Deirdre O'Connor, Jan Oxenberg, Erin Cressida Wilson, Stephen Godchaux, Howard J. Morris
Production:
Sony Pictures Television
Key Crew
Co-Producer:
Jayme Lemons
Casting:
Victoria Burrows
Director of Photography:
Dermott Downs
Producer:
Jeff Freilich
Executive Producer:
Marta Kauffman
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest African-American to win in a competitive acting category. After signing to Arista Records, Hudson released her self-titled debut studio album in 2008, which was certified Gold in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
Hudson's subsequent studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), both charted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, with the former also being certified Gold in the US. Meanwhile, her other acting roles include the films Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019) and Respect (2021), the television shows Smash (2012), Empire (2015) and Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple. Hudson also contributed as a coach on the UK and the US version of The Voice from 2017 up to 2019, becoming the first female coach to win the former.
Sarah Jane Hyland (born November 24, 1990) is an American actress. Born in Manhattan, she attended the Professional Performing Arts School, then had small roles in the films Private Parts (1997), Annie (1999), and Blind Date (2007).
Hyland is best known for playing Haley Dunphy in the ABC sitcom Modern Family, for which she received critical acclaim and numerous accolades and nominations, including four Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, which she shared with her cast members; and a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Hyland is also known for her roles in the films Geek Charming (2011), Struck by Lightning (2012), Scary Movie 5 (2013), Vampire Academy (2014), See You in Valhalla (2015), XOXO (2016), Dirty Dancing (2017) and The Wedding Year (2019).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Sarah Hyland, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Melissa Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in 1985, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in the Drama Series “All My Children”. Her most notable role as was as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on “Homicide: Life on the Street” for the show's first five seasons from 1993–1997.
Following several films, Leo received critical acclaim and national attention in earning several nominations and awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Leo earned several awards for her role as Alice Ward in the critically acclaimed film, “The Fighter” (2010). For this role Leo won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Leo currently appears on the television series Treme.
Leo currently resides in Stone Ridge, New York and two sons John Matthew Heard (born 1987), and Adam (adopted - born 1984).
Mitch Rouse (born August 6, 1964) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter. He is a well known vet in the world of improvisation. Rouse grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He dropped out of college and moved to Chicago to study improvisation under the late, great Del Close. While there he was asked to join the Second City Theatre, birthplace of his idols John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. While there Mitch wrote and performed shows with Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Nia Vardalos and Scott Adsit. Mitch made his feature film debut alongside Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in Rudy.
Rouse then moved to New York to star with Amy Sedaris, in the premiere of David Sedaris’ original play Stitches, at La Mama Theatre.
In New York, Mitch made a name for himself in TV as a writer/actor on Comedy Central’s EXIT 57, which he created with Stephen Colbert. EXIT was the network's first original sketch comedy series. It received five Cable Ace Award nominations, including Best Actor (Rouse) and Best Writing for a comedy series.
Rouse wrote and directed the dark humored independent film Employee of the Month, which starred Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn, and Christina Applegate. The film premiered at The Sundance Film Festival to a standing ovation and rave reviews.
Mitch created the cult-hit Strangers With Candy, with Stephen Colbert and Amy Sedaris. During it’s run the dark comedy attracted guest stars: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Winona Ryder, Steve Carrell, Matthew Broderick, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, Allison Janney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman to name a few.
David Letterman and World Wide Pants produced the feature film version of Strangers, taking Rouse back to the Sundance film festival for it’s premiere.
While co-starring on ABC’s According to Jim, Mitch created SPIKE TV's first foray into comedy with the critically acclaimed FACTORY. Rouse starred in and produced the series with long time friend and Second City alum, David Pasquesi.
Other Film & Television: Transparent - Neighbors - RENO 911! - Austin Powers - Friends With Money - Spy School - Without A Paddle - The Heartbreak Kid - Spin City - Lost AT Home - and The Secret Lives Of Men
Mitch lives in Los Angeles with his wife Andrea and their kids, Tennessee & Strummer. He continues writing and directing unique characters with original voices.
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress, author, and producer. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is one of two black actresses to have received three Academy Award nominations, the first black actress to receive two consecutive Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years, and the first black actress to receive an Academy Award nomination after previously winning.
Sofia Vassilieva (born October 22, 1992) is an American actress.
She is best known for playing Eloise in two TV movies, Ariel Dubois on Medium, and Kate Fitzgerald in My Sister's Keeper.
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress and director. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two other Young Artist Awards and a Soap Opera Digest Award. She then starred in the NBC drama series American Dreams (2002–2005), for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award and three Teen Choice Awards.
Snow has appeared in various films, including The Pacifier (2005), John Tucker Must Die (2006), Hairspray (2007), Prom Night (2008), Would You Rather (2012), the Pitch Perfect film series (2012–2017), Bushwick (2017), Hangman (2017), Someone Great (2019), and X (2022). She also appeared in the NBC legal comedy-drama series Harry's Law (2011) and in the Fox drama series Almost Family (2019–2020).
Snow is the co-founder of the Love Is Louder movement, a project by the not-for-profit Jed Foundation, dedicated to stop bullying in schools. Snow also started a mental health letter writing initiative in 2020 called "September Letters".
Earnest Lee Hudson is an American actor and voice actor. He is most known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz, and Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow.
He's had recurring roles on several TV shows including St. Elsewhere, Twin Peaks, Law & Order, HBO's Oz, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Franklin & Bash, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Modern Family, Graves, Grace and Frankie, APB, LA's Finest, Carl Weber's The Family Business, City on a Hill, and Quantum Leap (2022).
He's been in numerous films - most notably are the Ghostbusters series, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Crow and its sequel The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Miss Congeniality and its sequel Miss Congeniality 2, and You're Not You. He has also appeared in a few Hallmark movies.
Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Kevin Girardi in the television series Joan of Arcadia, Ethan Haas in The Class, Sean Walker in the NBC series The Event, Dipper Pines in Gravity Falls, and Pat Rollins in Raising Dion. He also played the recurring role of Mark Cyr in the NBC television series Parenthood, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. In 2017, Ritter starred in the ABC comedy series Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. He voiced the character Ryder in Frozen II.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Jason Ritter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. She has received numerous accolades including five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, four Critics' Choice Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for a Tony Award and a Grammy Award.
Smart first gained prominence for her leading role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, in which she starred from 1986 to 1991. She went on to win five Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles as Lana Gardner in the NBC series Frasier (2000–01), Regina Newley in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? (2007–09), and Deborah Vance in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks (2021–present). She was Emmy-nominated for her roles in The District (2000–04), 24 (2006–07), Harry's Law (2011), Fargo (2015), Watchmen (2019) and Mare of Easttown (2021). She also acted in FX's Legion (2017–2019) and voiced Ann Possible in the Disney Channel animated series Kim Possible (2002–2007).
On stage, she made her Broadway debut portraying Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play Piaf (1981). She returned to Broadway in the revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000) for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Smart's film credits include The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Garden State (2004), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Accountant (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), and Babylon (2022). She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Guinevere (1999).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Smart, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director.
She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990), Beverly Switzler in Howard the Duck (1986), and Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). Other films for which she is known include All the Right Moves (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Dennis the Menace (1993), and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). In the 1990s, she played the title character in the sitcom Caroline in the City. From 2011 to 2017, she co-starred as Kathryn Kennish in the ABC Family-turned-Freeform series Switched at Birth.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Lea Thompson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career in the 1970s, appearing in several independent thriller films before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1980s.
Born in New York City to actress Tippi Hedren and advertising executive Peter Griffith, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, a then 17-year-old Griffith appeared opposite Gene Hackman in Arthur Penn's film noir Night Moves. She later rose to prominence for her role portraying a pornographic actress in Brian De Palma's thriller Body Double (1984), which earned her a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Griffith's subsequent performance in the comedy Something Wild (1986) garnered critical acclaim before she was cast in 1988's Working Girl, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her a Golden Globe.
The 1990s had Griffith in a series of roles that received varying critical reception; she received Golden Globe nominations for her performances in Buffalo Girls (1995), and as Marion Davies in RKO 281 (1999), while also earning a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for her performances in Shining Through (1992), as well as receiving nominations for Crazy in Alabama (1999) and John Waters' cult film Cecil B. Demented (2000). Other credits include John Schlesinger's Pacific Heights (1990), Milk Money (1994), the neo-noir film Mulholland Falls (1996), as Charlotte Haze in Adrian Lyne's Lolita (1997), and Another Day in Paradise (1998).
She later starred as Barbara Marx in The Night We Called It a Day (2003), and spent the majority of the 2000s appearing on such television series as Nip/Tuck, Raising Hope, and Hawaii Five-0. After acting on stage in London, in 2003, she made her Broadway debut in a revival of the musical Chicago, receiving celebratory reviews. In the 2010s, Griffith returned to film, starring opposite then-husband Antonio Banderas in the science-fiction film Autómata (2014) and as an acting coach in James Franco's The Disaster Artist (2017).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Melanie Griffith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Aimee Teegarden is an American actress, best known for starring as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights and Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4.
James LaRue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor.
Best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip Banks, Will Smith's character's uncle, in the TVsitcomThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This character was ranked #34 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time." He also provided the voice of Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, as well as War Machine in the animated series Iron Man and Junkyard Dog in Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. He also played Michael Kelso's commanding officer at the police academy late in the series run of That '70s Show.
Andrea R. Bendewald (born March 4, 1970) is an American actres. She is best known for her role as Maddy Piper on the NBC TV sitcom Suddenly Susan (1996-2000).
Sean Carrigan is an American actor, producer, stand-up comedian, and former professional boxer best known for his turn as Dr. Ben "Stitch" Rayburn on the hit CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. Carrigan is also the co-founder of the production company Woodhead Entertainment.
Jayanth Jambulingam "Jay" Chandrasekhar (born April 9, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and film director with the comedy team Broken Lizard.
Cindy Drummond spent the first 35 years of her life avoiding becoming an entertainer. After dropping in and out of college, waiting tables, tending bar, managing restaurants and working retail, all on her feet, Cindy found herself with a bad case of plantar fasciitis and an equally bad case of wanderlust. So, she finally packed up her custom orthotics and her hopes and dreams, and moved to Los Angeles, where she quickly got a job...waiting tables. But luckily for Cindy, the difference between waiting tables in Alexandria, Virginia, and waiting tables in Los Angeles, is that in L.A., all the other servers are actors, writers and comics. She had finally found her tribe. Cindy first tried her hand at stand-up comedy. She performed at the big clubs like The Improv, The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory as well as alternative clubs like the late great Luna Park. She even got fired from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a badge of honor for alternative comics like Cindy, who utilize storytelling and improvisation rather than the classic set-up punch. The stand up soon led to acting. You might recognize her as the GEICO "Spy Mom," a recurring role since 2015. Cindy's years as a stand-up sharpened the improvisational skills she used to help mold the character of "Spy Mom" in collaboration with the director Wayne McClammy and the copy writers and ad execs from The Martin Agency. One of Cindy's favorite parts of her career is the act of collaboration. A senior copy writer said of her, "She's a better writer than I am. She kept giving us so much fun material. It would have been a shame to leave that all behind on a hard drive somewhere." The "Spy Mom" character went on to be voted one of the top 5 GEICO commercials of all time in a Best of GEICO nationwide contest. And much to the delight of Cindy's parents, "Cindy Drummond" has twice been the answer to the question on JEOPARDY. Cindy also enjoys working in film and television. She can be seen as a recurring guest star on the CBS prime time comedy "The Unicorn." And in one of her proudest and most satisfying roles to date, she appeared as Lottie Beth Hobbs alongside Cate Blanchette in the multi-Emmy nominated historical limited series, "Mrs. America," on FX on Hulu. When Cindy is not working, she gives her time to a small non-profit all-volunteer-run animal rescue in Los Angeles called LA Animal Rescue, she is a Board Member and volunteer. She says the animals keep her grateful, grounded and sane.
Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, and Celebrity Poker Showdown.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Richard Gilliland (born January 23, 1950) is an American television and movie actor.
Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He appeared onscreen in the 1970s. Notable appearances include Thirtysomething, Party of Five, Little Women, and a recurring role on Designing Women (where he met his wife Jean Smart, who starred as Charlene in that series). The couple has one son, Connor. Richard recently played Ellis Kapp on The Unit and Captain Stan Cotter on 24 while his wife Jean Smart played the First Lady Martha Logan in season 5. (He was in episode 2:00am to 3:00am). Gilliland is best friends with actor Joe Mantegna.
Gilliland is also very active in the theatre. Recent credits include Balancing Act, with Yeardley Smith and I Remember You, with Tony Danza; both at Garry Marshall's Falcon Theatre. He studied at the Goodman School of Drama, Playwright's Kitchen Ensemble and spent four seasons at summer stock.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard Gilliland, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
An American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films, usually noted for his unusual appearance. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Clint Howard, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Ahna O'Reilly is an American actress known for starring in the 2011 award winning film The Help as Elizabeth Leefolt and for playing Chris-Ann Brennan in the 2013 film, Jobs.
