Meredith Baxter
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| Meredith Baxter | |
|---|---|
_benefit_cropped_and_altered.jpg) Meredith Baxter at the AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) benefit |
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| Born | Meredith Ann Baxter June 21, 1947 South Pasadena, California |
| Other name(s) | Meredith Baxter-Birney |
| Occupation | Film, TV actress, director |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Blodgett (1995-2000) David Birney (1974-1990) 3 Children Robert Lewis Bush (1966-1969) 2 Children |
Meredith Baxter (born June 21, 1947 in South Pasadena, California) is an American film and television actress.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Meredith Ann Baxter was born to the late actress and sitcom creator Whitney Blake and Tom Baxter, who worked in radio. Her stepfather is sitcom writer, Allan Manings.
[edit] Career
Baxter is best known for her work on two television shows. She first became popular in Hollywood playing the role of Nancy Lawrence Maitland on the television drama Family from 1976 to 1980. She received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, in 1977 and 1978. The second role she is well-known for is ex-flower child Elyse Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties, which aired from 1982 to 1989. In reality, she was only 14 years older than Michael J. Fox, who played her son, Alex.
In 1981, she starred with Annette O'Toole and Shelley Hack in HBO's Standing Room Only series production of Vanities.
Since Family Ties ended its run, Baxter has been directing and starring in TV movies. In 1992, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for her work in A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story, in which she plays a divorcée who was convicted of murder in the shooting of her ex-husband and his young wife. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award in 1993 for her work as a lesbian raising a young son in a CBS after-school special. In 1997, she once again played the mother of a character played by Michael J. Fox, this time on the sitcom Spin City. In 2005, she began appearing in television commercials for Garden State Life Insurance Company. In 2006 she temporarily co-hosted the Today Show with Matt Lauer. Most recently in 2007 she made a guest appearance on the ABC drama What About Brian. She also made several 2007 appearances as the dying mother of Detective Lilly Rush on the TV series Cold Case.
In recent years, she has created a skin care line called Meredith Baxter Simple Works,[1], which helps raise funds for her breast cancer research foundation. For her work on the television film “My Breast,” (1994) she received a special award for public awareness from the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
[edit] Personal life
Baxter was married three times. Her first marriage took place in 1966 to Robert Lewis Bush. They had two children before divorcing in 1971. Her most notable marriage was to actor David Birney, whom she met on the set of the sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie where she played his wife on the series. After the show was canceled, the couple became engaged and were married in 1974. From that date until their divorce in 1989, she was credited as Meredith Baxter Birney, a name still commonly associated with her by the general public as she went by it during her most prominent period of work. They have three children. In 1995 she married actor and screenwriter Michael Blodgett. They divorced in 2000.
Coincidentally, Baxter and her Family Ties co-star Michael Gross (who played her husband Steven Keaton), were born on the same date, June 21, 1947.
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1972 | Stand Up and Be Counted | Tracy | |
| Ben | Eve Garrison | ||
| 1976 | All the President's Men | Debbie Sloan | |
| Bittersweet Love | Patricia | ||
| 1990 | Jezebel's Kiss | Virginia De Leo | |
| 1999 | Elevator Seeking | Ann | |
| 2003 | Devil's Pond | Kate | |
| 2005 | Paradise Texas | Liz Cameron | |
| The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green | Harper Green | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | The Young Lawyers | Gloria | Episode: The Victims |
| The Doris Day Show | April | Episode: Young Love | |
| The Partridge Family | Jenny | Episode: Where Do Mermaids Go? | |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Ann Glover | Episode: Words of Summer |
| Bridget Loves Bernie | Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg | ||
| 1973 | The Invasion of Carol Enders | Carol Enders | TV-Movie |
| Doc Elliot | Jenny | Episode: And All Ye Need to Know | |
| The Cat Creature | Rena Carter | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1974 | Barnaby Jones | Jenny Sutherland | Episode: The Deadly Jinx |
| The Stranger Who Looks Like Me | Joanne Denver | ABC TV-Movie | |
| Young Love | April | CBS TV-Movie | |
| 1974, 1975 | Medical Center | Paula Priscilla |
Episode: Demi-God Episode: The Velvet Knife |
| 1975 | Target Risk | Linda Flayly | NBC TV-Movie |
| The Imposter | Julie Watson | NBC TV-Movie | |
| The Streets of San Francisco | Jodi Dixon | Episode: Deadly Silence | |
| The Night That Panicked America | Linda Davis | ABC TV-Movie | |
| Medical Story | Erica Schiff Sunny |
Episode: A Life in the Balance Episode: Us Against the World |
|
| McMillan and Wife | Faye Leonard | Episode: Secrets for Sale | |
| 1976 | City of Angels | Mary Kingston | Episode: The November Plan (1) Episode: The November Plan (2) Episode: The November Plan (3) |
| Wide World Mystery | Episode: Terror In the Night | ||
| Police Woman | Liz Robson | Episode: Sarah Who? | |
| 1976–1980 | Family | Nancy Lawrence Maitland | |
| 1977–1982 | The Love Boat | Sandy Rytell | Episode: The Captain and the Lady... Episode: Venetian Love Song (1)... Episode: Venetian Love Song (2)... |
| 1978 | Little Women | Meg March | NBC TV-Movie |
| 1979 | The Family Man | Mercedes Cole | CBS TV-Movie |
| 1980 | Beulah Land | Lauretta Pennington | NBC Miniseries |
| 1981 | Vanities | Joanne | HBO Televised On-Stage Performance |
| The Two Lives of Carol Letner | Carol Letner | CBS TV-Movie | |
| 1982 | Take Your Best Shot | Carol Marriner | CBS TV-Movie |
| 1982–1989 | Family Ties | Elyse Keaton | |
| 1985 | The Rape of Richard Beck | Barbara McKee | ABC TV-Movie |
| Family Ties Vacation | Elyse Keaton | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1986 | Kate's Secret | Kate Stark | NBC TV-Movie |
| 1987 | The Long Journey Home | Maura Wells | CBS TV-Movie |
| 1988 | The Diaries of Adam and Eve | Eve | TV-Movie |
| Mickey's 60th Birthday | Elyse Keaton | TV-Special | |
| Winnie | Winnie | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1989 | She Knows Too Much | Samantha White | NBC TV-Movie |
| 1990 | The Kissing Place | Florence Tulane | USA Network TV-Movie |
| Burning Bridges | Lynn Hollinger | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1992 | A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story | Betty Broderick | CBS TV-Movie |
| Stolen Love | DeeDee | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1993 | Darkness Before Dawn | Mary Ann Guard | NBC TV-Movie |
| CBS Schoolbreak Special | Paula Hensen | Episode: Other Mothers | |
| 1994 | For the Love of Aaron | Margaret Gibson | TV-Movie |
| One More Mountain | Margaret Reed | ABC TV-Movie | |
| My Breast | Joyce Wadler | CBS TV-Movie | |
| 1995 | Betrayed: A Story of Three Women | Amanda Nelson | ABC TV-Movie |
| 1996 | The Faculty | Flynn Sullivan | Episode: Pilot |
| After Jimmy | Maggie Stapp | TV-Movie | |
| 1997 | Dog's Best Friend | Cow | Voice Role TV-Movie |
| The Inheritance | Beatrice Hamilton | TV-Movie | |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | D.A. Kerry McGrath | The Family Channel TV-Movie | |
| Miracle in the Woods | Sarah Weatherby | TV-Movie | |
| Spin City | Macy Flaherty | Episode: Family Affair (1) Episode: Family Affair (2) |
|
| 1999 | Holy Joe | Annie Cass | CBS TV-Movie |
| Down Will Come Baby | Leah Garr | CBS TV-Movie | |
| Miracle on the 17th Green | Susan McKinley | CBS TV-Movie | |
| 2000 | The Wednesday Woman | Muriel Davidson | CBS TV-Movie |
| 2001 | A Mother's Fight for Justice | Terry Stone | Lifetime Television TV-Movie |
| Aftermath | Carol | TV-Movie | |
| Murder on the Orient Express | Mrs. Caroline Hubbard | TV-Movie | |
| 2002 | A Christmas Visitor | Carol Boyajian | Hallmark Channel TV-Movie |
| 2003 | 7th Heaven | Mrs. Jones | Episode: Go Ask Alice |
| 2004 | Half & Half | Joan Tyrell | Episode: The Big Rules of Engagement Episode |
| Angel in the Family | Lorraine | Hallmark Channel TV-Movie | |
| 2005 | The Closer | Congresswoman Simmons | Episode: Fantasy Date |
| 2006 | Brothers & Sisters | Margaret Packard | Episode: For the Children |
| 2006–2007 | Cold Case | Ellen Rush | Episode: Beautiful Little Fool Episode: Torn Episode: Cargo Episode: The Good Death Episode: Stalker |
| 2007 | What About Brian | Frankie | Episode: What About All That Glitters... |
[edit] Awards & Nominations
- 1994: Nominated, "Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special" - CBS Schoolbreak Special
- 1977: Nominated, "Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" - Family
- 1978: Nominated, "Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" - Family
- 1992: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special" - A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story
- 2007: Nominated, "Lady You Love to Watch Fight for Her Life in a Movie of the Week"
