When Guest Stars Align

Bruce Greenwood (Caleb Stokes)
Canadian actor Bruce Greenwood was born in Noranda, Quebec, and his father’s work as a geophysics professor meant that the family moved several times when Greenwood was young. When his father Hugh became the head of Geology at the University of British Colombia, the family moved to Vancouver and Greenwood studied for three years at UBC. He became interested in the theatre, and moved to New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic arts.

After winning some small television and film roles, Greenwood relocated to Los Angeles and was cast in the short lived series Legmen. His major break came with the role as Dr. Seth Griffin in the series St. Elsewhere, and then a recurring roles on series Knots Landing, Hardball, and Nowhere Man, among other TV movies. His performance as Caleb Stokes earned Greenwood a Gemini award in 1994. Appearing in the critically-acclaimed The Sweet Hereafter led to roles in such films as Disturbing Behaviour, Double Jeopardy, Thirteen Days, I, Robot, Being Julia, Capote, The World’s Fastest Indian, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Star Trek, Super 8, Dinner for Schmucks, and Barney’s Version. Greenwood has also done a great deal of voice acting and narration, and he is scheduled to reprise the role of Christopher Pike for the upcoming Star Trek sequel. Greenwood and his wife Susan live in Los Angeles.

Appears in 5.7: Stranger in the Night.

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Christopher Reeve (Robert Rutherford)
Christopher Reeve will forever be known as “Superman”. Though not the first actor to take on the role, after playing the role in the 1978 film (and it’s 3 sequels), Reeve became forever associated with the character.

Born in 1952 in New York City, Reeve studied at Cornell University and Julliard, and acted in several plays and theatre groups. Superman was his first major film role. His performance earned many glowing reviews, a BAFTA Award, and led to dozens of roles in film and television series. He starred in films such as The Bostonians, Remains of the Day, Anne Karenina, Black Fox, and Village of the Damned. His TV credits include Frasier, Carol & Company, and The Practice.

After a devastating equestrian accident in 1995 Reeve became quadriplegic, and depended on a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. As a result of this injury, he became an advocate for the study of spinal cord injuries and stem cell therapy. Reeve campaigned tirelessly for research funding, founding the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Centre.

The television series Smallville, a modern telling of Superman as a young man, made an interesting twist to the story when Reeve was cast in a recurring role from 2003-2004. He played Dr. Virgil Swann, a brilliant scientist and researcher who, like Reeve, was a quadriplegic.

Reeve was the father of Matthew and Alexandra with his long-term girlfriend Gae Exton. He married Dana Morosini in 1992, and the couple had one son together. Reeve passed away from complications related to his injury in 2004. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has awarded more than $78 million dollars in research and support funding since its inception.

Appears in 3.7: A Dark and Stormy Night.

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Diana Rigg (Lady Edith Blackwell)
Diana Rigg and her character in 4.11: The Disappearance, have official titles in common: Rigg was made Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth, for her contributions to theatre and film. Rigg is probably best known for portraying Emma Peel in the television series The Avengers, and appearing as a Bond Girl (Countess Teresa Draco DiVencenzo) in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. She was born in England in 1938, and her father’s job took the family to India until Rigg was 8 years old. She began acting at the age of 17, and appeared in dozens of film, television, and theatre roles, and won Emmy and BAFTA awards, in addition to nominations for Golden Globe, Tony, and Laurence Olivier Theatre awards. One particularly nasty review of an appearance on stage led Rigg to compile the most devastating reviews of theatrical performances through time, which she published in the 1982 book, “No Turn Unstoned”. Rigg has one daughter, Rachel Stirling, who is also an actress, and currently resides in the United Kingdom.

Appears in 4.11: The Disappearance.

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Dianne Wiest (Lillian Hepworth)
Dianne Wiest won an Emmy award in 1997 for her performance as Aunt Lillian Hepworth, adding to her already impressive trove of accomplishments. Wiest began acting with roles on stage, and in 1971 made her Broadway debut in the play Solitaire/Double Solitaire. She had a few small roles in television and film before playing a main character in the 1984 film Footloose. Wiest came to the attention of Woody Allen and she was cast in his 1985 film, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and also Allen’s 1987 film, Hannah and her Sisters, for which she won her first Oscar. She went on to work with Allen in his films Radio Days, September, and Bullets Over Broadway, the latter of which earned her a second Oscar.

Wiest played roles in several hugely popular and renowned films, which made her a highly recognizable figure. She played Corey Haim’s mother in the cult hit, The Lost Boys, single mother Helen Buckman in Parenthood (earning another Oscar nomination), the Avon Saleslady Peg in Edward Scissorhands, and the psychologist Jane Grier in Jodie Foster’s directorial Debut, Little Man Tate.

Wiest has made several television appearances, in series such as The Tenth Kingdom and In Treatment, and played the same character, a New York attorney, in all three Law & Order series. Her film credits also include The Birdcage, Practical Magic, The Horse Whisperer, and I Am Sam.

Wiest currently resides in New York City with her two daughters.

Appears in 7.4: Woman of Importance.

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Eugene Levy (Rudy Blaine)
Eugene Levy is an iconic Canadian actor, writer, and creative force. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Levy began acting in Canada as part of Toronto’s Second City Comedy group, and the comedy show SCTV, with Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara and the late John Candy.

Levy has appeared in television series such as Ray Bradbury Theatre, Camp Candy, Drew Carey Show, Hiller & Diller, and several TV movies. Levy’s film credits include Father of the Bride, Taking Woodstock, Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Bringing Down the House, and all eight films from the hugely successful American Pie franchise. His creative work is not limited to acting, however; Levy has done acclaimed voiceover work in films such as Over the Hedge and Astro Boy. He has also worked with partner Christopher Guest to co-write and co-star in the films Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, For Your Consideration, and A Mighty Wind – work which earned him Grammy and New York Film Critics Circle awards, and a Golden Globe Nomination.

Levy was nominated to the Order of Canada in 2011. He is married and has two children—his son Daniel Levy is a television host and journalist, working at MTV Canada and in Los Angeles.

Appears in 7.7: King of the Great White Way.

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Faye Dunaway (Countess Polenska)
Faye Dunaway was born in Florida, and studied acting at the University of Florid and Boston University. Her early talent led to a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in England, which she declined in order to perform on Broadway. Dunaway quickly moved into film and television roles, and in 1967 landed her career-making role as Bonnie Parker in the film Bonnie and Clyde, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Dunaway was also nominated for an Oscar for the film Chinatown, and won an Oscar for her role in Network. Her list of credits is extensive in both television and film, acting alongside major stars such as Warren Beatty, Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, and Dustin Hoffman, and her career has notable achievements such as roles in both the 1968 and 1999 version of The Thomas Crown Affair. She has been nominated for and won several major international awards, including an Emmy for her role in the series Colombo, the 1974 Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.

Faye Dunaway currently resides in New York City and Los Angeles.

Appears in 6.11: What a Tangled Web We Weave.

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John Neville (Percy Methley)
John Neville, like many character actors, experienced huge popularity as he grew older. Born in London, England, Neville served in the Navy during World War II before taking up acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He had great success on stages in London’s West End for many years, with several television and film roles as well, but in 1971 he and his family moved to Canada. Neville worked as Artistic Director for theatres across Canada, including Stratford, and made several film appearances. In 1988 he was cast as Baron Munchausen in the 1988 film of the same name, and though the film was not a financial success it led to many opportunities for Neville in Canadian and Hollywood productions. Neville played Percy Methley in Road to Avonlea, after he appeared in the Sullivan Entertainment film, By Way of the Stars.

He appeared in television series such as The Grand, E.N.G., Star Trek: The New Generation, Stark, F/X, The X-Files, Emily of New Moon, Queer as Folk, and Friends & Heroes. His film credits include Unearthly Stranger, A Study in Terror, Dieppe, Baby’s Day Out, Little Women, High School High, The Fifth Element, Regeneration, Urban Legend, Dinner at Fred’s, The Duke, Crime and Punishment, Spider, Between Strangers, and Separate Lies.

Neville had six children with his wife Caroline, and he succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in 2011.

Appears in 3.7: A Dark and Stormy Night.

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Kate Nelligan (Sydney Carver)
Canadian actress Kate Nelligan was recognized for her work in this role with a Gemini award in 1992, and has been nominated for a total of five Gemini’s and one Oscar.

Born in London, Ontario, Nelligan studied at Toronto’s Glendon College for a short time, transferring to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. She found early success in the theatre and her first film role was in a televised play, The Arcata Promise, opposite Anthony Hopkins. Roles in television and mini-series followed, including The Edwardians, Country Matters, The Onedin Line, The Lady of the Camellias, Play for Today, Therese Raquin, Dracula, and Eye of the Needle. Nelligan moved to New York City in the early 1980’s, and found great success on stage there, earning four Tony award nominations. She also found roles in major Hollywood films, including Frankie & Johnny (for which she won a BAFTA award) and The Prince of Tides (for which she received an Oscar nomination), Margaret’s Museum, How to Make an American Quilt, Up Close and Personal, US Marshals, The Cider House Rules, and Premonition. Nelligan has also appeared in several Canadian and British television series. She has one son, Gabriel, and currently resides in Manhattan.

Appears in 3.10: After the Honeymoon.

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Madeline Kahn (Pigeon Plumtree)

Madeline Kahn played the role of Pigeon Plumbtree in 2.11: It’s Just a Stage. Madeline (nee Madeline Gail Wolfson) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and began acting while still in high school. Kahn trained as an opera singer before graduating with a degree in speech therapy, and began her career on Broadway with musical and acting roles, using her mother’s maiden name as her stage moniker. Her feature film debut came alongside actor Ryan O’Neal and Barbara Streisand in the 1972 film What’s Up Doc?, and Kahn’s follow up film, Paper Moon, earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kahn found her niche acting in irreverent comedies, such as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, and Clue. She was also cast in several television roles, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for work on the ABC Afterschool Special. In the late 1990’s, Kahn was given recurring guest spot on the show Cosby.

Kahn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999, and succumbed to the disease that same year, at the age of 57.

Appears in 2.11: It’s Just a Stage.

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Meg Tilly (Evelyn Grier)

Meg Tilly achieved early stardom with an Oscar nomination for one of her first film roles, Agnes of God. Interestingly, her first love was classical dance, and Tilly began with the Connecticut Ballet Company and the Throne Dance Theatre at the age of 17. An injury to her back ended her dancing career, but her training in ballet led to roles in 1980’s film Fame and 1983’s The Big Chill. Tilly, her brother Steven, and her two sisters Rebecca and Jennifer (also an actress) were born in California, but raised in British Colombia. She appeared in several films and TV series over the next few years, most notably the Milos Forman film Valmont with Colin Firth, and TV series such as Fallen Angels and Winnetka Road. In the mid-1990’s, Tilly took a break from acting to focus on being a mother to her three children in British Colombia, though she has stated that acting ‘part-time’ is an ideal job for a mother. In 2012, Tilly starred as the lead actress in the Canadian series Bomb Girls, which is currently in filming for season 2.

Appears in 4.4: Evelyn.

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Michael York (Ezekiel Crane)

Michael York began acting in the theatre while attending Oxford University, and gained popularity when he moved to film, with roles in Franco Zefferelli’s adaptations of The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. He appeared in many major films such as Merchant Ivory’s The Guru, Something for Everyone (with Angela Lansbury), Cabaret (alongside Liza Minnelli), Jesus of Nazareth, The Three Musketeers (and it’s sequels), The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Logan’s Run. His success in these early pictures led to a steady career in both film and television, and he has also returned to theatre with several roles on Broadway.

York currently resides in California with his wife of over 40 years, Patricia McCallum.

Appears in 2.8: The Sea Ghost and 2.9: All That Glitters.

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Peter Coyote (Romney Penhallow)

Peter Coyote, born Rachmil Pinchus Ben Mosha Cohon in New York City, began his career in the Entertainment industry as a writer. After penning several successful plays and performing as part of improve groups, Coyote began working with the California Arts Council, and also took on voiceover work and small film roles. He appeared in Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, as the lead scientist “Keys”. Coyote’s career gained momentum, which led to dozens of roles in TV movies, feature films, and recurring television parts. He appeared in films such as Moonlight and Valentino, Patch Adams, A Walk to Remember, and Erin Brockovich, and had television roles in series such as Deadwood, Law & Order, Brothers & Sisters and Commander in Chief.

Coyote is a practicing Zen-Buddhist, and has two children.

Appears in 2.5: Old Quarrels, Old Love.

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Robby Benson (Jonathan Blackwell)

Robby Benson was born Robin David Segal in 1956, in Dallas, Texas. He chose his mother’s maiden name as his stage moniker, and began acting at an early age. Benson had several roles in TV movies and series, and his first recurring role on television was a part on the daytime soap opera, Search For Tomorrow. He has appeared in films alongside such actors as Annette O’Toole, Burt Reynolds, and Paul Newman. Benson has done several voice acting roles, including several major video games and animated programs. Most notably, he voiced the Beast in the 1991 Disney classic, Beauty & The Beast, and its sequels. He has said that his voice in the film was augmented by growls of lions and panthers.

In addition to acting, Benson also directs television. He has directed over 100 episodes of television, including series such as Evening Shade, Monty, The George Wendt Show, Thunder Alley, Ellen, Friends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Dharma & Greg, and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

Benson and his wife Karla, also a voice actress, currently reside in North Carolina with their two children.

Appears in 4.11: The Disappearance.

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Ryan Gosling (Bret McNulty)
Before the London, Ontario native accelerated female heartbeats in films like The Notebook or played it quirky in Lars and the Real Girl, Gosling acted as a pickpocket in Road to Avonlea’s 7th season when he was just a teenager. In 7.9: From Away, Gosling plays an English orphan who is sent to stay at Avonlea’s Foundling Home. Along with his brother, Gosling pulls numerous pranks on the town and convinces Davey to steal money from Hetty so that they can make the trip to Halifax to find their long-lost brother.

Since acting in Road to Avonlea, Gosling has appeared in several critically acclaimed films – both big and small. His breakout role in Remember The Titans led to offers for many major films, and he appeared in The Believer, The Slaughter Rule, Murder by Numbers, The United States of Leland, Blue Valentine, Crazy Stupid Love, The Ides of March, and The Notebook – the last of which led to being named one of the 2004 People Magazine Hottest Bachelors. Gosling was nominated for an Oscar in 2007 for his performance in Half Nelson, and brought his mother and sister as his ‘dates’ to the ceremony. He has been nominated for several major awards, including the Critics Choice Award, Screen Actor’s Guild, London Film Critics Circle Award, and Golden Globe Award, and won an Independent Spirit Award, MTV Movie Award, and a ShoWest USA ‘Male Star of Tomorrow’ Award.

Appears in 7.9: From Away.

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Stockard Channing (Viola Elliott)

Born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard, on February 13th 1944 in New York City, is an American stage, film and television actress. She’s best known for her roles, First Lady Abbey Bartlet in TV series The West Wing; Betty Rizzo in film Grease; and Ouisa Kittredge in the play and later film Six Degrees of Separation. Channing attended Radcliffe College where she majored in literature and history and graduated with honors in ’65. At the early age of 20, Channing married the first of four husbands.

Appears in 5.12: Enter Prince Charming and 5.13: The Minister’s Wife.

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Zoe Caldwell (Old Lady Lloyd)
Australian-born Zoe Caldwell began acting at the young age of 9, with a role in a theatre production of Peter Pan. She left school at the age of 15 to pursue voice acting roles, and switched her mother’s first name for her own as a stage name. Caldwell found great success on stage, acting in dozens of theatre productions around the world, with Melbourne University’s Union Repertory Company, the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Caldwell emigrated to Canada in 1961, and did very well at Stratford, where she acted in many roles, including opposite Christopher Plummer, and the Shaw Festival. Her Broadway debut was in 1965, and she has won a total of four Tony awards since then. Caldwell was also made an Officer of the British Empire in 1970.

Her television and film credits include roles in several television adaptations of Shakespeare, Medea, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Birth, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and voice acting work in titles such as Lilo and Stitch, the Stitch! video games, Kingdom Hearts. Caldwell also appeared in the Sullivan Entertainment adaptation of the L.M. Montgomery story Lantern Hill.

Caldwell has two sons, and resides in New York State.

Appears in 1.5: Old Lady Lloyd.

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Gordon Pinsent (John Hodgson)

Gordon Pinsent was born in 1930, in Grand Falls, Newfoundland. He began his professional life with theatre roles and acting in radio drama for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, before he began a 3 year term in the Royal Canadian Regiment. His first major role in television was in the Canadian series, The Forest Rangers, and that was followed by several film and television appearances, including 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair, Who Has Seen the Wind, Beachcombers, Silence of the North, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, E.N.G., Street Legal, The Red Green Show, Made in Canada, Due South, The Good Shepherd, Away from Her, Pillars of the Earth, and The Republic of Doyle.

He has also performed several voice acting roles, including Babar, Pippi Longstocking, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Ron James Show. Pinsent was also a recurring character (“Leo McGuinty”) on the Sullivan series, Wind at My Back. Starring in the 2001 film, The Shipping News, Pinsent led the cast in their Newfoundland accent training, as a Newfoundland native himself.

In 1979, Pinsent was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was promoted to Companion in 1998, and in 2007, he received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Appears in 5.8: Someone to Believe In.

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Jaimz Woolvett (Booth Elliot)

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, on April 14th, 1967, Woolvett is a Canadian actor. Woolvett studied acting and drama and later joined the National Theatre School. Woolvett was nominated for a Young Artists Award for his role in the sitcom Dog House. Woolvett drifted from Canada, to America, to New Zealand. Woolvett was eventually nominated for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Gemini Award. Woolvett has performed in 19 films and in over 20 television series.

Appears in 5.12: Enter Prince Charming and 5.13: The Minister’s Wife.

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Rosemary Dunsmore (Abigail MacEwan)
Dunsmore was born in 1953, in Edmonton, Alberta. Dunsmore has acted in and directed various stage productions including Wuthering Heights, The Attic, The Pearls, and The Glass Menagerie. In 1990, Dunsmore was named by Maclean’s Magazine as a “Canadian who makes a difference”. Dunsmore teaches and has taught acting and directing at the Canadian Film Centre, Equity Showcase, National Theatre School, Shortworks Halifax and the University of Toronto. Dunsmore received the Masque Award for her role in the Montreal production, Wit. She is most recognized for her roles in The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables, Road to Avonlea, Mom P.I. and Murdoch Mysteries.

Appears in 1.7: Aunt Abigail’s Beau, 1.8: Malcolm and the Baby, 3.8: Friends and Relations, 7.5: Secrets and Sacrifices and 7.10: After the Ball is Over.