EMMA STONE (Skeeter) recently wrapped production on the comedy, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” in which she stars opposite Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling. In addition, she is currently lending her voice to the DreamWorks Animation SKG® comedy “The Croods.” She was recently seen in the comedy “Easy A,” and the independent drama “Paperman,” opposite Jeff Daniels and Ryan Reynolds.
Stone’s other film credits include the animated comedy, “Marmaduke” (for which she provided the voice for Mazie), “Zombieland,” “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “The House Bunny,” “The Rocker” and “Superbad.”
On television, Stone’s credits include “Drive” and the VH1 series, “In Search of the Partridge Family.” She also guest-starred on series such as “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Medium,” “Lucky Louie” and “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.”
A native of Arizona, Stone currently resides in New York.
VIOLA DAVIS (Aibileen) received a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award® nomination and a Golden Globe® Award nomination for her role as Mrs. Miller in “Doubt.” Among her other feature film credits are, “Eat Pray Love,” “Knight & Day,” “State of Play,” “Madea Goes to Jail,” “Nights in Rodanthe,” “Disturbia,” “Syriana,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” “Solaris,” “Antwone Fisher,” “Far From Heaven,” “Kate & Leopold,” “Traffic,” and “The Substance of Fire,” among others.
On Broadway, Davis won Tony® Awards for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her role in “King Hedley II” (for which she also won the Drama Desk Award) and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for “Fences.” Off-Broadway, in The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of “Intimate Apparel,” she won Best Actress awards from the Drama Desk, the Drama League, and received the Obie Award and the Audelco Award. She was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award as well. Davis reprised her role at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles where she won the Ovation Award, The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Garland Award.
On television, Davis was seen this year in a six-episode arc in Showtime’s hit series “United States of Tara.” She also starred in the A&E miniseries “The Andromeda Strain,” and enjoyed recurring roles on “Law & Order: SVU” and in the CBS miniseries franchise “Jesse Stone.” Additionally, her television credits include “Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story,” “Traveler,” “Century City,” “Lefty,” and “City of Angels.” She also had roles in Oprah Winfrey’s “Amy and Isabelle,” and Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “Grace and Glorie.”
Davis is a graduate of The Juilliard School and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts Degree from her alma mater, Rhode Island College. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Julius Tennon.
OCTAVIA SPENCER (Minny) was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts.
Spencer made her feature film debut in Joel Schumacher’s “A Time to Kill.” Her other film credits include “Never Been Kissed,” “Big Momma's House,” “Bad Santa,” “Spider Man,” “Coach Carter,” “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!” “Pretty Ugly People,” “Seven Pounds,” “Halloween II,” “Love at First Hiccup,” and “Herpes Boy.”
On television, Spencer has made a number of critically acclaimed guest appearances on shows such as “Raising the Bar,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “NYPD Blue,” “Grounded for Life,” “ER,” “Titus” and “Dharma & Greg.” However, she is perhaps best known for her starring roles as Serenity Johnson on Comedy Central’s “Halfway Home,” and as Constance Grady, the amorous INS caseworker on “Ugly Betty.”
Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles, in Del Shore’s award-winning play, “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife.” She also starred in Tate Taylor’s critically lauded and award-winning short feature, “Chicken Party.”
Her own short film “The Captain,” which she wrote, directed and produced, was honored by the CICFF as a finalist for the coveted REEL Poetry Award. She is the voice of Aibileen on the audio book version of “The Help.”
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD (Hilly) is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and dynamic talents both on screen and behind the camera. Her feature-film acting credits include “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “Hereafter,” “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Spider Man 3,” “Lady in the Water,” “The Village,” and “Manderlay.” She recently completed a starring role in Jonathan Levine’s comedy “50/50,” opposite Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Howard also received a 2008 Golden Globe® Award nomination for her performance as Rosalind in HBO’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” written and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Expanding her creative reach beyond acting, Howard produced Gus Van Sant’s soon to be released “Restless.” She made her directorial debut with the short film “Orchids” and currently has a feature in development as a screenwriter.
After leaving the Tisch School of the Arts program at New York University, Howard immediately began working on the New York stage, including playing the role of Marianne in the Roundabout’s Broadway production of “Tartuffe”; Rosalind in the Public Theatre’s “As You Like It”; Sally Platt in the Manhattan Theater Club’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s “House/Garden”; and Emily in the Bay Street Theater Festival’s production of “Our Town.”
Howard currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Seth Gabel, and their son, Theo.
JESSICA CHASTAIN (Celia) was born and raised in Northern California. She attended the Juilliard School where she starred in “Romeo and Juliet.” She went on to receive glowing reviews for her performances in “The Cherry Orchard” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, opposite Michelle Williams, and in Richard Nelson’s drama “Rodney’s Wife,” opposite David Strathairn, at Playwrights Horizons. Chastain also starred as Desdemona in “Othello,” opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman, which was directed by Peter Sellars and staged at The Public Theater in New York City.
In feature films, Chastain starred in “The Debt,” with Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington and in the soon to be released “The Fields,” and “Tree of Life,” written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
At the senior-class Juilliard showcase, Chastain landed a coveted talent deal with Emmy® Award–winning executive producer and writer John Wells, the show runner of “E.R.,” “The West Wing,” and producer of “White Oleander.” After completing a pilot for Wells and director P.J. Hogan, Chastain returned to the stage in the Los Angeles Wadsworth Theatre production of “Salome,” where Academy Award® winners Estelle Parsons (director) and Al Pacino cast Chastain to play the title role of Salome opposite Pacino. Continuing the collaboration, she starred in the film version titled “Salomaybe,” directed by Al Pacino.
Chastain’s work in “Salome” received enormous critical attention and led to her being cast in the dynamic title role in “Jolene,” directed by Dan Ireland, and also starring Rupert Friend, Frances Fisher, Dermot Mulroney and Michael Vartan. Chastain won the Best Actress Award at the 2008 Seattle Film Festival for this role.
Jessica Chastain currently lives in California.
SISSY SPACEK (Missus Walters) has been one of the industry’s most respected actresses for more than three decades. Her many honors include an Academy Award®, five additional Oscar® nominations, three Golden Globe® Awards and numerous critics’ awards.
Spacek first gained prominence for her performance in Terrence Malick’s 1973 drama “Badlands,” in which she starred opposite Martin Sheen. In 1976, Spacek earned her first Academy Award nomination and won a National Society of Film Critics Award for her chilling performance in the title role of Brian De Palma’s “Carrie.” The following year, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for her work in Robert Altman’s “Three Women.”
In 1980, Spacek starred as Loretta Lynn in the acclaimed biopic “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” winning the Oscar and Golden Globe Award for her performance. Spacek also received the New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics, National Board of Review and National Society of Film Critics Awards for her portrayal of the country music legend.
Spacek received another Golden Globe nomination the next year for her work in “Raggedy Man,” directed by her husband, Jack Fisk. She earned her third Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her role in Costa-Gavras’ 1982 drama “Missing,” opposite Jack Lemmon, and her fourth Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her work in 1984’s “The River,” in which she starred with Mel Gibson.
In 1987, Spacek received her fifth Academy Award nomination and won another Golden Globe and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for her performance in the dark comedy “Crimes of the Heart.” Her most recent Oscar nomination came for her portrayal of a mother grieving for her murdered son in the drama “In the Bedroom,” for which she also won a Golden Globe Award, an Independent Spirit Award and an AFI Film Award for Best Actress. In addition, she garnered Best Actress Awards from a number of critics’ organizations, including the Los Angeles, New York and Broadcast Film Critics. Her work in “In the Bedroom” also brought Spacek two Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, one for Outstanding Lead Actress and another for Outstanding Cast, shared with the rest of the film’s ensemble.
Spacek’s other film credits include “A Home at the End of the World,” “The Straight Story,” “Blast From the Past,” “Affliction,” “The Grass Harp,” “JFK,” “The Long Walk Home,” “’night, Mother,” “Marie,” “North Country,” “Nine Lives,” “Hot Rod,” “Lake City,” “Four Christmases,” and “Get Low.”
Spacek has also been honored for her work on television, where she has starred in several highly praised long-form projects. She received Emmy® Award nominations for her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald in “Last Call” and for her work in Tommy Lee Jones’ western “The Good Old Boys,” as well as Screen Actors Guild Award® nominations for her performances in “Midwives” and “A Place for Annie.” Her additional television credits include “If These Walls Could Talk,” “Beyond the Call,” “Streets of Laredo,” “A Private Matter,” a Golden Globe–nominated performance for “Pictures of Hollis Woods” and, most recently, an Emmy-nominated performance for her guest role on HBO’s “Big Love.”
ALLISON JANNEY (Charlotte) has starred in numerous feature films, including “Life During Wartime,” “A Thousand Words,” “Away We Go,” “Juno,” and “Hairspray.” She also appeared in the comedy “Strangers with Candy,” was heard as the voice of Gladys in DreamWorks’ animated comedy “Over the Hedge” and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in “Our Very Own.” Janney also starred opposite Meryl Streep in “The Hours,” which received a Screen Actors Guild Awards® nomination for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. Other feature credits include “American Beauty” (for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture) and the Disney/Pixar animated feature “Finding Nemo” (as the voice of Peach), as well as “Nurse Betty,” “How to Deal,” “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Primary Colors,” “The Ice Storm,” “Six Days Seven Nights,” “The Object of My Affection” and “Big Night.” She will soon be seen starring in “The Oranges,” “Margaret” and “Lucky Them.”
On television, Janney starred as C.J. Gregg on “The West Wing,” for which she won four Emmy® Awards, as well as four Screen Actors Guild Awards. She currently stars on the ABC comedy “Mr. Sunshine,” with Matthew Perry.
While a freshman studying acting at Kenyon College in Ohio, Janney was cast in a show directed by Paul Newman. Soon after, Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward suggested she study at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. She followed their advice and went on to make her Broadway debut in Noel Coward’s “Present Laughter,” for which she earned the Outer Critics Circle Award and Clarence Derwent Award. For her Broadway performance in Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” she was nominated for a Tony® Award and won the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Supporting Actress. In addition, she has starred in the New York City Public Theater’s production of “The Taming of the Shrew,” which was part of the Shakespeare in the Park series, and in the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Lillian Hellman’s “The Autumn Garden.”
Janney was recently seen on Broadway as Violet Newstead in the musical “9 to 5,” for which she received a Tony Award nomination and Drama Desk Award.
CICELY TYSON (Constance Jefferson) is one of America’s most revered and celebrated actors. She became a legend early in her career with critically acclaimed performances in such feature films as “A Man Called Adam,” “The Comedians” and “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.” Tyson forever secured her status as one of the screen’s most admired talents when she was nominated for the Academy Award® for her outstanding performance as Rebecca Morgan in director Martin Ritt’s drama, “Sounder.”
During a long and auspicious career, Tyson’s most prominent motion picture credits include “The River Niger,” “A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich,” “The Concord, ’79,” “Bustin’ Loose,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Rwanda Rising,” and most recently, “Why Did I Get Married Too?”
Among Tyson’s most distinguished television credits are “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” (for which she won Emmy® Awards as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, and Actress of the Year), “Roots” (Emmy Award nomination) and “King” (Emmy nomination for portraying Coretta Scott King). Tyson was again honored with the Emmy for her role as Castralia in the made-for-television adaptation of the acclaimed bestselling novel “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.” A few of her other outstanding performances were seen in “A Woman Called Moses,” “The Women of Brewster Place,” “House of Secrets,” “A Lesson Before Dying” and “The Rosa Parks Story.” She has also appeared in innumerable episodics.
MARY STEENBURGEN (Elaine Stein) won the Academy Award® for her role in “Melvin and Howard.” Most recently she starred in “Did You Hear About the Morgan’s?,” with Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker, and “The Proposal” with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
Among Steenburgen’s many other feature film credits are “Four Christmases,” “Stepbrothers,” “The Brave One,” “Nobel Son,” “Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School,” “Elf,” “Sunshine State,” “Casa De Los Baby,” “Life as a House,” “Philadelphia,” “Parenthood,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “The Grass Harp,” “Back to the Future Part III,” “Time After Time,” “A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy,” “Cross Creek,” “One Magic Christmas,” “Dead of Winter” and “End of the Line,” for which she also served as the film’s executive producer.
For two seasons on television, Steenburgen starred in the Emmy® Award–nominated CBS series “Joan of Arcadia.” She also starred in the television film “Southern Discomfort” and in numerous episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Steenburgen also starred with her husband, Ted Danson, in the television film “It Must Be Love” and in the television miniseries’ “Talking to Heaven” and “Gulliver’s Travels.”
Steenburgen starred with Jon Voight and F. Murray Abraham in Robert Halmi’s “Noah’s Ark” for NBC and was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in “About Sarah.”
On stage, Steenburgen starred in the David Mamet–directed play “Boston Marriage” at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Her other theater credits include “The Beginning of August,” “Holiday” and “Candida” at New York’s Roundabout Theater, and “Marvin’s Room” at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles.
In addition to her professional work, Steenburgen has devoted a great deal of time to causes close to her heart. In 1989 she and fellow actress, Alfre Woodard founded Artists for a Free South Africa. In 1996 she and Ted Danson were presented with Liberty Hill Foundation’s prestigious Upton Sinclair Award for their work in human rights and environmental causes.
Steenburgen is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, the daughter of a railroad conductor and a public high school secretary. She began her career at the age of nineteen in New York. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband. They are the parents of four children, Kate, Lilly, Charlie and Kat.
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