Leaving L.A.

Anne Haney held prominent roles acting on stage, on the screen, and on T.V. All these achievements came in her mid 40s, after she had raised a daughter and buried a husband. It wasn't until after she had packed her daughter off to college and "the maid quit," as she said, that she decided to try her hand at acting. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee and studied drama, radio and T.V. at the University of North Carolina, where she met her husband, John Haney. She did apply her schooling briefly at a Memphis television station, but soon settled down with her husband and devoted herself to family life. "I was a lovely faculty wife. We made ambrosia salad. We did good works. We played a lot of bridge," she said of those times. By the 1970s, however, Haney began seeking work in local theatre productions and television commercials. Soon she was traveling with a touring company performing as the maid in Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels." She toured for two years. Eventually, she joined the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of T.V. and Radio Artists. She and her husband had, in fact, planned to move to Southern California after his retirement. She was eager to experience and, she hoped, benefit from the variety and prestige available only in Hollywood. Those plans changed when Mr. Haney died of kidney disease in 1980; Anne Haney made the trek to California alone. Not long after arriving, she had an agent and a part in the Walter Matthau vehicle "Hopscotch." As her career took off, she also secured roles on stage, notably the role of Margaret Fielding in the Theatre West production of "Verdigris." When asked whether she ever dwelled on the prospect that had she begun her career too late, she replied that "this is gravy to me. It's a wonderful way to spend the last third of my life."

Meloni attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he first became interested in acting. After graduation, he took a construction job in his hometown until a high school acquaintance inspired him to move to New York to study acting.

It was there that Meloni apprenticed at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and got his first big break as the lead in the NBC comedy The Fanelli Boys. Since then, he is most recognized as Chris Keller in Oz and Elliot Stabler in Law and Order: SVU.

Meloni lives with his wife, Sherman Williams, their daughter, Sophie [born 23 March 2001] and son, Dante [born January 2 2004]. Both children were born by a surrogate mother.

Before acting, Meloni worked as a bouncer, a bartender, and a personal trainer.

Update: He no longer acts as Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU. He left to pursue a filming career

Vanessa Bell Calloway has emerged as one of America's hottest actors. Her work on stage, screen, and television clearly demonstrates why she has maintained her staying power. Her work has earned her 6 NAACP Image Awardnominations. Fans still remember her as Eddie's Almost bride in Coming to America. The variety of roles Vanessa has played keeps her from being pigeonholed. Because of her ability to bring a unique presence of character to a particular piece, she appears in a different light in each role she plays. Her recurring role in David Kelly's Boston Public, earned her sixth NAACP Image Award nomination. Vanessa has guest starred on the Lifetime show For the People, and UPN productions The Parkers, and One on One. One of the most memorable televison roles to date was her portrayle of Maggie in the CBS series Under one Roof with Joe Morton and James Earl Jones.
Her Diversity moves beyond acting. Vanessa is an accomplished dancer who trained with Alvin Alley, George Faison, and Otis Sallid. She completed her Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree, with concentration in dance, from Ohio University.