For Immediate Release

‘MEET MY MOM’ CAST BIOS LORI LOUGHLIN (Dana Marshall) – Best recognized for her role as Rebecca Donaldson on the long-running hit comedy series “Full House,” Lori Loughlin has now added another iconic series to her resume: The CW’s new incarnation of “90210.” In it, she plays the mother of two teenagers who struggles with her family’s move from the normalcy of Kansas to the fast lane of Beverly Hills. Her most recent film project was the 2009 comedy feature “Old Dogs,” in which she stars opposite Robin Williams and John Travolta, playing the latter’s love interest. Her other recent feature film was “Moondance Alexander,” in which she portrayed an eccentric mother whose daughter finds a pony and is determined to win the Bow Valley Classic. Born and raised in Hauppauge, Long Island, Loughlin got her start in show business at a young age. She was cast in the daytime drama “The Edge of Night,” for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series. In 1985, Loughlin was cast in the feature film “Secret Admirer,” a romantic comedy co-starring C. Thomas Howell and Kelly Preston. Loughlin also starred opposite Treat Williams in “Critical Mass,” in the beach movie spoof “Back to the Beach,” in “Rad,” a film about BMX racing, and in “Amityville 3-D,” the third installment of the “Amityville” horror franchise. In addition to “Full House,” Loughlin was a regular on “Hudson Street,” a comedy starring Tony Danza. She was also the star and producer of The WB’s family drama “Summerland.” Other television roles have included an after-school special entitled “No Means No,” for which she received an Emmy® nomination for Best Actress. Loughlin also worked with Jim Carrey in the TV movie “Doing Time on Maple Drive” and starred in “In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory.” She has made repeat performances in a number of series, including “The Drew Carey Show” and “Spin City,” and guest-starred in such series as “Seinfeld,” “Suddenly Susan,” “The Larry Sanders Show” and “Birds of Prey.” Loughlin resides in Los Angeles with her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and their three children. # # # STEFANIE POWERS (Louise Metcalf) – Stefanie Powers began her career at age 15, dancing briefly for famed choreographer Jerome Robbins. Under contract to Columbia Pictures for five years, she appeared in 15 motion pictures, including “Experiment in Terror,” “The Interns” and “Love Has Many Faces,” before landing her first TV series, “The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.” (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL IN HD/ ‘MEET MY MOM’ – Cast Bios – Page 2 More motion pictures followed, plus dozens of TV guest appearances, more than 20 mini-series including “Mistral’s Daughter,” “At Mother’s Request” and “Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun,” and tours in theatrical productions such as Under the Yum Yum Tree, How the Other Half Loves, Sabrina, A View From the Bridge, Oliver! and Annie Get Your Gun. Two more television series, “The Feather & Father Gang” and the long-running “Hart to Hart” established Powers’ reputation for glamour and versatility. For her performance in “Hart to Hart,” Powers garnered two Emmy® nominations and five Golden Globe nominations. She toured extensively with “Hart to Hart” co-star Robert Wagner in Love Letters, including the play’s London West End run and returned to the West End in the musical Matador. After completing eight two-hour television movie versions of “Hart to Hart,” she returned to the musical theater in the first revival of Applause, the musical version of All About Eve. She appeared Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues before returning to England to star in the debut of the American play, The Adjustment. England summoned her again to take over for Elaine Page in the elaborate UK production of The King and I, and a year later she returned to the role of Anna in the US tour of the production. Again in England, she appeared in the comedy film “Rabbit Fever,” followed by a dramatic film production “Jump,” shot in Austria. She released her debut CD, “On the Same Page,” a collection of tunes from the classic American songbook era, a collaboration with musician Page Cavanaugh, and followed that with her one-woman show, One From the Hart. As much a part of her life as her career is, Powers’ devotion to animal preservation and protection often seems more of a vocation than an avocation. She is the co-founder and president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, established in 1982 as a public charity to continue the late actor’s conservation work in Africa. Powers resides part-time in Kenya, serves on the advisory board of three major zoos, is a Fellow of the Los Angeles Zoo, the Royal Geographic Society and the Explorers Club of America, and she created the Jaguar Conservation Trust for Jaguar Cars North America, all as part of her lifetime commitment to conservation. Powers recently signed with Simon and Schuster to write her memoir, which is set to be released in 2010. # # # JOHNNY MESSNER (Sergeant Vince Carrera) – After a role in “The Sweetest Thing” with Cameron Diaz and Selma Blair, Johnny Messner caught the attention of numerous industry- types with his breakthrough role as the mohawked special-ops lieutenant John Lake in “Tears of the Sun,” opposite Bruce Willis and Monica Bellucci. His work in “Tears” caught the attention of director Dwight Little, who cast him in Sony Pictures’ “Anacondas.” In the film, he starred as a conflicted American loner with a checkered past who unwittingly becomes the boat captain to a disparate group of doomed travelers in the South Pacific. (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL IN HD/ ‘MEET MY MOM’ – Cast Bios – Page 3 His other credits include films such as “Running Scared,” the New Line feature directed by Wayne Kramer, in which he co-starred with Paul Walker and Vera Farmiga, “The Whole Ten Yards,” David Mamet’s “Spartan” opposite Val Kilmer and William H. Macy, “Hostage,” his third collaboration with Bruce Willis, and, most recently, “Corrado” and “Wrong Turn at Tahoe.” Messner is proud of his contribution to “One Last Thing,” which debuted at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. In the film, he plays Jason O’Malley, the football star poised to assume the role of hero to fulfill a dying young teen’s last wish. As the story unfolds, O’Malley develops a poignant relationship with the boy’s single mom, played by Cynthia Nixon. No stranger to the small screen, Messner’s television credits include the lead role on the Fox drama “Killer Instinct,” a recurring role on “The O.C.,” and guest star appearances in shows such as “C.S.I.,” “Knight Rider” and “Law & Order.” Messner lived in Europe for several years while his father served in the U.S. Air Force. He went to high school in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and attended college at San Diego State University, earning a degree in communications. He currently resides in Los Angeles. # # # CHARLES HENRY WYSON (Jared Marshall) – At just 10 years old, Charles Henry Wyson has more than a foot in the door when it comes to his acting career. In addition to numerous commercial shoots, Wyson has played lead roles in the Los Angeles Drama Club’s performances of MacBeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest. His first film credit was “Favorite Son” for director Michael Bober. In 2008, Wyson co-starred in the multiple award-winning David Fincher film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” playing the six-year-old version of Brad Pitt’s character, Benjamin. On television, Wyson has appeared in the ABC series “Lost” and has had a recurring role in “Gary Unmarried” for CBS. He was also a series regular as Zack Vassar on NBC’s “Journeyman” and co-starred in the CBS pilot “Canned.” Aside from enjoying an already thriving career, Wyson is like many kids his age. He golfs, swims, plays baseball and practices Tae Kwon Do. He is also a Cub Scout and loves animals. -- HALLMARK CHANNEL -- .

Load more