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‘BOUND BY A SECRET’

CAST BIOS

LESLEY ANN WARREN (Jane) – is the quintessential actress, consistently giving audiences reason to agree with Pauline Kael of New Yorker Magazine, who hailed her as “one of the greatest beauties of the screen and an actress who delivers spectacular performances.”

Warren finished shooting a lead role in the USA pilot, “In Plain Sight” for producers David Maples and Paul Stupin. Warren most recently appeared in a fantastic recurring role on the hit series “.” For her exceptional performance, she has received national publicity. She was last seen in the feature “10 th And Wolf” written and directed by Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco, alongside Val Kilmer, Giovanni Ribisi and Dennis Hopper, and has also wrapped on the feature “Constellation” opposite Zoe Saldana, Gabrielle Union and Billy Dee Williams. She was most recently seen in the Indie hit film “Secretary,” co-starring Maggie Gylenhaal and James Spader. She also recently starred in ’s production of ’s comedic mystery “Trixie,” with Nick Nolte and Emily Watson, as well as ’s “The Limey” with and Peter Fonda. Warren also co-starred in the critically acclaimed independent feature “Twin Falls Idaho” for Sony Pictures Classics. She recently starred in the features “When Do We Eat?” and “Deepwater,” 2005 Seattle Film Festival selection, with Lucas Black and Mia Maestro, and the AFI Film Festival selection “My Tiny Universe” with Debi Mazar and John Heard.

After winning the Most Promising Newcomer Award as the ingénue lead in 110 In the Shade on Broadway, she found stardom on the small screen as in the original television version of the Rogers and Hammerstein classic.

Warren’s first film was “” for Disney. Her performance in ’ comic masterpiece “Victor/Victoria” garnered her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe nomination, as well as a New York Critics Film Award and a People’s Choice Award. David Ansen of Newsweek went so far as to say, “Lesley Ann Warren does the cleverest dumb blonde routine since Marilyn Monroe.” She has also garnered a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Alan Rudolph’s “Songwriter,” as well as a second People’s Choice Award to Rudolph’s “.”

Additional film credits include “Clue,” “Burglar” with , “Pure Country,” “Cop” opposite , “Life Stinks” with , “Worth Winning,” “The ” with Bruce Willis, and the Sundance favorite “Going All the Way,” co-starring Ben Affleck.

Warren’s television credits include a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in the “79 Park Avenue” as well as a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for her performance in the

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CBS miniseries “Family of Spies.” She received Cable Ace nominations for her work in the A&E production for Tennessee Williams’ “27 Wagons Full of Cotton” and HBO Pictures’ “Baja Oklahoma,” which earned her yet another Golden Globe nomination.

Further television credits include the NBC telefilm “Evergreen” and the Emmy Award winning TNT miniseries “Joseph” opposite . She currently has been seen in a recurring role opposite Sydney Pollack on NBC’s hit comedy “Will & Grace” as well as a recurring role on “Crossing Jordan.”

Actor , who played Prince Charming to Warren’s Cinderella, perhaps best summed it up when he stated in her A&E Biography, “Her talent lies in the depth of her heart and she is not afraid to show that. That is her greatest gift.”

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MEREDITH BAXTER (Ida Mae) – In film, television and on , Meredith Baxter is noted for her accessible portrayals of intelligent, independent women who struggle with the challenges before them. Baxter achieved success early in her career with a string of hit television series including “Bridget Loves Bernie,” “Family,” and, most notably, the long-running “.” Meredith made the transition to drama after seven years as one of America’s favorite stars and quickly became one of the most sought-after actors for television movies.

Baxter relishes the challenge of characters in stories that evoke thought, even antagonism, and is often courageous in her choice of roles. She has earned Emmy nominations for her performances as the lead character in “A Woman Scorned: The Story” (1991) and as a mother in the CBS School Break Special, “Other Mothers” (1993).

Over the past few years, Baxter has made over 50 movies for television. Some of the most notable include “Winnie,” the extraordinary true story of a retarded woman struggling for her own voice to be heard, as well as “Darkness Before Dawn,” the true, painful, train-wreck-of-a- story about a woman desperate to end her drug and alcohol addiction. She also starred in “My Breast,” a black comedy about the true story of journalist Joyce Wadler’s successful battle with breast cancer and “,” the story of a mother who must come to terms with the suicide of her eldest child.

For a few years, Baxter was a force behind the camera as well. She formed her own production company to develop and produce her own material. Under her own banner, Baxter executive produced her last TV series “The Faculty” for ABC. She was on a number of

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her movies for television, including “My Breast,” “Betrayed: The Story of Three Women,” “Darkness Before Dawn,” and “The Long Journey Home.”

In 2006 and 2007 Baxter had a recurring role as Kathryn Morris’ mother on the CBS hit show “Cold Case.” She has also appeared on such shows as “,” “Brothers and Sisters,” and “What About Brian.”

On the stage, Baxter’s credits include Spine , Butterflies Are Free , Guys and Dolls , Talley’s Folly , and many different productions of Love Letters in theaters across the country. She starred in The Country Wife , and appeared and co-produced the stage presentation of The Diaries of Adam and Eve , which was also taped for broadcast on PBS. Her stage performance in Vanities was taped for broadcast on HBO.

Baxter has devoted much of her time to speaking out on issues about which she is passionate. A champion of women’s rights, she is an active supporter of NARAL and Planned Parenthood. For her work on “My Breast,” she received a special award for public awareness from the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Baxter was involved with The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and has worked with members of the California Senate and Assembly on state legislative matters.

Over the last few years, Baxter developed a line of skin care products. The initial intention had been to correct her own dry skin problem; the product was so good, however, that she decided to bring it to the public. She has combined her concern about breast cancer prevention into this business endeavor; a portion of the profits from the sales of all her skin care products go to the Meredith Baxter Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

Baxter is the mother of five children and three grandchildren. The youngest of her children, twins Mollie and Peter, are now attending college on the East Coast.

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TIMOTHY BOTTOMS (Will) – From a talented family, Timothy James Bottoms is the oldest of four acting siblings. All four boys were born in Santa Barbara, California, the children of James "Bud" Bottoms, a sculptor and high school art teacher, and his wife Betty. Artistic expression was encouraged in his family and Bottoms expressed an avid interest, even during his pre-school years, of wanting to perform. Raised in Santa Barbara, he was a member of the Youth Theater Productions at school and in 1967, toured Europe along with the Santa Barbara Madrigal Society, which sealed his aspirations.

Following high school, Bottoms was spotted by Universal in a stage production of Romeo and

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Juliet and chosen (with no prior film experience) for a lead part in “Johnny Got His Gun.” As Joe, a young American soldier who is shelled and left armless and legless on the last day of World War I, Bottoms received excellent reviews and earned a Golden Globe nomination as "Most Promising Newcomer." His next starring role propelled him into the top leagues. Cast as aimless Texas-boy "Sonny," the sensitive, mournful-eyed, youthful focus of 's Oscar ® winner “,” the film went on to make full-fledged stars not only of Bottoms, but of and . Younger brother Sam, who frequently visited the set, wound up touchingly cast as another young but ill-fated character.

The early 1970s was a time of great personal accomplishments for Bottoms in film. Engagingly maladroit and looking slightly uncomfortable in his own skin, he proved that his first reviews were no flukes. He appeared to great advantage in the touching drama “Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing,” and as the tousle-haired college protagonist in the coming-of-age box- office hit “The Paper Chase.” In an effort to break free of his sensitive prototype, he delved into stranger, darker characters with “Vrooder's Hooch” and “Rollercoaster.”

Outgrowing his awkward adorableness, he shifted to the smaller screen in order to secure challenging roles, such as the biblical lead in “The Story of David,” as an ex-convict in “A Small Town in Texas,” as a bank teller in “Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers,” a fatally-stricken track runner in “Shining Season” and the Raymond Massey role (in which he aged 30 years) in the ambitious mini-series “East of Eden,” with brother Sam recreating the James Dean part.

Bottoms’ success certainly encouraged his younger siblings. By this time Joseph, Sam and Ben were all experiencing significant lifts in their own respective careers. As a group, the four brothers hooked up together for the TV movie “Island Sons,” in which they all played brothers and used their real first names.

In recent years, Bottoms showed a keen talent for parody with his uncanny impersonation of George W. Bush. Bottoms' dead-on spoof on “That's My Bush!,” courtesy of the creators of "South Park", led to a brief Bush cameo in the family film “The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course” and the much more serious TV-movie “DC 9/11: Time of Crisis.” Interestingly, Bottoms needed little in the way of prosthetics. He simply parted his hair differently, added a bit of a drawl and imitated his walk!

The still boyish-looking actor with that same trickle of sadness and discomfort has worked continuously for the past 30 years and appeared in more than 65 films. Of late he has shined in small independent features such as Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant,” which chronicled a Columbine High School-like massacre, and his closer-to-home portrayal as a middle-aged actor in search of his early fame in “Paradise, Texas.” More recently he appeared in the remake of Jack London's “Call of the Wild.” On television, he has appeared in guest-starring roles on FX’s “Dirt,” “NCIS” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and recently filmed the TV movies “Lone Rider” and “The Governor’s Wife.” He is currently working on “Pound of Flesh,” a thriller starring Malcolm McDowell. (more)

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From 1975 – 1978, Bottoms was married to folk singer Alicia Cory, with whom he had a son, Bartholomew. He has three other children (Benton, William, Bridget) with current wife (since 1984) Marcia Morehart. Bottoms divides his time between his acting work and his other great love of training wild horses at his two ranches near Big Sur, California. On the sly he has worked as a surveyor's assistant. While two of his brothers, Joseph and Ben, have virtually abandoned their film careers for satisfying lives outside the Hollywood realm, Timothy and Sam have decided to venture on.

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BRIDGET ANN WHITE (Katie) - Long before Bridget Ann White became a working actress, she was a national gymnast in , were she grew up. She moved to NYC after attending DeSales University to focus on her acting career, were she was promptly cast on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies, along with many other theatre credits. White has quite an impressive television resume with some of her more recent credits including, “CSI” and “Supernatural.” Some of her recent film credits include “Depth Charge,” were she played opposite Barry Bostwick and “5 Dollar a Day,” with Christopher Walken. White is thrilled to be working with Hallmark again after her success with 2004’s “A Boyfriend for Christmas.”

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HOLT MCCALLANY (Jimmy) - Holt McCallany is an American actor and writer whose many credits include films such as: “,” “Three Kings,” “Men of Honor,” “Vantage Point,” “Against the Ropes,” “Below,” “Mumford,” “The Peacemaker,” “Alien III,” “Jade,” and the upcoming “A Perfect Getaway.” On television he's been featured on “CSI Miami,” “Heroes,’ “Law and Order” and “” among many others, and in telefilms such as “Tyson,” “The Rough Riders,” and “The Advocate’s Devil.” Born in , Holt studied theater in France and the U.K. before beginning his career on stage in the 1980's. He is the eldest son of the acclaimed singer-actress , and makes his home in New York and .

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