BIOGRAPHIES
ALEXIS BLEDEL (Molly) is a native of Houston, Texas. She began a modeling career while still in high school; after graduating she enrolled in the film program at New York University. In the spring of 2000 she went to Los Angeles for pilot season auditions, almost immediately landing the role of Rory on Gilmore Girls. In 2005 she starred in the feature The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and the sequel); co-stars (and Hallmark Hall of Fame alumna) Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrara remain close friends. She had a recurring role in the hit series Mad Men.
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ZACHARY LEVI (Gus) was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and raised in Ventura County, California. He began acting, singing and dancing at age six – in school and local theater productions. He appeared in the ABC series Less Than Perfect, and has more recently starred as the signature character in Chuck. He stars (as Fandral) alongside Chris Hemsworth in Thor: The Dark World and made his Broadway debut in the musical First Date in August 2013.
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JEFF BLECKNER (Director) is here directing his fourth Hallmark Hall of Fame film. Earlier projects are The Russell Girl (Amber Tamblyn, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Loving Leah (Lauren Ambrose, Mercedes Ruehl) and Beyond the Blackboard (Emily VanCamp, Treat Williams). He made his television directing debut back in 1975, on the comedy Welcome Back, Kotter. Subsequent series credits include Knots Landing, Dynasty, Hill Street Blues, Medium and Boston
FEBRUARY 1, 8 & 9, 2014 on HALLMARK CHANNEL
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Legal. His many distinguished longform projects include Do You Remember Love (1985), Serving in Silence: The Margaret Cammermeyer Story (1995), The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000) and The Music Man (2003).
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BARRY MORROW (Teleplay) is both an Emmy Award (for Bill, 1981) and Academy Award (for Rain Man, 1988) winner. Other important television projects include Christmas on Division Street (Hume Cronyn, Fred Savage) and The Karen Carpenter Story (Cynthia Gibb, Mitchell Anderson). Additional feature credits include Race the Sun (Halle Berry, James Belushi). He is a lifelong advocate for persons with disabilities.
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MICHAEL KASE (Story by, Co-Executive Producer) was associate producer of the feature Transformers: Dark of the Moon and is co-producer of Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Ed Harris.
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CHRISTOPHER MORGAN (Producer) produced two recent TV series, Common Law and Memphis Beat, and many earlier, classic series such as Miami Vice, MacGruder and Loud and Police Story. He produced Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Makeover (Julia Stiles, David Walton), as well as A Friendship in Vienna (Jane Alexander, Edward Asner), Girl, Positive (Andrea Bowen, Jennie Garth), Racing for Time (Charles S. Dutton), Lost City Raiders (James Brolin, Ian Somerhalder) and Ricochet (John Corbett, Julie Benz).
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BRENT SHIELDS (Executive Producer) leads the creative process for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, spearheading development, production and post- production. In his role as producer of more than 60 films, Shields has successfully brought to television such classic works as William Faulkner’s Old Man, Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, as well as contemporary works by such acclaimed writers as August Wilson, John Grisham, Pat Conroy and Anne Tyler. He has also directed five Hallmark Hall of Fame productions, including Durango and The Magic of Ordinary Days.
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Press Contacts:
Russ Patrick Ellen N. Jasa Pam Slay Patrick Communications Hallmark Hall of Fame Hallmark Channel 310 385-9401 816 274-8099 818-755-2480 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]