Meredith Eaton-Gilden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Meredith Eaton | |
|---|---|
 Photo by David Kriegel |
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| Born | Meredith Hope Eaton August 26, 1974 Long Island, New York, U.S.A. |
| Occupation | Actress, clinical psychologist |
| Years active | 1999—present |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Gilden, 2001-2006 (his death) |
| Official website | |
Meredith Eaton (sometimes credited as Meredith Eaton-Gilden) (born August 26, 1974)[1] is an American actress. She is 4 feet (1.22 m) tall[2] and refers to herself as a "short-stature actress".[1][3] She is best known for portraying the attorney Emily Resnick on the CBS television series Family Law (in which she was the first female "little person" to fill a regular role in an American prime time series), and for her recurring role as Bethany Horowitz on the ABC series Boston Legal.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Eaton was born in Long Island, New York to a clinical psychiatrist mother and an administrative law judge father. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority; she graduated in 1996 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, minoring in theater. In June 2007, she was named by Hofstra University as their Alumnus of the Month.[3]
She later earned a master's degree in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, where she achieved a 4.0 grade point average.[3] She would later credit her training in psychology for giving her a better ability to understand character dynamics in preparing for acting roles.[2][3]
[edit] Professional career
Eaton's acting career began in 1999 when she attended an open casting call for the comedy film Unconditional Love. Despite it being her first audition, she won out over 500 women from Canada, the United States, and the U.K. to be cast in the role of Maudie Beasley.[4]
Unconditional Love was not released until 2002. Her performance was seen by Paul Haggis, who created the role of Emily Resnick for her on Family Law.[4] Joining the cast in 2002, she continued with the series until its cancellation later that same year. She later had significant guest appearances on NYPD Blue, Dharma & Greg, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and House. She also appeared as herself in Standing Tall at Auschwitz, which was a History Channel documentary on the Ovitz family, and in No Bigger Than a Minute, an independent documentary on dwarfism which aired on the PBS program P.O.V.[5]
In 2006, she joined the cast of Boston Legal as Bethany Horowitz, a love interest to William Shatner's character Denny Crane. The role was written specifically for her by David E. Kelley.[6]
She considers herself to have a dual career as both a mental health therapist and an actress, though she stated in 2007 that her acting career had priority.[3] Finding difficulty in obtaining new roles following the cancellation of Family Law, and disliking the stereotypical parts frequently offered to little people in Hollywood,[7] she worked for a year at a locked, in-patient psychiatric unit in California,[3] sometimes with dangerous patients.[2] She has advised prospective professional actors to "(h)ave a backup plan" and has stated that her psychology degree is her "safety net".[3]
[edit] Personal life
Eaton was married to Michael Gilden, also a little person actor, from May 20, 2001, until his death Los Angeles, California on December 5, 2006. Eaton appeared on Entertainment Tonight to discuss her husband's feelings and philosophy prior to his death.
"Michael was the type of man that would talk about me before himself -- he put me first and did so also in his friendships and his family. Michael put himself second to everybody, which is what made him such a remarkable individual."[8]
She is an advocate for causes related to people with dwarfism, and has spoken publicly on these issues at universities and health conferences.[3] She is a member of the Media Access Office, an organization of the California state government which promotes the employment and accurate portrayal of persons with disabilities in the media.[9] Eaton's grandmother Nina Eaton is the founder of United Cerebral Palsy and has over 150 buildings and schools named after her.
[edit] Selected filmography
| Acting Filmography | ||
| Unconditional Love (2002) | Maudey Beasley (breakthrough role) | |
Family Law (2002)  |
Emily Resnick | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation "A Little Murder" (2002) |
Melanie Grace (also featured Michael Gilden) | |
| House "Merry Little Christmas" (2006) |
Maddy | |
| P.O.V. No Bigger Than a Minute (2006) |
Herself | |
| Boston Legal (2006) |
Bethany Horowitz |
|
| Ball’s Out: The Gary Houseman Story (2008) | Mrs. Tuttle | |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Eaton-Gilden, Meredith. Meredith Eaton Biography. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ a b c Matthew Roloff. Little People, Big World: Matt's Chats The Learning Channel Podcast accessed on 2007-09-02
- ^ a b c d e f g h Alumnus of the Month. Hofstra University (June 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ a b DuBois, Stephanie. TV RISING STAR: Meredith Eaton Casting a Giant Shadow. Netscape Celebrity. Netscape. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ No Bigger Than a Minute. Public Broadcasting Service (2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ Beck, Marilyn; Jenel Smith, Stacy (2007). Just Getting Started. Netscape Celebrity. Netscape. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ Strauss, Gary. "Short actors gain stature", USA Today, 2007-02-26. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ The 'NCIS' Widow. Entertainment Tonight (2007-03-06). Archived from the original on 2007-03-06. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ M.A.O. News (PDF). State of California Employer Development Department (July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-03.[dead link]
[edit] External links
- Meredith Eaton at the Internet Movie Database
- Meredith Eaton-Gilden at TV.com
- Interview with Matthew Roloff of The Learning Channel (video)
- Clip from the documentary No Bigger Than a Minute (video)
- Highlight reel at her official website (video)
