom Collins, a gay computer geek, and the show was an instant hit, receiving six Drama Desk Awards, five Obie Awards, four Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. Jesse started to become famous and landed roles on 413 Hope St. and an independent film Restaurant.
The creator of Ally McBeal saw the Broadway premiere of Rent and remembered Jesse when they needed a new boyfriend for the shows main character. He was cast as Dr. Greg Butters. Many people complained that Ally was dating a black man, but he also developed a huge fan base which led to another role on the X-Files. For a brief period, he returned to Rent to open the London production as Tom Collins. Jesse had auditioned for Law & Order years ago and received a small part. Preferring to wait, he now approached the producers again and was cast Det. Ed Green. He has been there ever since except for a brief hiatus at the end of the 20042005 season while he was filming the movie adaptation of Rent, for which he returned to his role as Tom Collins. Jesse also performed in a 10th Anniversary Benefit for Rent in which the entire original cast returned for one special night.
Jesse lives in New York City, near the Law & Order studio, with his cat, Bob Marley. He does not employ a maid and cleans his own house. He is one of only four actors to play the same character (Det. Ed Green) in all four Law & Order series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Trial By Jury. The others are Jerry Orbach (Det. Lennie Briscoe), Fred Dalton Thompson (D.A. Arthur Branch), and Leslie Hendrix (Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers). Jesse is single and he refers to Law and Order as his girlfriend. While many suspect he is gay he has neither affirmed nor denied this. His hobbies include sketching and painting.moreless -
Anne Heche
Melanie West
A waifish blonde, Anne Heche (pronounced 'haytch') was still relatively unknown when she made headlines in April 1997 disclosing her relationship with comedienne Ellen DeGeneres. Almost immediately, there was speculation and questions about whether the actress' decision to reveal her lesbianism would adversely affect her career, particularly as Heche had been cast as Harrison Ford's love interest in "Six Days/Seven Nights" (1998). Reportedly, the marketing campaign for the film was altered to play up the adventure aspect of the film instead of the romance. Heche, however, had already proven herself as an actress. The daughter of a Baptist minister who was a closet homosexual and succumbed to AIDS complications in 1983 (although Heche has hinted he committed suicide in interviews), the thin wide-eyed performer began her career as a singer and dancer in dinner theater. After her father's death, Heche did not perform for several years until graduating from high school. Within weeks, she had landed her first major role, that of good and evil twins, Vicky and Marly on the NBC soap opera "Another World". During her four year stint, Heche earned a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Younger Actress in 1991 and engaged in a high profile romance with her co-star Richard Burgi. Feeling stifled, Heche decided to leave the show after four years and enroll at the Parsons School of Design. Instead, she landed a role alongside Jessica Lange in the CBS production "O Pioneers!" (1992) and decided to concentrate on an acting career. Film roles soon followed, including her debut as Mary Jane Wilks in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1993). She gradually landed larger roles in "I'll Do Anything" (1994) and the TV-movies "Against the Wall" (HBO, 1994), as Kyle MacLachlan's wife, and "Kingfish: A Story of Huey Long" (TNT, 1995), as the politician's mistress. Heche landed the breakthrough role of a doctor friend of Demi Moore who falls victim to a hit man in "The Juror" (1996). She went to co-star with Catherine Keener in the indie "Walking and Talking' (also 1996) before landing the role of Johnny Depp's neglected wife in "Donnie Brasco" (1997). Later that year, Heche was teamed with Tommy Lee Jones in the disaster flick "Volcano" and won praise for her turn as a presidential advisor in Barry Levinson's political satire "Wag the Dog" (a role written for a man which Heche played with no changes to the dialogue). By the time of the latter's release, Heche and DeGeneres had taken their relationship public. While pundits fretted over what the disclosure might do to Heche's career, the actress pressed on landing co-starring roles with Harrison Ford in the romantic adventure "Six Days, Seven Nights" and Vince Vaughn in "Return to Paradise" (both 1998). She further solidified her rising star status by tackling the role of Marion Crane (again opposite Vaughn as Norman Bates) in a color remake of Hitchcock's classic "Psycho" (also 1998).The summary was used with permission from Hollywood.com!moreless
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Gerry Becker
Myron Stone
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Lisa Edelstein
Cindy McCauliff
Lisa Edelstein is probably best remembered for her season-long role as "Rhonda Roth" on Relativity. You might also remember her as "bratty 'Patty'" on Almost Perfect, or as "Lauren" on the final seasons of Felicity or "Cyndi McCaully" on Ally McBeal. Or you heard her on Superman: The Animated Series as the voice of "Mercy Graves," Lex Luthor's right-hand girl or the cult character "Crystal Steele" in the Blade Runner CD-ROM game from Westwood Studios. Lisa has had a very eclectic television career. She has guest-starred in several popular top-10 television shows, including Seinfeld, ER, Frasier,Family Law, Sports Night, and Just Shoot Me. In one season alone, Lisa starred in 3 different series at the same time. Those shows included the critically-acclaimed ABC series Relativity; CBS' Almost Perfect; and WB's Superman: The Animated Series. Lisa also had a recurring role in the first season of NBC's highly-acclaimed drama series, The West Wing. On the big screen, Lisa has appeared in several popular films, including the Academy Award-winning feature film As Good As It Gets, as well as The Doors, Love Affair, Susan's Plan, Indiscreet, What Women Want, which stared Mel Gibson and Academy Award-winners Helen Hunt and Marisa Tomei. and Keeping the Faith with Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Jenna Elfman. Lisa was also in the Eddie Murphy comedy, Daddy Day Care. Lisa also volunteers and promotes the welfare and fair treatment for animals. She devotes a lot of her time to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and their efforts to find new homes for rescued animals and pets. In 2011, she won the People's Choice Award for best actress in a drama series.moreless
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