Neal McDonough is Desperate’s new man
One thing you have to say about the powers that be at Desperate Housewives, they’re really great with casting. Great looking guys, beautiful women, quirky character actors; we’ve seen them all on Wisteria Lane and usually they leave a lasting impression.
The latest name to check in to Desperate Housewives is Neal McDonough. He’ll be appearing in the new season and Hollywood Reporter is wondering how he’d do with Nicolette Sheridan’s character, Edie Britt. Is that wondering or playing matchmaker? How do we know that Marc Cherry isn’t setting him up as a mystery man from Bree’s past? Cherry is nothing if not inventive, so good luck trying to anticipate his plotlines!
Neal McDonough is a well-known face on TV, but he’s a guy who’s never quite had a breakout hit. He was riveting in Band of Brothers on HBO, which lead to an NBC primetime series.
Remember when Boomtown was being hailed as NBC’s next great show? The pilot was great, and Neal was terrific as its lead. The show sort of fell apart after the pilot — and hasn’t that happened to other highly-touted series before — and McDonough moved on to the next project.
There was Medical Investigation, Traveler, the mini Tin Man. As an actor, McDonough is always working.
Now, it’s Desperate Housewives. In addition to McDonough, Gale Harold will also be joining DH in the recurring role as Ken. In the flash-forward finale, he was the man kissing Susan.
Harold, a fan favorite from Queer as Folk, was killed in Vanished on Fox — that was a show that ended too soon — and also did a two-parter on Grey’s Anatomy.
Lauren Holly Biography
A ravishingly beautiful, blue-eyed actress who has appeared as both a blonde and a redhead, Lauren Holly made her feature debut (with first husband Danny Quinn) in Paul Michael Glaser’s “Band of the Hand” (1986). Her initial TV appearance that year in an episode of “Spenser: For Hire” (ABC) preceded her tenure as the sweet, virginal Julie Chandler on the ABC soap “All My Children”, for which she earned a Daytime Emmy nomination as Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series for the 1987-88 season. Holly had a recurring part on “My Two Dads” (NBC) and then co-starred as a hard-nosed prosecutor in the short-lived “The Antagonists” (CBS, 1991) before striking primetime series pay dirt portraying the sensitive but steely Deputy Maxine ‘Max’ Stewart in the critically acclaimed “Picket Fences” (CBS, 1992-96). At about the same time, she landed her first leading role in a feature opposite Jason Scott Lee in the surprisingly romantic biopic “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (1993), turning in a credible and affecting performance as the tough and resourceful Linda Lee, the Swedish-American wife of the tormented Chinese actor/martial artist.
Not wanting to create a scheduling nightmare for “Picket Fences”, Holly turned down the Courteney Cox role in “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective” (1994), but she did not pass on another chance to work with rising star (and future husband) Jim Carrey, enjoying her biggest hit as the female lead in the aptly titled comedy “Dumb and Dumber” (1994), which also starred Jeff Daniels. In the 1995 remake of “Sabrina”, Holly was the fiancee of playboy Greg Kinnear, with whom she would reteam for the pallid comedy “A Smile Like Yours” (1997). One of Ted Demme’s “Beautiful Girls” in the 1996 drama of that title, she also co-starred that year with fellow TV alumnus Kelsey Grammer in the comedy “Down Periscope”. The roller-coaster ride of Carrey’s celebrity complicated the couple’s lives and led to a divorce, although the two have remained friends and enjoyed an on-again-off-again relationship. Meanwhile, Holly is still looking for that break-out feature hit that will truly establish her as something more than fabulous window-dressing (and Carrey’s ex). Perhaps her best work to date came in Edward Burns’ “No Looking Back” (1998), which enabled her to draw from her experience as a waitress in her hometown and play against her sexy, starlet stereotype.
- Born:
on 10/28/1963 in Bristol, Pennsylvania - Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Brother: Alexander Holly. died in 1992 fire in home at age 14
- Brother: Nick Holly. born c. 1971
- Father: Grant Holly. formed Hollycould Productions with daughter
- Mother: Michael Holly. chair of the department of fine arts at the University of Rochester
- Son: Alexander Joseph Greco. born in May 2001; adopted by Holly and her husband in June 2001 at age five weeks
- Son: George Greco. adopted by Holly and her husband Francis Greco
- Son: Henry Charles Greco. adopted on Dec 2, 2003, by Holly and her husband Francis Greco
Significant Others
- Husband: Daniele Quinn. son of actor Anthony Quinn; co-starred in “Band of the Hand” (1986); filed for divorce in July 1993; Holly had to pay alimony after their 2 1/2-year marriage ended
- Husband: Francis Greco.
- Husband: Francis Greco. met in 2000; announced engagement in January 2001; married on March 11, 2001 in Canada
- Husband: Jim Carrey.
- Husband: Jim Carrey. first met in 1991 when she auditioned for “Ace Ventura”; re-met in 1994 during filming of “Dumb and Dumber”; separated briefly in 1996; reconciled and married on September 23, 1996; filed for divorce in July 1997; briefly reconciled in spring 1998; divorced finalized in 1988
- Companion: Edward Burns. began relationship during filming of “No Looking Back”; both reportedly claim they were “just friends”
- Companion: Todd Gustawes. dated from October 1998 to summer 1999
Education
- Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York, English literature, BA, 1985
Milestones
- 1986 Portrayed teen heroine Julie Chandler on the ABC daytime soap, “All My Children”
- 1986 Feature acting debut, “Band of the Hand”; appeared opposite first husband Daniele Quinn
- 1986 TV acting debut, a guest appearance in an episode of “Spenser: For Hire”
- 1989 Had recurring role on the NBC sitcom “My Two Dads”
- 1990 Had female lead opposite Andrew Dice Clay in “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane”
- 1990 TV-movie debut, as Betty in “Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again” (NBC)
- 1991 Co-starred in the short-lived series, “The Antagonists” (CBS)
- 1993 First feature lead role, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”; played Lee’s wife Linda
- 1994 Acted with future husband Jim Carrey in “Dumb and Dumber”
- 1995 Played Greg Kinnear’s fiance in “Sabrina”
- 1996 Acted in Ted Demme’s “Beautiful Girls”
- 1997 Reteamed with Kinnear for the romantic comedy “A Smile Like Yours”
- 1998 Starred opposite Ed Burns in Burns’ “No Looking Back”
- 1999 Appeared with Peter Falk and Timothy Hutton in “VIG”; film premiered on Cinemax
- 1999 Had role alongside Stephen Dorff in Phil Joanou’s autobiographical “Entropy”; released direct-to-video in 2000
- 1999 Played Dennis Quaid’s wife in “Any Given Sunday”, directed by Oliver Stone
- 1999 Returned to series TV playing a plastic surgeon on “Chicago Hope”, overseen by David E Kelley
- 2000 Cast as an aspiring actress in “The Last Producer”; screened at Cannes; aired on USA Network in 2001
- 2005 Co-starred in Arie Posin’s ensemble “The Chumscrubber,” a darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia
- 2005 Joined the cast of “NCIS,” (CBS) as Jenny Shepard, the head of the NCIS unit
- Formed Hollycould Productions
- Grew up in Geneva, New York
- Portrayed sheriff’s deputy Maxine ‘Max’ Stewart on the CBS drama series “Picket Fences”; initial TV collaboration with David E Kelley
Courteney Cox Arquette Biography
A whisper-thin, raven-haired beauty of TV and film, Courteney Cox first registered with audiences when she was plucked from the crowd by Bruce Springsteen in the Brian De Palma-directed video for The Boss’ hit 1984 single “Dancing in the Dark”. Work for the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency and appearances in Noxzema and Maybelline commercials (among others) and a bit part on the CBS soap “As the World Turns” preceded the video, after which she snagged a regular role in the short-lived primetime series “Misfits of Science” (NBC, 1985-86). Cox then joined the cast of the hit NBC sitcom “Family Ties” for the final two seasons (1987-89) as the brainy girlfriend of Alex P Keaton (Michael J Fox). She made the leap to the big screen, appearing in the little-seen caper film “Down Twisted” and the children’s sci-fi epic “Masters of the Universe” (both 1987), and “Cocoon: The Return” (1988), none of which registered much with critics or audiences.
For the rest of the 80s and into the early 90s, Cox alternated between TV and feature films, often trading on her girl-next-door qualities. While she landed the female lead opposite Jim Carrey in the smash hit “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994), she was overshadowed by the flashy antics of her co-star. Cox finally achieved small screen stardom as the neurotic aspiring chef Monica Geller, serving as the anchor of the ensemble, in the hit sitcom “Friends” (NBC, 1994-2004)–initially viewed as the star of the show, she easily settled into the emerging ensemble and, after a few seasons of playing Monica relatively straight, she showed her comedic chops as the character’s quirks–such as her hyper-cleanliness–emerged. She displayed her dramatic prowess as a blind rape victim in the made-for-cable movie “Sketch Artist II: Hands that See” (Showtime, 1995) before becoming the first of the “Friends” to score a big screen hit with Wes Craven’s “Scream” (1996). Cast against type as savvy, ambitious TV newscaster Gale Weathers, Cox delivered a strong performance and she reprised the part in the inevitable sequels “Scream 2″ (1997) and “Scream 3″ (2000). Unfortunately, “Commandments” (both 1997), in which she portrayed the unhappy wife of Anthony LaPaglia, embarking on an affair with her brother-in-law (Aidan Quinn), failed to mine the versatility she displayed in the Craven movies. After a string of roles in unimpressive films–”3000 Miles to Graceland,” “The Shrink Is In” and “Get Well Soon” (all 2001), Cox focused primarily on her series and her marriage to her “Scream” co-star David Arquette, whom she married in 1999 (the actress also added the Arquette name to her professional credits). As the final season of “Friends” wound down in 2004, Cox Arquette, had her share of options, motherhood was looming, she’d signed to appear in a slate of feature films, and she ahd her husband had already served as executive producers and design consultants on the home improvement reality series “Mix It Up” (2003-2004) on the cable network WE: Women’s Entertainment, a series that focused on helping couples blend their disparate design senisbilities when they move in together.
- Also Credited As:
Courteney Cox, S. Belsky - Born:
on 06/15/64 in Birmingham, Alabama - Job Titles:
Actor, Model
Family
- Brother: Richard Cox. older
- Father: Richard Cox. born c. 1931; divorced Cox’s mother in 1974; remarried in 1975; underwent treatment for liver cancer in 2001; died on September 3, 2001
- Mother: Courteney Copeland. divorced Cox’s father in 1974; married businessman Hunter Copeland in 1976
- Sister: Dottie Pickett. born c. 1962
- Sister: Virginia Cox. eldest sister
- Step-father: Hunter Copeland. married Cox’s motherin 1976
Significant Others
- Husband: David Arquette. met during filming of “Scream”; Arquette announced their engagement in October 1998; married on June 12, 1999 in San Francisco
- Companion: Ian Copeland. brother of musician Stewart Copeland of The Police; born c. 1949; Cox’s stepcousin
- Companion: Michael Keaton. together from 1989 until separating in July 1995
Education
- Mount Vernon College, Washington, DC, architecture
Milestones
- 1984 Cast as the dancing girl in the Brian De Palma-directed video “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen
- 1984 TV acting debut on the CBS daytime serial, “As the World Turns”; had bit role as friend of Marisa Tomei’s Marcy
- 1985 Cast as a regular on the TV series, “Misfits of Science” (NBC)
- 1987 Joined the cast of the NBC sitcom “Family Ties”, portraying Michael J Fox’s love interest
- 1987 Feature acting debut, “Down Twisted”
- 1987 TV-movie debut, “If It’s Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium” (NBC)
- 1988 Co-starred in the feature “Cocoon: The Return,” opposite Steve Guttenberg
- 1990 Acted in CBS miniseries, “Judith Krantz’s Till We Meet Again”
- 1990 Returned to films, appearing in the earnest, well-acted, but routine “Shaking the Tree” and the disappoiting “Mr Destiny”, starring James Belushi
- 1991 Starred with D B Sweeney in the little-seen thriller “Blue Desert”
- 1993 Cast in the short-lived CBS sitcom “The Trouble With Larry”
- 1994 Co-starred as would-be chef Monica Geller in the ensemble sitcom “Friends” (NBC)
- 1994 Listed by PEOPLE magazine as one of the world’s 50 Most Beautiful People
- 1994 Was leading lady to Jim Carrey in the screen comedy “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”
- 1996 Returned to features as bitchy TV newsreporter Gale Weathers in the hit horror film “Scream”
- 1997 Co-starred in the pallid triangular comedy-drama “Commandments”
- 1997 Reprised role of Gale Weathers in the sequel “Scream 2″
- 2001 Had co-starring role in “3000 Miles to Graceland”
- 2002 Featured alongside Kenneth Branagh and Heather Graham in “Alien Love Triangle”, the Danny Boyle-directed segment of the anthology film “Light Years” (filmed 1998)
- 2003 Produced “Mix It Up,” a decorating show on cable network WE
- 2004 Starred the production company Coquette with husband David Arquette
- 2005 Played Adam Sandler’s demanding girlfriend in “The Longest Yard”
- 2005 Took a dramatic turn in “November” playing Sopie, a woman who’s boyfriend is shot to death in a robbery
- Appeared in commercials for products including Noxzema, Maybelline and Tampax (was the first person to say “period” in a nonpunctuation context on network TV)
- Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama
- Cast as a D.A. in Nick Cassavetes’ “Alpha Dog,” a drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood (lensed 2005)
- Moved to NYC the summer before her freshman year in college; began working with Ford Modeling Agency, posing as a teen model for TIGER BEAT and YOUNG MISS magazines and for covers of romance novels marketed for young girls
- Returned to NYC after attending one year at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC
- Will join Tim Allen in the superhero comedy “Zoom” (lensed 2005)
Andrea Bowen Biography
Andrea Bowen began her life as a professional performer on Broadway in New York at the age of six, playing young Cosette in “Les Misérables,†becoming the youngest Cosette in the show’s 16-year run. She went on to originate the role of Marta Von Trapp in the original cast of the Broadway revival of “The Sound of Music,†with Richard Chamberlain, and the role of Adele in the Broadway musical production of “Jane Eyre.†While performing on Broadway, she also began to guest star on many New York-based TV shows, such as “Law & Order†and “Third Watch.†She also appeared in the films “New York Crossing†and “Highball.â€
Prior to being cast in “Desperate Housewives,†Andrea played the role of Zooey Glass in the ABC primetime series “That Was Then.†She also played 12-year-old genius Riley Ellis in a recurring role on Fox’s “Boston Public.†She has essayed a wide variety of roles in her numerous guest star appearances, including an ill-tempered and foul mouthed foster child on “One Tree Hill,†and a shy, suicidal teenager on “Nip/Tuck.“
Andrea has also found success as a voiceover artist, lending her vocal talents to many projects, including the film “Ice Age†and two recently completed animated pilots for the Cartoon Network, “Party Wagon†and “Ben-10.â€
As a recording artist, she can be heard on the original cast albums of “Jane Eyre, The Musical†and “The Sound of Music, ’98 Broadway Revival,†as well as “Night of the Hunter,†“Broadway Kids Sing America†and the Sugar Beats discs “Car Tunes†and “Christmas Albumâ€.
Andrea is the youngest of six siblings, each of whom has found considerable success as a performer on Broadway and in film and television. She currently lives with her mom and dad in the Los Angeles area. In addition to acting, she is an accomplished singer and dancer who also enjoys swimming and horseback riding. She loves to read and was recently named Student of the Year for academic achievement at her 8th Grade culmination.