THE ACTORS

Marlee Matlin
Barry Newman
Elaine Hendrix
Armin Shimerman
Robert Bailey, Jr.
John Ross Bowie

Marlee Matlin as Amanda, the protagonist and heroine of the story. Matlin brings her art and passion to a role historically reserved for a male lead. Matlin is no stranger to challenging roles and is enormously accomplished, having received worldwide critical acclaim for her film debut in Children of a Lesser God when she won the Academy Award in 1987. She was the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar and one of only four actresses to receive that honor for a film debut.

In addition to the Oscar, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored Marlee with the 1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama. An actress of stage, film, and television, Matlin’s fans have enjoyed her work on numerous television shows, and has had a role on the popular prime-time drama, The Practice, and a recurring role in The West Wing.

She also serves on the boards of several charitable organizations including the Starlight Foundation, VSA Arts, and Victory Over Violence and the American Red Cross. Her children’s novel, Deaf Child Crossing is being published by Simon & Schuster this year.

A role model for deaf and hearing-impaired children and adults, Business Week, in 2001 said she “Is perhaps the world’s most renowned deaf person.” Matlin says, “I like to say that the greatest handicap of deafness does not lie in the ear, it lies in the mind.”

Barry Newman as Frank. Drama, comedy; he does it all. With a commanding talent and discerning eye, he’s crafted a career encompassing the Broadway stage, feature films, Movies of the Week, mini series and TV series. His recent feature film credits include 40 Days 40 Nights (as Josh Hartnett’s father), The Limey (Steven Soderberg’s critically acclaimed film, with Peter Fonda and Terence Stamp), Bowfinger (as Classy Agent opposite Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin), Brown’s Requiem, Goodbye Lover (as Immoral Senator), Good Advice (as a Tough Media Mogul with Charlie Sheen), Jack the Dog, and Daylight (opposite Sylvester Stallone).

Playing it cool, but with an edge, has become a trademark of Newman’s style. When director Sydney Furie came to New York in search of an actor to play the title role in the Paramount film, The Lawyer, Barry was cast and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a cocky, but brilliant attorney, a character loosely based on F. Lee Bailey. As the star of the now classic film, Vanishing Point, Barry portrayed a man outside of the system, a true symbol of the times. His other starring credits include The Salzburg Connection; Fear is the Key, City on Fire, and Amy, for which the Los Angeles Times hailed him as the “Spencer Tracy of the 80’s.”

In Television, Newman is well remembered for his title role in the NBC series, Petrocelli, for which he received both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He has also guest starred on N.Y.P.D. Blue, Murder, She Wrote, and as a partner on L.A. Law 2.

In addition, Barry has starred in more than 20 made-for-television movies, including Second Sight, opposite Elizabeth Montgomery, Having it All, with Dylan Cannon, Fantasies, with Suzanne Pleshette, the controversial My Two Loves, with Mariette Hartley and Lyn Redgrave, and the Award Winning King Crab. Other Newman credits include the much-heralded mini-series Fatal Vision, playing the attorney who unsuccessfully defends Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the real life Green Beret accused of killing his wife and two daughters. Both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times critics termed his performance “overpowering” and “outstanding.” He also starred in the TV series Nightingales, the Murder, She Wrote pilot, Ballinger, and the BBC production of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, co-starring Clair Bloom.

Born in Boston, Barry was graduated from the prestigious Boston Latin School and earned a degree in anthropology from Brandeis University. A friend took him to Lee Strasberg’s Actor’s Studio, where he fell in love with acting, and almost overnight, decided to pursue an acting career. He hasn’t looked back since.

Newman’s resume also includes important work on the Broadway stage having been featured in Herman Wouk’s comedy, Nature’s Way, Mel Tolkin’s Maybe Tuesday, the musical version of What Makes Sammy Run?, the controversial America Hurrah, and Christie’s Mousetrap. At the same time, he starred on the daytime soap, The Edge of Night.

In addition to his many acting accomplishments, Newman is now adding the title of producer to his credits and is busy developing film and television projects. He is currently developing a motion picture based on Joan Peyser’s book, Bernstein – A Biography. Newman, who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, will produce the picture and star in the title role.

Elaine Hendrix as Jennifer recently finished filming Mr. St. Nick opposite Kelsey Grammer for Hallmark Entertainment. She plays conniving weather girl Heidi Gardelle, who seduces Grammer in an attempt to steal his fortune. Mr. St. Nick also stars Charles Durning, Katherine Helmond, and Wallace Shawn, and is directed by Larry Sanders alumni, Craig Zisk.

Hendrix has also recently completed a string of projects including the Disney sequel, Inspector Gadget 2 as the latest Gadget robot, G2, alongside French Stewart, the hit Sci-Fi series “The Chronicle” as New York Times reporter Kristen Martin, and was reunited with her former Get Smart (FOX) co-star Andy Dick for the 1950’s spoof “See Dicks” on The Andy Dick Show.

Hendrix is perhaps most recognized for her breakout performance in Disney’s remake of The Parent Trap from the writing/producing/directing team of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. As Dennis Quaid’s scheming fiancée, Elaine truly solidified her position as a skilled comedic actress. Film critic Roger Ebert singled out Hendrix’s performance with special mention of her work in the film’s camping sequence where she unquestionably “earns her comedy stripes.”

Hendrix also garnered critical praise co-starring in the Paramount Pictures comedy Superstar. Hendrix and “Saturday Night Live” comedian Molly Shannon play high school students vying for the attention of the most popular boy on campus played by SNL cast member Will Ferrell. Her other film credits include the FOX 2000 drama Here On Earth with Leelee Sobieski and the MGM drama Molly starring Elizabeth Shue.

Elaine first captivated film audiences as Vogue magazine fashion editor Lisa Luder in the Touchstone Pictures comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion starring Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino. Independent features include Wish You Were Dead in which she stars as a sexy, mysterious hit woman opposite Carey Elwes, Dawg with Dennis Leary, and The Hebrew Hammer with Adam Goldberg.

Born and raised in Tennessee, Hendrix moved to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the former Northside School of Performing Arts. Within a few years she was dancing professionally with the Gary Harrison Dance Co. and subsequently traveled the world dancing and modeling for such companies as NIKE and Levi’s.

Hendrix currently resides in Los Angeles with her Australian Cattle Dog, Tiloc. She is a member of Women in Film and Women of Los Angeles and is actively involved in humanitarian efforts on behalf of children, cancer research and the environment.

Armin Shimerman as Old Man has dabbled in diverse arenas. Most people are familiar with his portrayals of Quark on Star Trek: DS-9, Principal Snyder on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or an assortment of judges and anal-retentive beauracrats. He’s played over sixty different characters on television and had major recurring roles as Pascal in Beauty and the Beast, Cousin Bernie in Brooklyn Bridge, Tommy Walker on The Invisible Man, and presently Edmund Graves on David E. Kelley’s Girl’s Club.

Immediately after graduating from UCLA with a degree in English, he apprenticed at the prestigious San Diego Old Globe Shakespeare Theater and eventually took over the lead comic roles. Immediately afterward, he migrated to New York, where, within a year, he performed for Joseph Papp in the highly acclaimed production of 3-Penny Opera. He went on to work for many years on Broadway in St. Joan with Lynn Redgrave at the Circle in the Square, Broadway, with Teri Garr and Glen Close, and finally Richard Rogers’ last musical, I Remember Mama.

Years of work in Regional Theater followed including Stage West, Connecticut Shakespeare Festival, Vermont Champlain Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory, Rutgers’ Mason Gross Theater, Tyrone Guthrie Theater, and Seattle’s ACT. The prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nominated his last stage endeavor in Pinter’s Birthday Party for best lead performance.

In addition, he has co-written Sci Fi novels for Pocket Books; The 34th Rule, The Merchant Prince, and the upcoming Outrageous Fortune. He is currently penning a Tudor mystery, The Toad-eater. This is in conjunction with years of teaching Elizabethan Rhetoric. He recently completed six years of service as a National officer of SAG whereby he negotiated the current TV/Film contract, among other duties.

Robert Bailey, Jr. as Reggie has been in front of the camera for nine of his 12 years. He was “discovered” at age three by talent scouts who came to his Minnesota preschool seeking to cast a boy in a national print campaign for children’s clothing. Two years later, Bailey, while watching television, pointed to an actor and firmly asked his mother, “Why can’t I do that?” The following year, Bailey made his television debut in Nash Bridges and has been on the go ever since.

His work in TV series includes ER, Presidio Med, Becker, The Practice, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder, and The Parent ‘Hood, to name a few. Bailey’s TV movies include Hallmark’s Little John (as Little John), MC Hammer (as the young MC), and Baby Bedlam (as Zeke). His feature films include Dragonfly (with Kevin Costner), and Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars. Bailey is the recipient of a Young Artist Award for his starring role in Becker.

John Ross Bowie spent 4 years performing all over the country with the acclaimed sketch comedy group “Naked Babies” and studying at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in his native New York City. After graduating with a degree in English from Ithaca College, John went through several careers before settling on acting – 1 year as a high school teacher, 2 as a copywriter for a consulting firm, 4 years as the bassist for the seminal pop-punk band “Egghead.” And even one day as a real-life paralegal (which is a far harder job than it appears on TV.)

In 2001, John distilled his various jobs into a one man show "Paid to Stand Around,” performing it in New York and L.A. He plays Wally Berman in NBC’s “AUSA” and will be seen in the upcoming features “Glory Days” and “What the &*%$ do we know?” opposite Marlee Matlin. Other credits include “Road Trip”, NBC’s “Happy Family”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and over 20 TV commercials.