CAST BIOS LUKE PERRY (Chris Richardson) – Luke Perry made his debut on Broadway in the critically acclaimed musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where he portrayed “Brad,” the character originally played by Barry Bostwick in the cult film classic.
Perry’s television credits include starring for two seasons on “Jeremiah,” the Showtime Network sci-fi series; a multi-episode arc on HBO’s critically acclaimed series “OZ,” in which he portrayed a televangelist convicted of fraud, as well as “Johnson County War,” a Hallmark Channel Original movie in which he starred opposite Tom Berringer and Burt Reynolds.
In 1989, Perry was chosen for a starring role on the internationally popular television series “Beverly Hills 90210,” in which he portrayed the brooding but sensitive Dylan McCay. The highly-rated program won a Golden Globe Award for Best Dramatic Television series in 1991. During his years on the series, Perry appeared in independent films and major studio productions such as Columbia’s “Fifth Element,” directed by Luc Besson; “Riot” for Showtime; “Normal Life” for New Line; “American Strays;” and “The Florentine,” in which he co-stared with Chris Penn, Jim Belushi, Michael Madsen and Mary Stuart Masterson.
Perry made his feature film debut in a starring role in “8 Seconds,” the remarkable account of champion bull rider Lane Frost, which was directed by John Avildsen. Drawn to the project by the action, drama and simplicity of the story, Perry, who developed the project, was also motivated to co-produce the film in order to maintain the story's integrity. His serious devotion to the inspirational legend of Lane Frost led him to train vigorously for 18 months in order to master the techniques of bull riding and to be able to perform many of his own stunts during production.
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TIA CARRERE (Lisa Delgado) - International box office actress Tia Carrere is best known for stealing the hearts of many Hollywood heavyweights during her career: the now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in “True Lies;” Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery in “Rising Sun;” and Mike Myers in both installments of “Wayne’s World.”
The Hawaiian-born beauty – a blend of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish – also stared in her own internationally syndicated series “Relic Hunter.”
Tia has additionally lent her voice on various animated features including the Oscar nominated feature “Lilo & Stich,” “Aloha, Scooby Doo” and as the ever imperious Queen of Mars on the TV series “Duck Dodgers.”
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Her most recent motion picture credits include the upcoming animated feature “Lilo & Stitch II” and the urban drama “Back in the Day,” alongside Ving Rhames and Ja Rule.
Tia and her husband, photo-journalist Simon Wakelin, expect their first child this fall.
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EMMA SAMMS (Laurie Stephenson) - Emma Samms was born into a family dynasty whose theatrical history began before the "talkies." She has followed suit with an impressive rise through the ranks of the performing arts to achieve professional success in the fields of dance and modeling, and international recognition for her acting in daytime and prime-time television, as well as in feature films. She is equally well-known around the world as the Co-Founder of the Starlight Foundation.
She began modeling at age 16, appearing in fashion magazines around the world including Vogue, among numerous others. No one was more surprised than Emma when her first film audition won her the starring role in the motion picture fantasy “Arabian Adventure.” The fledgling actress went on to win the British Film Industry's award for Most Promising Newcomer.
Encouraged to broaden her career opportunities, Emma relocated to the United States. Her big break came when she was chosen to portray Holly Sutton, Luke Spencer's love interest on the ABC daytime drama “General Hospital.” Audiences went wild for the 'Luke' and 'Holly' pairing and followed her character through her romantic escapades and marriage until she departed the show in 1985. Much to the delight of her devoted “General Hospital” fans, Emma returned to the show from January 1992, through July, 1993.
Following her initial stint on “General Hospital,” Emma joined the prime-time dramas “Dynasty” and “The Colbys.” She spent four years with the series as ‘Fallon,’ earning well-deserved plaudits and accolades and was reunited with the cast for “Dynasty: The Reunion” in 1991.
In between acting assignments, Emma has become a respected professional photographer turning it into a second career. Emma's photographic talents have been recognized by Revlon, who sponsored a national exhibition of her photographs. Her assignments have also included a number of prestigious national magazines, such as Architectural Digest, for whom she photographed playwright Neil Simon at home.
Outside acting and her busy professional career, Emma's true devotion and passion has been the Starlight Foundation, an international organization she co-founded with her cousin, Peter Samuelson. The Starlight Foundation helps seriously ill children and their families throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL/ “Supernova” Cast Bios – Page 3
Emma, a single mother of two young children, is an actress and humanitarian who has earned the respect of her peers and her zest for living is matched by her dedication to helping those special children she considers part of her family. She resides in London.
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LANCE HENRIKSEN (Col. Harlan Williams) - Versatile actor Lance Henriksen’s credits include the TNT Original movie, "Evel Knievel," "AVP: Alien Versus Predator," Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Damien: Omen II," "The Right Stuff," in which Henriksen portrayed Mercury astronaut 'Lieutenant Commander Walter Schirra, Jr.', "The Terminator," "Aliens" and The Quick and the Dead" opposite Russell Crowe, Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman. Director Sam Raimi says, "Lance is a brilliant performer who goes way beyond acting. He becomes his character completely, leaving no trace of his former self and making something of every moment on screen.
Henriksen starred for three seasons on "Millenium," Fox TV's critically acclaimed series created by Chris Carter ("The X-Files"). Henriksen's performance as 'Frank Black,' a retired FBI agent, who has the ability to get inside the minds of killers, garnered three consecutive Golden Globe nominations for "Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series" and a People's Choice Award nomination for "Favorite New TV Male Star."
Born in New York, Henriksen studied at the Actors Studio and began his career Off Broadway in Eugene O'Neill's Three Plays of the Sea. One of his first film appearances was for director Sidney Lumet in "Dog Day Afternoon," followed by Lumet's "Network" and "Prince of the City.”
In addition to his abilities as an actor, Henriksen is an accomplished painter and potter. His talent as a ceramist has enabled him to create some of the most unusual ceramic artworks available on the art market today.
Henriksen resides in Southern California with his wife Jane and their daughter Sage.
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PETER FONDA (Dr. Austin Shepard) – Since his role as “Captain America” in “Easy Rider,” Peter Fonda has been nothing less than a cinematic icon. A two-time Academy® Award nominee, Fonda made his professional stage debut on Broadway in 1961 in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole, for which he received rave reviews from the New York critics and won the Daniel Blum Theater World Award and the New York Critics Circle Award for Best New Actor.
He began his feature film career in 1963, playing the romantic lead in “Tammy Tell Me True”, and joined the ensemble cast of the World War II saga, “The Victors.” Fonda is well-known for his famous association with producer-director Roger Corman. Following his starring role in Corman’s “Wild Angels,” he went on to star in “The Trip.” (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL/ “Supernova” Cast Bios – Page 4
In addition to starring in “Easy Rider,” Fonda produced and co-wrote the film with Dennis Hopper, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Fonda’s acting credits also include the feature films, “Outlaw Blues,” “Dirty Marty, Crazy Larry,” “Race With the Devil,” “Lillith,” “Two People,” “Escape from LA,” “Bodies, Heart & Motion” (with his daughter Bridget), “The Hired Hand”, “The Limey,” “Ocean’s Twelve” and the upcoming “Ghost Rider” with Nicolas Cage.
Fonda wowed audiences and won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Ulee Jackson, the taciturn beekeeper, in the 1997 film, “Ulee’s Gold,” earning him both a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and the New York Film Critics Award, as well as an Oscar nomination.
Equally at home on television, Fonda was nominated for another Golden Globe for Best Actor in a mini-series for “The Tempest.” He won the coveted award for his role opposite Helen Mirren in the telefilm,”The Passion of Ayn Rand.” He was nominated for an Emmy® and SAG Award for the same role. Other television credits include “The Laramie Project,” “Back When We Were Grownups” and “The Maldonado Miracle,” for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy® Award.
Fonda has directed three feature films “The Hired Hand,” “Idaho Transfer” and “Wanda Nevada.” He published an autobiography titled, “Don’t Tell Dad” in 1998.
Fonda, who has two children, lives in Montana with his wife, Becky.
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