‘THE NIGHT BEFORE THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS’
CAST BIOS
JENNIFER BEALS (Angela Fox) – Originally from Chicago, Jennifer Beals began her career after graduating from high school when she auditioned for "Flashdance," resulting in a role that earned her a Golden Globe® nomination and an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. She went on to make an indelible impression in Carl Franklin's critically acclaimed "Devil in a Blue Dress" opposite Denzel Washington, as well as in Alan Rudolph's "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh and Matthew Broderick.
Beals was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series by the NAACP for her role in the Showtime Original Series "The L Word," alongside Pam Grier and Mia Kirschner. The story centered on a group of lesbian friends in Los Angeles, and wrapped its sixth and final season in 2009. The role earned her accolades, including the Power Up Award, the GLAAD Golden Gate Award and the Golden Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress.
Beals starred opposite Campbell Scott in Artisan Entertainment's "Rodger Dodger," winner of the 2002 Best Feature Narrative from the Tribeca Film Festival, and Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival. In 2001, she co-starred in two Showtime features: the adaptation of Anne Rice's "A Feast of All Saints," and the original film "A House Divided," for which Beals received a Golden Satellite nomination as Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries.
In recent years, Beals has had starring roles in a myriad of films, including the lead in "Twilight of The Golds" opposite Garry Marshall, Faye Dunaway, Brendan Fraser and Jon Tenney. For the controversial role, Beals won a Golden Satellite Award for Best Actress. Additional film credits include "The Grudge 2," "My Name is Sarah," "Runaway Jury," "Catch That Kid," "Last Days of Disco," "In the Soup," which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, "Four Rooms," "Vampire's Kiss" with Nicolas Cage, "Doctor M.," "Caro Diario" which won the Director's Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, and Samuel Fuller's "The Madonna and the Dragon."
In her most recent role Beals starred alongside Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman in Warner Brother’s “The Book of Eli,” a post-apocalyptic western about a man fighting to protect a sacred book that can save mankind. Last season she had joined the cast of the Fox series “Lie To Me,” where she played the role of series lead Tim Roth’s ex-wife. Additionally, Beals can be seen next year in the Fox midseason series “Ride-Along” premiering in January 2011.
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RICK ROBERTS (Wayne Fox) – A favorite with audiences for nearly two decades, Rick Roberts is arguably one of Canada’s most versatile actors. He has starred in the miniseries “ZOS,” “Easton Meets West,” the biopic “Three Days to Jonestown” and was featured in
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“Phantom Punch” opposite Ving Rhames, Lifetime’s “Angela’s Eyes” and CTV’s “Shades of Black.” He has guest starred on Ken Finkleman’s “At the Hotel” and was featured regularly in the final season of the hit CBC series, “This is Wonderland.” Roberts has headlined the series “An American in Canada,” “LA Doctors” and “Traders.” Other film and television credits include “Night of Terror,” “Haunting Sarah,” “Kevin Hill,” “Fallen Angels” and Disney’s “Eloise at Christmas Time.”
Robert’s recent credits include Lifetime’s “A Very Lucky Girl,” Hallmark Channel’s “The Note,” Fox’s “Maggie Hill,” a guest star appearance on “The Murdoch Mysteries,” and a recurring role on the Showcase Series “Crash & Burn.” He also stars in the upcoming Hallmark Channel Original Movie “The Town Christmas Forgot.”
A popular fixture on Canadian Stages, Roberts starred opposite Hal Linden in Tuesdays With Morrie at the historic Winter Garden Theatre in 2009. He also played Brutus in Julius Caesar at the Citadel Theatre and made his Stratford debut in the title role of Zastrozzi last summer. Other recent credits include Fire for Canadian Stage Company and Citadel Theatre, John and Beatrice at the Tarragon Theatre and The Anger in Ernest & Ernestine for Theatre Columbus. A long-time member of the Necessary Angel Theatre Company, Roberts has appeared in productions of The Piper, Inexpressible Island, and King Lear. He co-created their much-lauded production of Hysterica Passio.
As a playwright, Robert’s most recent work, Kite, premiered recently to critical acclaim earning numerous Dora Award nominations for writing and production. Other writing credits include Fish/Wife, The Entertainers and the short film “The Birthday Cake.”
A graduate of National Theatre School, Roberts makes his home in Toronto with his wife, actress Marjorie Campbell, and their two children.
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GAGE MUNROE (Toby Fox) – Ten-year-old Gage Munroe has always been interested in acting. He became a professional actor three years ago, moving quickly into film and television, shooting featured roles in “One Week” and “Cooper’s Camera,” a small role for an episode of “ReGenesis,” followed by a supporting lead role in the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving.”
In 2009, Munroe filmed parts on “The Bridge,” “Murdoch Mysteries,” “Bloodletting” and “Break a Leg.” He also recently filmed a principle role in M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller, “Devil.”
Munroe loves baseball and hockey, holds a blue belt in karate and speaks fluent French.
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REBECCA WILLIAMS (Hannah Fox) – Young actress Rebecca Williams has had many roles in television and film, including several television movies. In 2007, she had a principal role in Disney Channel’s “Jump In!” starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer. The movie was nominated for a Teen Choice Award and won a Directors Guild of America Award.
Williams has also had roles in “The Gathering,” a Lifetime miniseries starring Peter Gallagher, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Peter Fonda, “Air Support,” “Blue Murder,” “Murdoch Mysteries” and “72 Hours: True Crime.” She has a recurring role on CBC’s “Being Erica” and “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and has appeared in an episode of Disney Channel’s “Life With Derek.”
Williams trained at the Armstrong Acting Studio, and resides in Ontario.
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R.D. REID (Santa Claus) – Canadian actor R.D. Reid is best known for his recurring role as Sergeant Purley Stebbins on the A&E detective drama, “A Nero Wolfe Mystery,” alongside Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin. His many other credits span across film, television and theater.
Reid’s most recent film work has been principal parts in Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead,” in which he played Glen, a gay organ player, “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Diary of the Dead,” “Capote,” “You Are Here” and the independent horror film, “Silent But Deadly.” His other film appearances have included “Bloodsport,” “Searching for Bobby Fisher,” “Half Baked,” “History of Violence” and “Stuck.”
He has also appeared in television movies for A&E, including “Thin Air” and “Small Vices,” and Showtime: “A Separate Peace” and “Dirty Pictures.” His other television credits span across several networks both in the United States and Canada, and include roles on “Sue Thomas F. B. Eye,” “Goosebumps,” “Twitch City,” “Jett Jackson,” “Little Men,” “The Adventures of Jules Verne” and “The Weight.”
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JORDAN PRENTICE (Nigel Thumb) – Ontario native Jordan Prentice has been acting on stage, film and screen since his teenage years, first landing a role in “Howard the Duck.” Since then, he has gone on to television spots in “Goosebumps” and “ReGenesis,” as well as film roles, including “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle,” Michael Mabbott's mockumentary “The Life and Times of Guy Terrifico,” “Death to Smoochy,” starring Danny Devito, “American Pie: The Naked Mile,” “American Pie: Beta House,” “Weirdsville” and, most recently, “The Love Guru,” alongside comedian Mike Myers.
In 2008, Prentice held a supporting role in Blueprint Pictures “In Bruges,” directed by Martin
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McDonagh and starring Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. The film premiered at the opening night of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and went on to garner many awards, including an Academy Award nomination.
Prentice trained at Dalhousie University in the King Theatre Society, and has stage credits in Skin of Our Teeth, Up the Down Staircase and Killdeer III.
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