Meredith Baxter
Encyclopedia
Meredith Baxter also known for some years as Meredith Baxter-Birney, is an American
actress and producer
. She is known for her acting roles including three television series
: Family
(1976–1980), an ABC
television-network
drama
, Family Ties
(1982–1989), an NBC
television-network situation comedy
, and Dan Vs.
(2011–present), a situation comedy
on The Hub television-network.
, the daughter of actress and situation-comedy creator Whitney Blake
and Tom Baxter, a radio announcer
. She was raised in Southern California and has two brothers: Richard (born 1944) and Brian (born 1946). Her mother's widower was situation-comedy writer Allan Manings
.
, a CBS
television-network situation comedy. The series was canceled after one season, but her co-star, David Birney
became her second husband in 1974. Following their marriage and until their divorce in 1989, she was credited as Meredith Baxter-Birney.
As Baxter-Birney, she became widely known several years later on Family. She played the role of Nancy Lawrence Maitland and received two Emmy Award
nominations for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1977 and 1978).
After Family ended, she starred with Annette O'Toole
and Shelley Hack
in Vanities
(1981), a television production of the comedy-drama
stage play
about the lives, loves and friendship of three Texas
cheerleaders
starting from high school to post-college graduation; it aired as a part of Standing Room Only
, a series on the premium-television channel HBO.
Baxter-Birney's next series was Family Ties, on which she played an ex-flower child
mother, Elyse Keaton. In reality, she is only fourteen years older than Michael J. Fox
, who played her son Alex Keaton. She and co-star Michael Gross
(who played her husband Steven) share the exact same birthdate.
In 1986, during her time on Family Ties, Baxter garnered critical acclaim for her dramatic performance as Kate Stark in the well-known NBC
television movie Kate's Secret
, about a seemingly "perfect" suburban housewife and mother who is secretly suffering from bulimia nervosa
.
Following Family Ties, Baxter (whose marriage to Birney ended in 1989) produced and starred in television films
. She portrayed a psychopathic
kidnapper
in The Kissing Place (1990) and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for her work in A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick
Story (1992), based on the true story of a divorcée
who was convicted of murder in the shooting of her ex-husband and his young wife.
In 1994, she won a Daytime Emmy Award
for her role as a lesbian
mother raising a young son, in Other Mothers (1993), a CBS Schoolbreak Special
. For her work on the television film My Breast (1994), she received a special award for public awareness from the National Breast Cancer Coalition
.
In 1997, Baxter once again played the mother of a character played by Michael J. Fox, this time on Spin City
, an ABC situation comedy.
In 2005, she began appearing in television commercials
for Garden State Life Insurance Company
. In 2006, she temporarily co-hosted — with Matt Lauer
— Today, the NBC morning news and talk show
. In 2007, she made a guest appearance on What About Brian
, an ABC drama series. That same year, she also made several appearances as the dying mother of Detective Lilly Rush on Cold Case, a CBS police-procedural
series. In 2009, she is guest starring in season two of the web series
We Have to Stop Now.
In recent years, Baxter has also created a skin-care line
, Meredith Baxter Simple Works, which helps raise funds for her breast cancer
research foundation. She is also a spokesperson for Consumer Cellular, a cell phone company advertised as providing a cheaper cell phone alternative for senior citizens.
She currently costars in the cable television sitcom Dan Vs.
which airs on The Hub
.
Michael Blodgett
; they were divorced in 2000. Baxter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999.Baxter was the guest speaker at the 2008 Southern Commencement for National University
in La Jolla, California
, and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree
from the university.
In 2009, The National Enquirer
reported that Baxter was seen on a lesbian cruise
with a female friend. This led to speculation as to whether Baxter was a lesbian or simply enjoying the cruise as a platonic straight friend. On December 2, 2009, she came out
as a lesbian during an interview with Matt Lauer
on Today, and on the Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius-XM OutQ 102. She lives with her partner
, Nancy Locke, a general contractor
, with whom she has been since 2005. Baxter said she first realized she was a lesbian when she began her first same-sex
relationship in 2002.
On December 17, 2009, TV Guide
reported that Baxter would write a memoir
. Broadway Books
, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group
, had purchased the rights to Baxter's as-yet-untitled and as-yet-unwritten life story. In the book, Baxter "will present a fully realized portrait of her life as an actress, mother of five children, and grandmother, and will candidly discuss her fight with breast cancer, her 19 years of sobriety, entrepreneurship, and her decision to come out," a press release said. Her memoir, titled Untied, was published in 2011.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
actress and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. She is known for her acting roles including three television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
: Family
Family (TV series)
Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols...
(1976–1980), an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television-network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
drama
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
, Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
(1982–1989), an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television-network situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, and Dan Vs.
Dan vs.
Dan Vs. is an American flash animated cartoon series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson. The series premiered on January 1, 2011 on The Hub. Dan Vs. ended its first season on July 9, 2011. The series' second season began on November 19th and will continue through the 2011-2012 lineup.-Plot:The...
(2011–present), a situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
on The Hub television-network.
Early life
She was born Meredith Ann Baxter in South Pasadena, CaliforniaSouth Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
, the daughter of actress and situation-comedy creator Whitney Blake
Whitney Blake
Whitney Blake was an American film and television actress, director and producer.Blake was born as Nancy Ann Whitney in 1926 in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, the first child of Martha Mae Wilkerson and Harry Whitney...
and Tom Baxter, a radio announcer
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. She was raised in Southern California and has two brothers: Richard (born 1944) and Brian (born 1946). Her mother's widower was situation-comedy writer Allan Manings
Allan Manings
Allan Manings was an American television producer and comedy writer. He was active in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and was best known for his work in co-creating with his wife, actress Whitney Blake, One Day at a Time, as well as serving as producer of the Bud Yorkin-Norman Lear Tandem show,...
.
Career
Baxter got her first big break on television in 1972 as one of the stars of Bridget Loves BernieBridget Loves Bernie
Bridget Loves Bernie is an American television comedy program created by Bernard Slade, the creator of the 1970–74 ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, based loosely on the premise of the 1920s’ Broadway play and 1940s’ radio show Abie's Irish Rose...
, a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television-network situation comedy. The series was canceled after one season, but her co-star, David Birney
David Birney
David Edwin Birney is an American actor/director whose career has performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film and television. He has three children, a daughter Kate, and twins, Peter and Mollie....
became her second husband in 1974. Following their marriage and until their divorce in 1989, she was credited as Meredith Baxter-Birney.
As Baxter-Birney, she became widely known several years later on Family. She played the role of Nancy Lawrence Maitland and received two Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1977 and 1978).
After Family ended, she starred with Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
and Shelley Hack
Shelley Hack
Shelley Marie Hack is an American supermodel, actress, producer, and political & media advisor. Hack is best remembered for her role as Tiffany Welles in the fourth season of the ABC Television Drama Charlie's Angels ; replacing the departing Kate Jackson...
in Vanities
Vanities (TV program)
Vanities is a Home Box Office television presentation of the comedy-drama stage production written by Jack Heifner, Vanities.-Background:...
(1981), a television production of the comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
stage play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
about the lives, loves and friendship of three Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
cheerleaders
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
starting from high school to post-college graduation; it aired as a part of Standing Room Only
Standing Room Only (TV series)
Standing Room Only was an entertainment series on Home Box Office that premiered in 1976. Shows featured concerts, burlesque shows, ventriloquism programs, magic shows and more....
, a series on the premium-television channel HBO.
Baxter-Birney's next series was Family Ties, on which she played an ex-flower child
Flower child
Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, especially the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and environs during the 1967 Summer of Love. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear and distribute flowers or floral-themed decorations to symbolize altruistic ideals of...
mother, Elyse Keaton. In reality, she is only fourteen years older than Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
, who played her son Alex Keaton. She and co-star Michael Gross
Michael Gross (actor)
Michael Gross is an American television, movie, and stage actor who plays both comedic and dramatic roles. His most notable roles are as the father Steven Keaton from Family Ties and the Graboid hunter Burt Gummer from the Tremors franchise.-Early life:Gross was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son...
(who played her husband Steven) share the exact same birthdate.
In 1986, during her time on Family Ties, Baxter garnered critical acclaim for her dramatic performance as Kate Stark in the well-known NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television movie Kate's Secret
Kate's Secret
Kate's Secret is a 1986 television movie starring Meredith Baxter Birney, Ben Masters, Tracy Nelson, and Edward Asner, about a seemingly "perfect" suburban housewife and mother who is secretly suffering from bulimia nervosa...
, about a seemingly "perfect" suburban housewife and mother who is secretly suffering from bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
.
Following Family Ties, Baxter (whose marriage to Birney ended in 1989) produced and starred in television films
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
. She portrayed a psychopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
kidnapper
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
in The Kissing Place (1990) and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for her work in A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick
Betty Broderick
Elisabeth Anne "Betty" Broderick is a former American socialite convicted of the November 5, 1989 murder of her former husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena...
Story (1992), based on the true story of a divorcée
Divorcee
Divorcee, refers to a person whose marriage has ended in divorce, a legal dissolution of marriage before death by either spouse. The feminine form is "divorcée", and the masculine "divorcé". At one time the term had negative cultural and religious associations...
who was convicted of murder in the shooting of her ex-husband and his young wife.
In 1994, she won a Daytime Emmy Award
21st Daytime Emmy Awards
-Outstanding Drama Series:*All My Children*As the World Turns*Guiding Light*The Young and the Restless-Outstanding Lead Actor:*Peter Bergman *Charles Keating...
for her role as a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
mother raising a young son, in Other Mothers (1993), a CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season...
. For her work on the television film My Breast (1994), she received a special award for public awareness from the National Breast Cancer Coalition
National Breast Cancer Coalition
On September 20, 2010, the National Breast Cancer Coalition , a grassroots advocacy organization that seeks to improve public policies surrounding breast cancer research, diagnosis and treatment, launched Breast Cancer Deadline 2020, a call to action for policymakers, researchers, breast cancer...
.
In 1997, Baxter once again played the mother of a character played by Michael J. Fox, this time on Spin City
Spin City
Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
, an ABC situation comedy.
In 2005, she began appearing in television commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Garden State Life Insurance Company
Garden State Life Insurance Company
Garden State Life Insurance Company is a small direct life insurance company located in League City, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Galveston, Texas based American National Insurance Company....
. In 2006, she temporarily co-hosted — with Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
— Today, the NBC morning news and talk show
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
. In 2007, she made a guest appearance on What About Brian
What About Brian
What About Brian is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a midseason replacement and concluded on March 26, 2007...
, an ABC drama series. That same year, she also made several appearances as the dying mother of Detective Lilly Rush on Cold Case, a CBS police-procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
series. In 2009, she is guest starring in season two of the web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
We Have to Stop Now.
In recent years, Baxter has also created a skin-care line
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, Meredith Baxter Simple Works, which helps raise funds for her breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research foundation. She is also a spokesperson for Consumer Cellular, a cell phone company advertised as providing a cheaper cell phone alternative for senior citizens.
She currently costars in the cable television sitcom Dan Vs.
Dan vs.
Dan Vs. is an American flash animated cartoon series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson. The series premiered on January 1, 2011 on The Hub. Dan Vs. ended its first season on July 9, 2011. The series' second season began on November 19th and will continue through the 2011-2012 lineup.-Plot:The...
which airs on The Hub
The Hub
-Places:* "The Hub", a nickname for Boston, Massachusetts; short for The Hub of the Universe* The Hub , former church in Edinburgh which is now home to the Edinburgh International Festival...
.
Personal life
Baxter has been married three times and has five children. In 1966, she married Robert Lewis Bush and they had two children — Ted (born 1967) and Eva (born 1969); the couple was divorced in 1969. In 1974, she married David Birney and had three children — Kate (born 1974) and twins, Mollie and Peter (born 1984). Following their divorce in 1989, she reverted to using Meredith Baxter. In 1995, she married actor and screenwriterScreenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Michael Blodgett
Michael Blodgett
Michael Blodgett was an American actor, novelist, and screenwriter. Of his many film and television appearances he is best known for his performance as gigolo Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer's 1970 cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls...
; they were divorced in 2000. Baxter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999.Baxter was the guest speaker at the 2008 Southern Commencement for National University
National University (California)
National University , founded in 1971, is a comprehensive, nonsectarian, independent, accredited, non-profit private university headquartered in La Jolla, California, United States, with academic degree programs offered at campuses located throughout the state, one in Henderson, Nevada, and...
in La Jolla, California
La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla is an affluent, hilly seaside resort community, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the northern city limits of San Diego. La Jolla had the highest home prices in the nation in 2008 and 2009; the average price of a standardized...
, and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the university.
In 2009, The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
reported that Baxter was seen on a lesbian cruise
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
with a female friend. This led to speculation as to whether Baxter was a lesbian or simply enjoying the cruise as a platonic straight friend. On December 2, 2009, she came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as a lesbian during an interview with Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
on Today, and on the Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius-XM OutQ 102. She lives with her partner
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
, Nancy Locke, a general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
, with whom she has been since 2005. Baxter said she first realized she was a lesbian when she began her first same-sex
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
relationship in 2002.
On December 17, 2009, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that Baxter would write a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
. Broadway Books
Broadway Books
Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a Division of Random House, Inc., released its first list in Fall, 1996. Broadway Books has since published many New York Times bestsellers in hardcover and paperback, including Elizabeth Edwards’ memoir Resilience, Bill O’Reilly’s memoir A...
, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group
Crown Publishing Group
-External links:*...
, had purchased the rights to Baxter's as-yet-untitled and as-yet-unwritten life story. In the book, Baxter "will present a fully realized portrait of her life as an actress, mother of five children, and grandmother, and will candidly discuss her fight with breast cancer, her 19 years of sobriety, entrepreneurship, and her decision to come out," a press release said. Her memoir, titled Untied, was published in 2011.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Stand Up and Be Counted | Tracy | |
| 1972 | Ben | Eve Garrison | |
| 1976 | All the President's Men All the President's Men (film) All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post... |
Debbie Sloan | |
| 1976 | Bittersweet Love Bittersweet Love Bittersweet Love is a 1976 drama film directed by David Miller, and written by D.A. Kellogg and Adrian Morrall.-Cast:*Lana Turner as Claire*Robert Lansing as Howard*Celeste Holm as Marian*Robert Alda as Ben*Scott Hylands as Michael... |
Patricia | |
| 1990 | Jezebel's Kiss | Virginia De Leo | |
| 1999 | Elevator Seeking | Ann | |
| 2003 | Devil's Pond Devil's Pond Devil's Pond is a 2003 direct-to-video thriller movie starring Kip Pardue and Tara Reid. It is about two newlyweds, where the husband seems ideal until he begins perpetrating domestic violence and exhibiting other cruel behaviors... |
Kate | |
| 2005 | Paradise Texas Paradise, Texas (film) Paradise, Texas is a 2005 family drama film directed by Lorraine Senna and starring Timothy Bottoms, Ben Estus, and Meredith Baxter. Premiering at the 2006 WorldFest Film Festival, Paradise, Texas received a Gold Remi Award... |
Liz Cameron | |
| 2005 | The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green is a syndicated comic strip drawn by Eric Orner. Appearing in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender publications, the strip's title character is Ethan Green, a young gay man trying to balance his professional career as a personal assistant with his... |
Harper Green | |
| 2008 | The Onion Movie The Onion Movie The Onion Movie is a comedy film written by The Onion writers Robert D. Siegel and Todd Hanson along with the Chicago-based writing staff of the paper... |
Cooking Show Chef | direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... release |
| 2010 | Airline Disaster Airline Disaster -Plot:According to the Asylum's website, "When the President learns that domestic terrorists have skyjacked the passenger jet her brother is flying, she must choose between family and the safety of the people in the cities below."-See also:... |
President Harriet Franklin | post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Young Lawyers The Young Lawyers The Young Lawyers is an American legal drama that was aired on the ABC network as part of its 1970-71 lineup.-Plot:Aaron Silverman is part of a group of young, idealistic students at a top Boston law school who open a legal aid center, the "Neighborhood Law Office," to help the poor... |
Gloria | 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Doris Day Show The Doris Day Show The Doris Day Show is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 1968 until September 1973. In addition to showcasing Doris Day, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run... |
April | 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Partridge Family The Partridge Family The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup... |
Jenny | 1 episode |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974... |
Ann Glover | 1 episode |
| 1972–1973 | Bridget Loves Bernie Bridget Loves Bernie Bridget Loves Bernie is an American television comedy program created by Bernard Slade, the creator of the 1970–74 ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, based loosely on the premise of the 1920s’ Broadway play and 1940s’ radio show Abie's Irish Rose... |
Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg | 24 episodes |
| 1973 | The Invasion of Carol Enders | Carol Enders | television film |
| 1973 | Doc Elliot | Jenny | 1 episode |
| 1973 | The Cat Creature | Rena Carter | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... television film |
| 1974 | Barnaby Jones Barnaby Jones Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement... |
Jenny Sutherland | 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Stranger Who Looks Like Me | Joanne Denver | ABC television film |
| 1974 | Young Love | April | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... television film |
| 1974–1975 | Medical Center Medical Center (TV series) Medical Center is a medical drama series which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976.-Synopsis:The show starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner and Chad Everett as Dr. Joe Gannon, surgeons working in an otherwise unnamed university hospital in Los Angeles. The show focused both on the lives of the doctors... |
Paula Priscilla |
2 episodes |
| 1975 | Target Risk | Linda Flayly | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... television film |
| 1975 | The Imposter | Julie Watson | NBC television film |
| 1975 | The Streets of San Francisco The Streets of San Francisco The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros... |
Jodi Dixon | 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Night That Panicked America The Night That Panicked America The Night That Panicked America is an American made-for-television movie that was originally broadcast on the ABC network on October 31, 1975. The movie dramatizes events surrounding Orson Welles' famous - and infamous - War of the Worlds radio broadcast The Night That Panicked America is an... |
Linda Davis | ABC television film |
| 1975 | Medical Story | Erica Schiff Sunny |
2 episodes |
| 1975 | McMillan & Wife | Faye Leonard | 1 episode |
| 1976 | City of Angels City of Angels (1976 TV series) City of Angels is a 1976 television series created by Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins, who had previously worked together on The Rockford Files... |
Mary Kingston | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Wide World Mystery | 1 episode | |
| 1976 | Police Woman Police Woman (TV series) Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:... |
Liz Robson | 1 episode |
| 1976–1980 | Family Family (TV series) Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols... |
Nancy Lawrence Maitland | 45 episodes |
| 1977–1982 | The Love Boat The Love Boat The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain... |
Sandy Rytell | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | Little Women Little Women (1978 film) For other motion pictures of this title, see Little Women Little Women is a 1978 romantic family drama television film directed by David Lowell Rich and based upon Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Suzanne Clauser... |
Meg March | NBC television film |
| 1979 | The Family Man | Mercedes Cole | CBS television film |
| 1980 | Beulah Land | Lauretta Pennington | NBC miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| 1981 | Vanities Vanities (TV program) Vanities is a Home Box Office television presentation of the comedy-drama stage production written by Jack Heifner, Vanities.-Background:... |
Joanne | HBO televised presentation of stage Stage (theatre) In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience... production |
| 1981 | The Two Lives of Carol Letner | Carol Letner | CBS television film |
| 1982 | Take Your Best Shot | Carol Marriner | CBS television film |
| 1982–1989 | Family Ties Family Ties Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young... |
Elyse Keaton | 171 episodes |
| 1985 | The Rape of Richard Beck The Rape of Richard Beck -Plot:Richard Beck is a police detective who believes that rape victims are to blame for the crime. He is later raped by two of the suspects he had been chasing... |
Barbara McKee | ABC television film |
| 1985 | Family Ties Vacation | Elyse Keaton | NBC television film |
| 1986 | Kate's Secret Kate's Secret Kate's Secret is a 1986 television movie starring Meredith Baxter Birney, Ben Masters, Tracy Nelson, and Edward Asner, about a seemingly "perfect" suburban housewife and mother who is secretly suffering from bulimia nervosa... |
Kate Stark | NBC television film |
| 1987 | The Long Journey Home | Maura Wells | CBS television film |
| 1988 | The Diaries of Adam and Eve | Eve | television film |
| 1988 | Mickey's 60th Birthday Mickey's 60th Birthday Mickey's 60th Birthday is the 1988 television special broadcast on the Walt Disney anthology television series on November 13, 1988 on NBC. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 60th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse character... |
Elyse Keaton | television special Television special A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular... |
| 1988 | Winnie | Winnie | NBC television film |
| 1989 | She Knows Too Much | Samantha White | NBC television film |
| 1990 | The Kissing Place | Florence Tulane | USA Network USA Network USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various... television film |
| 1990 | Burning Bridges | Lynn Hollinger | ABC television film |
| 1992 | A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story | Betty Broderick Betty Broderick Elisabeth Anne "Betty" Broderick is a former American socialite convicted of the November 5, 1989 murder of her former husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena... |
CBS television film |
| 1992 | Stolen Love | DeeDee | ABC Television film |
| 1993 | Darkness Before Dawn Darkness Before Dawn Darkness Before Dawn is a realistic young adult novel by author Sharon M. Draper. The novel is the final installment in the Hazelwood High trilogy. It was first published in 2001.-Plot summary:... |
Mary Ann Guard | NBC television film also co-executive producer Executive producer An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production... |
| 1993 | CBS Schoolbreak Special CBS Schoolbreak Special CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season... - Other Mothers |
Paula Hensen | 1 episode; won a Daytime Emmy Award Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming... for her role |
| 1994 | For the Love of Aaron | Margaret Gibson | television film |
| 1994 | One More Mountain | Margaret Reed | ABC television film |
| 1994 | My Breast | Joyce Wadler | CBS television film also co-executive producer |
| 1995 | Betrayed: A Story of Three Women | Amanda Nelson | ABC television film also co-executive producer |
| 1996 | The Faculty The Faculty (TV series) The Faculty was an American sitcom starring Meredith Baxter as a middle school administrator. The show aired on ABC from March 1996 to May 1996.-Premise:... |
Flynn Sullivan | 1 episode also executive producer |
| 1996 | After Jimmy After Jimmy After Jimmy is a CBS 1996 TV movie, based on a true story, starring Meredith Baxter as a woman, with her family, mourning the suicide death of her teenage son... |
Maggie Stapp | television film |
| 1997 | Dog's Best Friend Dog's Best Friend Dog's Best Friend is a TV movie starring Richard Mulligan and Bobcat Goldthwait. It premiered on The Family Channel in 1997. It was directed by Allan A. Goldstein.... |
Cow (Voice) | television film |
| 1997 | The Inheritance | Beatrice Hamilton | television film |
| 1997 | Let Me Call You Sweetheart | D.A. Kerry McGrath | The Family Channel television film |
| 1997 | Miracle in the Woods | Sarah Weatherby | television film |
| 1997 | Spin City Spin City Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike... |
Macy Flaherty | 2 episodes: "Family Affair" (Part 1) and "Family Affair" (Part 2) |
| 1999 | Holy Joe | Annie Cass | CBS television film |
| 1999 | Down Will Come Baby Down Will Come Baby Down Will Come Baby is a true story thriller drama based on a book by Gloria Murphy. It was released in 1999 on the CBS network.-Plot:Twelve-year-old Robin Garr witnessed her friend Amelia's death at summer camp. Robin cannot cope with the death and blames herself. Further, her parents are... |
Leah Garr | CBS television film |
| 1999 | Miracle on the 17th Green | Susan McKinley | CBS television film |
| 2000 | The Wednesday Woman | Muriel Davidson | CBS television film |
| 2001 | A Mother's Fight for Justice | Terry Stone | Lifetime Television film |
| 2001 | Aftermath | Carol | television film |
| 2001 | Murder on the Orient Express Murder on the Orient Express (2001 film) Murder on the Orient Express is a 2001 made-for-television movie, based on the 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, featuring Hercule Poirot. This version is set in the present day and has a smaller cast than the novel. The original music score was composed by Christopher... |
Mrs. Caroline Hubbard | television film |
| 2002 | A Christmas Visitor | Carol Boyajian | Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family... television film |
| 2003 | 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
Mrs. Jones | 1 episode: "Go Ask Alice" |
| 2004 | Half & Half Half & Half Half & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship... |
Joan Tyrell | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Angel in the Family | Lorraine | Hallmark Channel television film |
| 2005 | The Closer The Closer The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods... |
Congresswoman Simmons | 1 episode: "Fantasy Date" |
| 2006 | Brothers & Sisters | Margaret Packard | 1 episode: "For the Children" |
| 2006–2007 | Cold Case | Ellen Rush | 5 episodes |
| 2007 | What About Brian What About Brian What About Brian is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a midseason replacement and concluded on March 26, 2007... |
Frankie | 1 episode: "What About All That Glitters..." |
| 2009 | Bound by a Secret | Ida Mae | Hallmark Channel television film |
| 2009 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Elyse Keaton and herself | 2 episodes: "Stew-Roids" and "Family Gay Family Gay "Family Gay" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the animated television comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 8, 2009. In the episode, Peter Griffin purchases a brain damaged horse who ends up causing a great deal of collateral damage at the... " |
| 2009 | Brothers Brothers (2009 TV series) Brothers is a television sitcom, which ran on Fox from September 25, 2009 to December 27, 2009. It originally aired on Friday nights at 8:00 pm EST before moving to Sunday nights at 7:00 pm EST as part of the 2009 fall schedule.- Premise :... |
TV Mom | 1 episode: "Episode: Commercial – Coach DMV" |
| 2010 | We Have to Stop Now | Judy | Web series Episode: "The Grass Is Always Greener" |
| 2010 | RuPaul's Drag U RuPaul's Drag U RuPaul's Drag U is an American reality television series. Hosted by RuPaul and a team of drag queen "professors," Drag U is a spin-off of the series RuPaul's Drag Race... |
Herself | 1 episode: Appeared as a guest judge |
| 2011 | Oprah | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Dan Vs. Dan vs. Dan Vs. is an American flash animated cartoon series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson. The series premiered on January 1, 2011 on The Hub. Dan Vs. ended its first season on July 9, 2011. The series' second season began on November 19th and will continue through the 2011-2012 lineup.-Plot:The... |
Elise Sr. | 4 episodes |
| 2011 | "Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... " |
Carol | 1 Episode |
| 2011 | "Switched at Birth Switched at Birth (TV series) Switched at Birth is an American television series that premiered on ABC Family on June 6, 2011 at 9:00 ET/PT. The one-hour scripted drama revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments... " |
Bonnie Tamblyn Dixon |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series or Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Nominated | Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Family Family (TV series) Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols... |
| 1978 | Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Family Family (TV series) Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols... |
||
| 1992 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Betty Broderick Elisabeth Anne "Betty" Broderick is a former American socialite convicted of the November 5, 1989 murder of her former husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena... Story |
||
| 1994 | 21st Daytime Emmy Awards 21st Daytime Emmy Awards -Outstanding Drama Series:*All My Children*As the World Turns*Guiding Light*The Young and the Restless-Outstanding Lead Actor:*Peter Bergman *Charles Keating... |
Won | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | CBS Schoolbreak Special CBS Schoolbreak Special CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season... - Other Mothers |
| 2007 | TV Land Award | Nominated | Lady You Love to Watch Fight for Her Life in a Movie of the Week |