CAST BIOS

MELISSA GILBERT (Natalie Jones) – A native of , Melissa Gilbert comes from a long line of entertainers. Her grandfather, , was one of the best known and most respected comedy writers in the business – creator and writer of “” – and her father Paul Gilbert was a respected comedian.

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 30 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.

At 14, Gilbert formed Half-Pint Productions (her character’s nickname on “Little House”), which resulted in the Emmy® Award-winning “The Miracle Worker,” starring Gilbert and . Gilbert also starred in her company’s well-received telefilms “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Family Secrets” and “Choices of the Heart.”

Among her innumerable motion picture-for-television credits is “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. Gilbert’s portrayal and her own fight to help abused children was honored with a 1994 Inspirational Award from Childhelp USA.

On the big screen, Gilbert starred in “Sylvester,” opposite Richard Farnsworth, for which she was selected 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 1987, Gilbert made her off-Broadway debut in “A Shayna Maidel,” earning an Outer Critic’s Circle Award for Best Debuting Actress. In 1996, she made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed after school special “Me and My Hormones.” She also co- produced the documentary “Child Stars: Their Story,” which gave an insider’s look at the privileges and pain of child stardom.

Gilbert rang in the year 1995 with her New Year’s Day marriage to actor . The couple had quite a scare when their son was born 12 weeks prematurely and spent the first two months of his life in the intensive care unit. After

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Michael Garrett’s premature birth, Gilbert became the national spokesperson for the March of Dimes – a leader in the specialized treatment of premature newborns. Gilbert is also currently serving her fellow actors as president of the .

If her career has proven eclectic, her home life is no less of a menagerie. Gilbert, Boxleitner, their son Michael Garrett, her son Dakota and Boxleitner’s two sons Sam and Lee live in a beautiful home complete with one horse, two dogs, a cockatiel, two parakeets, one rabbit and a mouse.

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LINDSAY WAGNER (Jess Jarrett) – has starred in more than 30 motion pictures-for-television. The opportunity to use media as a way to communicate ideas to help people in their personal process is a major criteria in almost all of her choices. “Shattered Dreams,” a film about domestic violence that Wagner both starred in and produced, exemplifies this quality.

Among Wagner’s other notable telefilms are “The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story,” “Scruples,” “Passions,” “I Want to Live,” “Callie & Son,” “Child’s Cry,” “Memories Never Die” and her favorite, “The Incredible Journey of Dr. Meg Laurel.” Other credits include “Voyage of Terror,” “Second Chance,” “Contagious,” “A Mother’s Instinct,” “Fighting for My Daughter,” “Bionic Ever After,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Nurses on the Line,” “A Message from Holly,” “She Woke Up,” “Treacherous Crossing,” “Ricochet,” “Fire in the Dark” and “To Be the Best.” Wagner has also been featured in commercials for Ford cars and trucks.

A Los Angeles native, Wagner was a sought-after fashion photo model for Nina Blanchard while attending North Hollywood High School. She earned an Emmy® Award for her role as the “Bionic Woman” and starred in the Oscar®-winning film “Paper Chase.” She is also an author, having co-written the best-selling vegetarian lifestyle cookbook “The High Road to Health” and a book on acupressure, “Lindsay Wagner’s New Beauty: The Acupressure Facelift.”

Wagner is the mother of two sons and resides in Los Angeles.

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BRIAN WIMMER (Sam Nelson) – Born in Orem, Utah, Brian Wimmer was working as a production assistant on the film "Footloose" when he landed a small part in the movie and found himself hooked. His first leading role was in the TV movie "What Price Victory?," which led to his being offered a role on "China Beach."

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Among Wimmer’s other credits are the romantic favorite "Late for Dinner" and the syndicated series "Flipper - The New Adventures." He directed an episode of “Flipper” as well as the feature film “Riders on the Storm.”

Wimmer enjoys skiing, fly fishing, snowboarding, horseback riding and spending time with his dog, Alta. He also keeps busy as the co-founder and director of X-Dance - Action Sports Film and Video Game Festival that takes place at the Sundance Film Festival each year.

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LINDY NEWTON (Lulu Nichols) – Born and raised in Waycross, Georgia, Newton started her acting career at age 10 in community theatre and, by the age of 12 she had garnered the Deep South Theatre Coalition’s Best Leading Actress award for her portrayal of in “The Miracle Worker.”

Newton graduated from the College of Charleston where she doubled majored in Media Communications and Theatre. While there, she was nominated for the Irene Ryan Award for her role in “The Redcoats.” She has also trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In addition to roles in the feature films “Radio” and “The Notebook,” Newton was an understudy for the off-Broadway musical “SHOOP! SHOOP!”

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