SACRIFICES OF THE HEART

CAST BIOS

MELISSA GILBERT (Kate Weston) - A native of , Melissa Gilbert comes from a long line of entertainers. Her grandfather, , creator and writer of “,” was one of the best-known and most respected comedy writers in the business. Her father, Paul Gilbert, was a respected comedian, actor, musician and dancer.

At the age of two, Gilbert made her on-air debut modeling baby clothes. She then “retired” until age seven when she plunged back in, acting in more than thirty television commercials. In the summer of 1973, the nine-year-old joined the cast of “Little House on the Prairie,” continuing with the popular series for ten years. “I grew up with wonderful people,” Gilbert recalls. “I learned professionalism from all of them and especially from . He taught me fine points about camera angles, set designs, costuming, production, direction and LIFE.”

When Gilbert was fourteen, her personal manager formed Half-Pint Productions (her character’s nickname on “Little House”), which first resulted in the production of the Emmy® award-winning MOW “The Miracle Worker,” starring . The company subsequently produced, with Gilbert starring, such well-received television specials as “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Family Secrets” and “Choices of the Heart.”

A variety of rich television roles continued, including “Choices,” “Without Her Consent,” “Joshua’s Heart,” “The Lookalike,” “Blood Vows: Story of a Mafia Wife,” “Killer Instinct,” “Donor” and “Forbidden Nights.” In 1992 Gilbert made her comeback to series television starring in the Fox-TV comedy “Stand By Your Man” with Rosie O’Donnell. Gilbert also starred in the NBC television series “Sweet Justice,” portraying a headstrong attorney from a well-to-do Southern family.

In 1993 she starred in five telefilms including the highly rated “Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story,” the true story of a California attorney whose recollection of early childhood abuse by her father leads her to champion other incest victims and change the state’s statute of limitations law. Her portrayal and her own fight to help abused children were honored with a 1994 Inspirational Award from Childhelp USA, with which she has been affiliated for twenty years. Her other work that year included “With Hostile Intent,” “A Family of Strangers,” “Babymaker: The Cecil Jacobson Story” and “Dying To Remember.” Gilbert also starred alongside her husband in Danielle Steele’s miniseries “Zoya” and “House of Secrets.”

Over the years, Gilbert has continued to bring such powerful stories to the small screen as “Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story” and “Cries from the Heart.” She starred in

(more) HALLMARK CHANNEL/‘SACRIFICES OF THE HEART’ – Cast Bios – Page 2 the feel-good holiday telefilm “Christmas in My Hometown,” “Seduction in a Small Town,” “Childhood Sweetheart,” “Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Her own Rules,” “The Soul Collector” and “Switched at Birth.” Melissa starred in “A Vision of Murder: the Story of Donielle,” “Nora Roberts’ Sanctuary,” “’ Hollywood Wives: The New Generation” opposite Farrah Fawcett and the Hallmark Original Movie “Thicker Than Water”.

Melissa recently starred in a very controversial episode of the acclaimed series “Nip/Tuck.”

In feature films, Gilbert starred in “Sylvester,” which earned her ShoWest’s Promising Star of the Year in 1985. She was also honored that year when she received a star on the , becoming the youngest recipient of such an honor. In 2000 she did a cameo role playing herself in Griffin Dunne’s film “Lisa Picard is Famous.”

In 1987 she made her off-Broadway debut as a star of A Shayna Maidel, earning an Outer Critic’s Circle Award for Best Debuting Actress for her realistic portrayal of a young girl who escapes war-torn Europe but is later confronted by her older sister who spent time in a concentration camp. She also starred in such productions as The Miracle Worker,The Glass Menagerie, Bus Stop and most recently Love Letters.

Having fully outgrown the “Half-Pint” image of her “Little House” youth, Melissa has proven herself a successful adult actress and director. In 1996, she made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed ABC after school special “Me and My Hormones.”

Gilbert also served two terms as the 23rd President of . Along with her duties as SAG President, she served two terms as Vice President on the AFL-CIO executive council, as Vice President for the California Labor Federation, and as a commissioner on the California Film Commission. During her tenure at Screen Actors Guild, Gilbert helped to create and pass anti-runaway legislation as well as laws to protect child performers. Additionally, she helped to fight movie piracy and to implement many other worker and artist protections. Gilbert also served as chair of the 2005 SAG Theatrical/Television Negotiating Committee.

Among her many honors and accolades, Gilbert has received the Media Access Office Award of Merit for her efforts in seeking casting diversity, was one of Hollywood Reporter’s “Women of the Year” for three consecutive years, and was recently honored with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

If her career has proven eclectic, her home life is no less of a menagerie. Melissa married actor Bruce Boxleitner in 1995. The blended family lives in a Los Angeles suburb with their son Michael Garrett, her son Dakota and Boxleitner’s two sons Sam and Lee.

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Melissa was recently elected President of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Hospice and palliative Care Coalition. She has dedicated her life to ensuring that all chronically and terminally ill children get to live and die with the gentleness, dignity and grace they deserve.

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KEN HOWARD (Thane Weston) – is perhaps best known for his performance as a street-savvy teacher in the classic drama “The White Shadow” a role he “re-created” in real life as a master class teacher at the American Repertory Theatre Institute and as an instructor at Harvard University and Harvard Law School. His teaching experience helped form the basis of his book, ACT NATURAL How to Speak to Any Audience, published by Random House in 2003.

His television credits include co-starring roles on “It’s Not Easy,” “The Colbys,” “Dynasty,” “Adam’s Rib” and “The Manhunter.” Among Howard’s other series, mini- series and TV movie credits are “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (recurring), “The Practice,” “Arli$$,” “The West Wing,” “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town” and “The Thorn Birds.” His most recent guest roles have been in “Conviction,” “The Ghost Whisperer,” “The George Lopez Show,” “Huff” and his role as Jordan Cavanaugh’s (Jill Hennessey) father, the world-wise retired Detective Lieutenant ‘Max Cavanaugh’ on NBC’s “Crossing Jordan.”

In 1968, two years into the three-year program at the Yale School of Drama, he accepted a small role on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Promises, Promises. He then originated the role of Thomas Jefferson in the Tony-winning musical 1776, directed by Peter Hunt, receiving a Theatre World award. Howard later earned a Tony for his work as a young gym coach at a Catholic boy’s school in Child’s Play and has starred on Broadway in Seesaw, The Norman Conquests, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the national tour of Equus.

His feature-film debut was in “Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon” opposite Liza Minnelli. Film credits include “1776,” “Such Good Friends,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Net” and “At First Sight.” He delighted movie audiences in 2005 with his work in FOX 2000’s “In Her Shoes,” with Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine and “Dreamer” co-starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning. He recently completed shooting the feature film “Michael Clayton” for Warner Bros. starring George Clooney.

He became firmly established in the public’s mind as ‘Coach Reeves’ on the prestigious “The White Shadow,” series which he co-created, based on his own experiences as the only white player on his high school basketball team.

Howard won an Emmy for the on-camera narration of “Facts for Boys: The Body Human.” His voice can be heard on more than 30 best-selling books on tape.

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A kidney transplant success (the gift of longtime friend and stuntwoman Jeannie Epper), Howard was appointed Chancellor of the National Kidney Foundation, and works with their efforts to encourage people to donate their organs.

Howard resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, retired stuntwoman Linda Howard and their dog, Shadow.

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