Canadian-American actress and director
Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows (MEE-gən; in the blood March 14, )[1] is practised Canadian-American actress and director. She is known for her pretend as Anne Shirley in high-mindedness Canadian television miniseriesAnne of Wet behind the ears Gables and its two sequels.
From to , she asterisked as Catherine de' Medici, Sovereign of France, in the also pressurize drama series Reign.
Follows was born in Toronto, Lake, the youngest of four offspring, in an acting family. Repudiate father was a Canadian stagecraft actor and director Ted Chases (–) and her mother interest Canadian actress Dawn Greenhalgh (b.
). Her parents later divorced.[2]
Her three siblings are all be glad about the entertainment industry. Her respected sister Edwina is a columnist, while her brother Laurence avoid sister Samantha Follows (who anticipation married to American actor Sean O'Bryan) are also actors.[3]
Her pass with flying colours acting job came at digit when she landed a flare in a commercial for Push Canada.
She was directed finish with make an impudent gesture engender of a school bus glass – like sticking out drop tongue - but ended approximately making a rather obscene of age gesture instead.[4] She found vulnerable work in Canada, appearing quantity a few TV series specified as Matt and Jenny, The Baxters, and The Littlest Hobo, in which she guest-starred reach her entire family in a- three-part episode.
She also asterisked in the short films The Olden Days Coat () unthinkable Boys and Girls (), position latter of which won eminence Academy Award for Best Surgically remove Subject.[5]
Follows' invention occurred when she was negative as Anne Shirley in distinction miniseriesAnne of Green Gables (as well as its two sequels).[6] The part of "Anne" was a coveted role that she won over 3, other verdant girls when director, producer, stall writer Kevin Sullivan chose tiara despite early worries during grandeur audition process that she backbone be too old for significance part.
The miniseries, wholly better b conclude in Canada, became successful global and remains the highest-rated display in Canadian television history.[citation needed]
Her performances earned her two Twin awards as best actress avoidable the first two miniseries, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel,[6] and a Gemini nomination weekly the third Anne installment, Anne of Green Gables: The Sustained Story.[7] She did not tune the role for the put up film, Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, and Barbara Hershey took over the role.[6]
In , Follows directed an audiobook dramatisation.
She said, "I valued the idea of going check and deeply immersing myself family tree the text, in the terms of Lucy Maud Montgomery."[8]
Follows has made many appearances on both Canadian and U.S. television. All the rage , she starred in ending episode of The Ray Author Theater, "The Dwarf".
In , she starred with actors King Soul and David Morse focal the made-for-television movie Cry adjust the Wild: The Taking nigh on Peggy Ann in the honorary role. The plot is homemade on the true story addict the abduction of Peggy Ann Bradnick by an ex-convict remarkable ex-mental patient William Diller Hollenbaugh which took place in Colour Gap, Pennsylvania on May 11, It aired on NBC will May 6, In , by the same token Megan Porter Follows (as she was then known, by refuse married name) starred in The Outer Limits episode "The Choice" (along with Thora Birch) see as the title character sound the "Home Care[9]" episode behove Murder She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury.
In Canada, she developed in a popular made-for-TV integument, Hockey Night, around the generation she appeared in Anne bear out Green Gables. She played Cathy, a young girl who stiff hockey on a previously all-male team. Other Canadian television solemnity include leading roles in nobility period drama Under the Piano[6] and police drama Major Crime.[10] She appeared in several episodes of the CBC comedy-drama put through a mangle series, Heartland as Ty Borden's mother, as well as secured episodes of the series.[6][11]
In , she guest-starred in the Hightail it ensemble drama Robson Arms introduce one of the tenants reveal the Robson Arms apartment tangle.
She also appeared in grandeur hospital drama Open Heart[12] chimp a nurse fighting a doctor of medicine of malpractice, and in Shania: A Life in Eight Albums, as Sharon Twain. Most fresh, she starred as Booky's materfamilias in the three movie adaptations of Bernice Thurman Hunter's "Booky" series: Booky Makes Her Mark, Booky and the Secret Santa, and Booky's Crush.[13]
Among her elementary American television appearances were roles in The Facts of Life (as a cousin of Jo Polniaczek in Episode 23 shambles Season 3 that was conscious as a backdoor pilot have a thing about a proposed spin-off) in , and in the short-lived convoy Domestic Life as Martin Mull's character's daughter in She comed in two TV movies, Sin of Innocence and Shattered Postulate Your Kid's On Drugs (both ).
In –94, she was part of the ensemble unveil the CBS television series Second Chances. Since , she has appeared on Law & Order, ER,[6]The X-Files, CSI: Crime Aspect Investigation, CSI: Miami, Cold Case, and Lie to Me, centre of others.[14]
In , Follows was wherewithal of the ensemble cast loom the Hallmark movie Plainsong, which included Aidan Quinn, Rachel Griffiths, and America Ferrera.
In , she made a guest found on Brothers and Sisters. Overload , she had a visitant role on House. In , she played Beth in Hollywood Heights. Also in , she appeared as Alice Stewart give back one episode of Longmire, vital in the Starz series World Without End, playing Lady Maud.
In , she was discontented as Catherine de' Medici touch Reign,[6] a historical drama tilt on The CW, based itchiness the early life of Figure, Queen of Scots. The tilt ran for four seasons.[15]
In , it was announced that Displaces would be the lead principal on Held, a psychological net series produced by marblemedia.[16] She has a recurring role slightly the mother of the self-styled character on Wynonna Earp.
Make happen , it was announced delay Follows would direct She Came Back, which was released edict starring Amybeth McNulty.[17]
Follows has arrived in some feature films. She co-starred with Corey Haim avoid Gary Busey in the crust adaptation of Stephen King's story, Silver Bullet.[18] In , she was the voice of Clara from the cartoon Christmas album The Nutcracker Prince.[6] Her closest film credits include Christmas Child, A Foreign Affair (; unattached on DVD as Two Brothers and a Bride), and smashing cameo in Laurie Lynd's Breakfast with Scot.[6] She also difficult to understand a brief uncredited cameo trade in a grocery store clerk urgency the movie I Am Enumerate Four ().[citation needed]
Even though significance career of Follows' parents was anchored in the theatre, she did not appear in numerous stage productions until the unfeeling.
Her first stage credit was in The Effect of Navigator Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, surprise which she starred alongside attendant mother, Dawn, and her angel of mercy, Samantha, in in Toronto. Gauzy , she was offered primacy role of Juliet in dignity Stratford Festival's production of Romeo and Juliet, which she reprised the following year in Los Angeles.
Other notable stage credits include A Doll's House (Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater), Othello (Edmonton's Tower Theatre and Ottawa's National Terrace Centre), Uncle Vanya (Atlantic Coliseum Festival), and Noël Coward's Hay Fever, in which she developed with her siblings, and which was directed by her father.[19]
Recent years have seen the reappear of Follows on stage thanks to a regular of the Toronto-based Soulpepper Theatre Company.
In , she had the leading position of May in their selling of Fool for Love brush aside Sam Shepard.[4] The following day, she took on the duty of Annie in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing which ran at Ottawa's National Arts Heart as a co-production between Soulpepper and NAC English Theatre. Next this run, the play straightforward its way to Toronto although part of Soulpepper's season chops the Young Centre for description Performing Arts.
In , she played the role of Marlene in the critically acclaimed season production of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls with Soulpepper.[citation needed]
Soulpepper's ready, marking the company's tenth appointment signaled the continuation of Megan's prolific theatre career. Just love the past season, she emerged in two productions.
The chief was Marsha Norman's 'night, Mother, in which she co-starred debate her real-life mother, Canadian player Dawn Greenhalgh.[20] The second was Soulpepper's remount of Top Girls.[21]
She returned to the stage plod in Mirvish Productions's revival manager Churchill's Cloud 9.
In , she returned to the chapter to star in the Hotfoot it premiere of Melissa James Gibson's This at the Vancouver Histrionics directed by Amiel Gladstone snowball, in , she starred dependably the lead role of "Penelope" at the Nightwood Theatre's making of The Penelopiad.[22]
In , Follows married Christopher David Helper, a Canadian gaffer and artist she met on the location of Deep Sleep.
They be born with two children, Lyla Anne Caretaker (b. ) and Russell Helper (b. ).[23] The couple divorced in Follows was subsequently be thankful for a long-term relationship with incident Stuart Hughes; they broke spoil around [24]
Follows has served as a spokeswoman for integrity relief organization World Vision Canada.
She travelled to both Ruanda and Tanzania as a backer and a photographer. She as well participated in the benefit distract Canada for Asia held contain support the relief efforts pick up Asia after the Indian The depths earthquake and tsunami.[25]
She travelled hurt Cambodia in with director Heath Connell to film Small Voices: Stories of Cambodia's Children, unblended documentary about how the posterity of Cambodia living on grandeur street and garbage dumps example their living conditions amid impecuniousness and abuse and how they view their future.[26]
Follows is fastidious member of the Canadian broad-mindedness Artists Against Racism.[27]
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"Screen: 'Silver Bullet'". The New Royalty Times. p.&#; Retrieved December 21,
"Mother and child reunion". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 6,
The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 8,
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"Hockey Night: An '80s TV screen that's enthusiastically Canadian". . Class Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 10,
"TV Reviews: Huck title Tom Go 'Back to Hannibal'". . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17,