‘THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT’
CAST BIOS
KELLIE MARTIN (Kathy) — While Kellie Martin has garnered many acting credits, she is probably still most fondly remembered for her work as Becca Thacher in the popular ABC series “Life Goes On,” for which she received an Emmy® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. From there, Martin played the title role in the CBS drama “Christy,” as well as medical student Lucy Knight on NBC's “ER” from 1998-2000. Most recently, Martin broke ground as Army Captain Nicole Galassini on “Army Wives.”
Other recent television projects include the Hallmark Channel Original Movies “I Married Who?” and “Smooch,” as well as spots on ABC’s “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy” and Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva.”
Among her feature film credits are “Open House,” “Malibu's Most Wanted,” “A Goofy Movie,” “Matinee” and “Troop Beverly Hills.”
In 1999, Martin took on a new role as national spokesperson for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA). Drawing on her family’s experience (her sister Heather passed away at age 19 from complications of a misdiagnosed case of lupus), Martin works to raise awareness of autoimmune disease as a major women’s health issue. Among her activities: lobbying on Capitol Hill; participating in the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women 2000; and meeting with patients and family members to share her story. In 2001, Reader’s Digest named Martin a national “Health Hero” on its cover; and a year later, Lifetime Television’s Intimate Portrait featured Martin and her work with AARDA. In 2003 Martin was honored with the Michael Wayne Public Service Award by Lupus LA.
In 2001, Martin graduated from Yale University with a degree in art history. In 2004 she was accepted to the AFI Directing Workshop for Women where she directed her first short film. In 2014 Martin’s first novel, Madam, which she co-authored, will be published by Penguin Group.
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CAMERON MATHISON (Tim) — Perhaps best known for his role as Ryan Lavery on “All My Children,” Emmy® nominated actor Cameron Mathison has graced the screen in both film and television projects.
Mathison first appeared as Ryan Lavery on “All My Children” in 1998 and earned great acclaim through this role from the critics and fans alike, taking home a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer in 1999, the honor of one of America’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors from People magazine in 2000, the Special Fan Award for Irresistible Combination in 2002 and Daytime Emmy® Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2002 and 2005.
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No stranger to television movies, Mathison played a lead role in ABC Family’s “See Jane Date;” Lifetime’s “The Wife He Met Online” and “Any Mother’s Son” and GMC’s “Carpenter’s Miracle.”
On the big sceen, Mathison made his feature film debut in “54,” opposite Salma Hayek and Ryan Phillippe. He followed that role up with the independent movie “Washed Up.” Most recently, he starred in the feature film “The Surrogate,” which was released earlier this year.
Mathison has made several pivotal guest starring roles on top television shows, including TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland,” Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva,” ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” “Castle,” “The Job” and CBS’s “CSI” and “JAG.”
A man of many talents, Mathison appeared on the fifth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” where he advanced all the way to Week 9. Mathison serves as a special correspondent for “Extra” and “Good Morning America” and had the honor of co-hosting the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards in 2008.
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JEWEL STAITE (Jenna) — Jewel Staite can currently be seen as Caroline Swift in the critically acclaimed AMC drama series “The Killing.” Prior to that, Staite starred as Raquel in the CW series “The L.A. Complex,” which premiered in the Spring of 2012. In addition, she was seen as Dr. Keller in the SyFy Channel hit series “Stargate: Atlantis.” Her stellar work in the series earned her rave reviews, as well as recognition from The Gemini Awards with a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2008. This was followed up with a nomination from the Leo Awards in 2009 for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series.
At the age of six, Staite began studying at the Vancouver Youth Theatre where she trained several days a week for several years. This hard work paid off when she booked the lead role in the Disney Channel series “Flash Forward” with Ben Foster. Her performance earned her a nomination from The Gemini Awards for Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series, as well as a nomination for the Canadian Television Film and Showcase Award.
Jewel Staite made her 2005 feature film debut in Universal Pictures “Serenity,” Joss Whedon’s adaptation of the FOX science fiction television series “Firefly,” on which she was a series regular. Staite played the ship’s mechanic Kaylee, a sweet, happy and sensual farm girl who loves life and is a genius at fixing anything.
Additionally, Staite has several TV series under her belt, including Fox Family’s “Higher Ground” with Hayden Christensen, a recurring role on the highly praised FOX series “Wonderfalls,” NBC’s “Just Deal” and Nickelodeon’s “Space Cases.” Her television movie credits are just as impressive, with starring roles opposite Doris Roberts in Hallmark Channel’s “Call Me Mrs. Miracle,” with James Brolin and Natasha Henstridge in Lifetime’s “Widow on the Hill,” Showtime’s “Damaged Care” opposite Laura Dern, as well as SyFy’s “Mothman” and “Doomsday Prophecy.”
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Some of Staite’s guest appearances include the CW’s “Supernatural,” her memorable role in the Showtime pilot “Huff” with Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt, Syfy’s “Warehouse 13,” as well as Showtime’s “Dead Like Me” opposite Ellen Muth and Rebecca Gayheart and FOX’s “The X-Files” opposite David Duchovny.
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BRENDAN MEYER (Connor) — Brendan Meyer’s star power continues to rise. Over the past six years, 18-year-old Meyer has been making a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Best known for his love for all things theatre, film and television, Meyer is a well respected contributor to the acting community. His impeccable comedic timing paired with his love and talent for dramatic roles position him to become an undeniable force in the film and television communities in the years to come.
In 2010, Meyer landed one of his biggest projects to date, starring as Mr. Young on the YTV television series of the same name, “Mr. Young.” The series centers on child prodigy Adam Young (Meyer), who graduated from college at the age of 14. Rather than take a lucrative contract at NASA, he returns to his alma mater to live the high school experience he missed, only this time as a science teacher. The series marks a turning point in Meyerʼs career, starring on his own show, crossing into worldwide markets and developing a devoted international fan base. On September 26, 2011 “Mr. Young” debuted on Disney XD, a sister channel division of The Disney Channel in The United States, and the series is currently airing internationally throughout the UK, Spain, Portugal, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and on Cartoon Network in Latin America, to name a few. “Mr. Young” has garnered international recognition and numerous awards. The show finished filming its third and final season in the Spring of 2013. Meyer then completed a guest starring role on the Hallmark Channel Original Primetime Series “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove” and the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Garage Sale Mystery” opposite Lori Loughlin. He is currently reviewing scripts and future projects while finishing up post production on his directorial debut, “A Job”.
Meyer landed one of his first roles, as Nelson Ort on the Discovery Kids series “Dinosapien,” in 2007. Produced by BBC Worldwide, “Dinosapien” kick started Meyerʼs career, and the series gathered numerous award nominations and wins with the Writers Guild of Canada, WorldFest Houston, the Daytime Emmy® Awards, and the Chicago International Film Festival. Meyer went on to book roles in various film and television projects before landing “Mr. Young,” including: The Hubʼs “The Haunting Hour” opposite “Super 8’s” Joel Courtney, Twentieth Century Fox Filmʼs “Tooth Fairy” opposite Dwayne Johnson and the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Christmas in Caanan” with Billy Ray Cyrus. “Christmas in Canaan” garnered Meyer a 2010 Young Artist Award Nomination for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actor.
In 2012, Meyer filmed a return to The Hubʼs “The Haunting Hour,” reprising his role from season oneʼs “The Dead Body” episode. He also co-starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie (more)
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“Girl vs. Monster” playing Henry, the best friend to lead character Skylar (played by Olivia Holt, star of the Disney XD series “Kickinʻ It”). “Girl vs. Monster” was released in October 2012. In 2013, Meyer was seen as a featured guest star in a special Valentineʼs Day episode of Nickelodeonʼs “Life With Boys.”
In addition to film and television, Meyer loves the theater, and has completed three seasons with the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. His past theatre credits include: Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus, Comedy of Errors and Richard III (Freewill Players); and Beneath The Ice (Fringe Theatre Adventures). He also has numerous directing (Fourteen, The Tempest) and acting (The Haunting of Hathaway House, The Tempest, Twelfth Night and An Unnatural Turn) projects with Celsius Youth Theatre, where he is the co-founder and co-artistic director.
In his free time, Meyer is an avid theatre-goer, and he has traveled the world to see many great plays. He is also a writer, and is currently hoping to hit the festival circuit with his directorial debut, “A Job.” Meyer also has several screenplays in development, and writes his own Shakespeare adaptations. He also spends time studying the greats, such as Humphrey Bogart, Leonardo DiCaprio and anything by Woody Allen. Meyer currently lives in Vancouver, BC with his mom, dad and brother.
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