‘COMMON LAW’ (working title)
CAST BIOS
NATALIE HALL (Jennifer) – Natalie Hall hails from Vancouver, Canada and is best known for
playing Colby Chandler on the ABC daytime drama, “All My Children.” She is currently shooting
a lead role in the feature film, “Plus One” for director, Dennis Iliadis. Hall has also starred on
the hit ABC Family Series, “Pretty Little Liars” and most recently starred in the Hallmark Channel
Original Movie Event “Love’s Christmas Journey” alongside Sean Astin, JoBeth Williams and
Ernest Borgnine. Natalie's theatre credits include the National Tour of Broadway's, A Chorus
Line, in which she was nominated for an Ovation Award along with the Broadway tour of
Wicked and Broadway’s Rising Stars at New York Town Hall. Television appearances include
the CBS dramatic series, “The Good Wife” and NBC’s “Law & Order: SUV.”
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DARIN BROOKS (Kevin) – Born in Honolulu, Hawaii Darin Brooks began his career on-stage
starring as Rapunzel's Prince in his high school’s production of Into the Woods. Not soon after
he found himself on television portraying Max Brady in the Emmy® Award-winning daytime soap
opera “Days Of Our Lives,” from 2005-2010. Brooks continued his roles on television series
including “Miss Behave,” Spike’s “Blue Mountain State” and “My Wife And Kids.”
Brooks has also appeared as a host for “Two Scoop” and “America Goes Bollywood.” On the
big screen, Brooks’ credits include, “Blue Crush,” “Truth Or Dare,” “Staring At The Sun” and “Big
Bounce.”
An avid sportsman, Brooks’ hobbies include surfing, snowboarding, skiing and cycling.
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RYAN DOOM (Bryce) – Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Ryan Doom’s family moved East, settling in
Spring, Texas when he was only eight years-old. Ryan attended Klein High School, famed for
nurturing rising stars such as Matt Bomer, Lee Pace and Lynn Collins. His passion for fine arts
led him to achieve an art scholarship to Texas Christian University. While at TCU, Ryan’s
interest in film blossomed and he began making frequent trips to Dallas to attend acting
classes. Upon graduating, Ryan moved to New York to take up modeling while simultaneously
honing his acting skills. In 2005, Ryan made the jump to Los Angeles where he immediately
found work, appearing in an international commercial with Drew Barrymore as well as in many
popular TV shows such as “CSI: Miami,” “Castle” and “90210.” In 2010, Ryan landed the
recurring role of “Wyatt” on Greg Garcia’s hit comedy, “Raising Hope” for Fox and recently
landed a role in Oscar® nominated writer/director Ron Shelton’s TV pilot for TBS, “Hound
Dogs.” Ryan currently resides in Los Angeles.
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FRANCES FISHER (Mrs. Von Hoffman) – Born in Milford On-Sea, England, Frances Fisher’s
itinerant childhood in the UK, Columbia, Canada, France, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Iowa and Texas
undoubtedly provided fodder for her thespian career. After graduating from high school in
Orange, Texas, Frances cut her teeth acting on Tennessee Williams and Robert Bolt in Orange
Community Theater. She also apprenticed at the Barter Theatre in Virginia before moving to
New York City where her career quickly blossomed.
Fisher has starred in over 30 theatrical productions including Fool For Love, Desire Under the
Elms, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1984 and
Three More Sleepless Nights (Drama League Award). Her latest theatre was at The Taper in
The Cherry Orchard with Annette Bening and Alfred Molina, and a two-hander opposite Paul
Ben Victor in Sexy Laundry. Recent favorite staged readings have been Eve Ensler's The Vagina
Monologues, and the 9/11/11 reading of My Child - Mothers of War, interviews of mothers
whose children went to war and didn't come home.
After a successful reading on International Holocaust Remembrance Day 12/26/12 at the
Museum of Tolerance of In Their Own Words, (a selected reading of letters written by 1,500
forgotten Holocaust survivors in their 80's and 90's struggling to stay alive in Eastern Europe read by Valerie Harper, Ed Asner and Fisher), Fisher co-produced with Zane Buzby, (creator of
Survivor Mitzvah), a fundraiser/reading at the Museum of Tolerance of In Their Own Words with
Valerie Harper, Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan and Ed Asner.
Fisher just completed a reading of Corktown, directed by Larry Moss at the Signature Theatre in
New York City.
Fisher's diverse film career spans cool indies to blockbusters to Academy Award® Winners:
“Tough Guys Don’t Dance,” “Can She Bake A Cherry Pie?,” “Babyfever,” “Patty Hearst,” “Female
Perversions,” Oscar® winning “Unforgiven,” “True Crime,” “The Big Tease,” “The Rising Place,”
“Blue Car,” “Mrs. Harris,” “House of Sand & Fog,” “Laws of Attraction,” “The Kingdom,” “In The
Valley Of Elah,” “Jolene” (Jessica Chastain's first film), “The Perfect Game,” “Golf in the
Kingdom” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Fisher is perhaps best known for her memorable
performance as Kate Winslet’s mother in “Titanic,” which garnered her a Screen Actors Guild
nomination for Best Ensemble Cast, while the film went on to receive 11 Academy Awards®.
In addition to her thriving theater and movie career, Fisher has had many notable television
roles such as Lucille Ball in “Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter,” Audrey Hepburn's mother in
“The Audrey Hepburn Story” (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), and Jackie O's mother, Janet
Bouvier in “Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” (played by Joanne Whalley), and recurring roles on
“Becker,” “The Lyons Den,” “Titus,” “The Shield,” “Eureka” and “Torchwood.” Other guest spots
include “The Mentalist,” “ER,” “2 and a Half Men,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Private Practice,” “CSI,”
and “A Gifted Man.” To this day, she is stopped on the street as fans remember her as Deborah
Saxon on the beloved soap opera “The Edge of Night,” and Suzette Saxon on “The Guiding
Light.” Those jobs were her bread and butter as a budding actress in NYC while she was doing
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off-off-Broadway and working out as a member of The Actors Studio. Fisher is also touched that
so many people comment on her performance on “Law & Order.”
Today, Fisher continues to play screen Mom to some very interesting talent: She was seen in
the #1 Box office hit, “The Roommate,” playing Leighton Meester's mother; she played Ryan
Philippe's mother in Brad Furman's critically acclaimed feature “Lincoln Lawyer,” opposite
Matthew McConaughey; and she played Alessandro Nivola's mother in David Rosenthal's “Janie
Jones,” co-starring Abigail Breslin.
Her upcoming films include Travis Fine's “Any Day Now” (not a Mom, but giving heck to Alan
Cumming and Garret Dillahunt); “The Silent Thief” (Mom to Scout Taylor-Compton and Cody
Longo); Ash Christian's “Franny” (Mom to Annaleigh Ashford and newcomer Jen Ponton); Henry
Jaglom's “The M Word” (Mom to Tanna Frederick); “Juke Box Hero” (Mom to Zelda Williams);
and “Retribution” (Mom to Cynthia Watros).
Fisher also stars in “Sedona,” the motion picture, with Beth Grant, (her co-star in “The Rising
Place”), which was in competition at the Hollywood Film Festival 2011 and is soon to be
released. She will also be seen this year on AdultSwim in the British Version of Rob Corddry's
comedy “Children's Hospital,” playing the Brit version of Megan Mullally's character, The Head.
Recently Fisher wrapped “Pandora's Box,” co-starring with Joe Mantegna and Stephenie Meyer's
new sci-fi film series titled “The Host,” co-starring with Saoirse Ronan and William Hurt, written
and directed by Andrew Niccol.
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GEORGE WENDT (Mr. Henderson) – Chicago native George Wendt, known universally as
“Cheers” barfly Norm, famously got his big break pushing a broom at Second City comedy club.
In the years since, he's become synonymous with Chicago comedy, with a resume that includes
movies and television. Wendt was born on October 17, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, graduated
from Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, a Jesuit-run boarding school for boys.
He moved on to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, but after two years
there, was kicked out with a GPA of 00.0. He made a successful switch to another Jesuit school,
Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri, and earned a B.A. in Economics, then took a few
years off, traveling through Europe and North Africa, eventually coming back home to Chicago,
his roots.
After watching the talented comedians in “The Second City,” Wendt asked to join, and was told
to be there at 11:30 the next morning. When he showed up at the improvisational comedy
troupe that morning, he was handed a broom, and told, "Welcome to the theater, Kid." Wendt
persevered, and eventually joined the performing end of the company, from 1974 to 1980, and
met his wife, Bernadette Birkett, who was also a performer. He was in a pilot for NBC, “Nothing
But Comedy,” and this was his ticket to Hollywood.
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Wendt's first movie role was in the film “My Bodyguard,” starring Matt Dillon and Chris
Makepeace. After a few other minor roles in movies, as well as television shows such as “Soap,”
“Taxi” and “Alice,” he appeared in “M*A*S*H” as a Marine with a pool ball stuck in his mouth,
being helped by David Ogden Stiers' character. After appearances in the films “Airplane II: The
Sequel” and “Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again,” Wendt got his first big break since he started
pushing the broom.
Auditioning for the role of constant bar patron and accountant Norm Peterson on the sitcom
“Cheers,” Wendt beat out future fellow regular, John Ratzenberger. The character became so
successful and iconic, that he became known for his entrances into the bar with a greeting of,
"Norm!" followed by one of his famous one-line quips. Birkett played the voice of Norm's wife,
Vera, heard on the phone, but never seen. The series ran from 1982 to 1993, and by the time
the last show aired, only Wendt, Ted Danson, and Rhea Perlman, had appeared in every one of
the 273 episodes.
Wendt also brought his famous character to five other shows, “Cheers” spin-offs “Frasier” and
“The Tortellis,” “The Simpsons,” “St. Elsewhere” and “Wings.” He and Ratzenberger settled out
of court on a lawsuit with airport lounges that were using the “Cheers” bar design with
animatronic patrons that resembled Norm and Ratzenberger's character, Cliff Clavin.
Finding yet another iconic character on “Saturday Night Live,” Chicago native Wendt, joined
series regulars, Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel, in creating the Superfans, sports
fans dedicated to Chicago sports teams, specifically the Bears, but the Bulls as well. They would
draw on Chicago accents, food choices such as beer and sausage, and make outlandish claims
for victory. Wendt also hosted “Saturday Night Live” once, sharing the job with legendary
director Francis Ford Coppola.
Other than the characters of Norm and the Superfan, Wendt has kept busy with a number of
different opportunities. He has appeared in the feature films “Fletch” along with Chevy Chase,
and in “Gung Ho” with Michael Keaton. He has had several guest starring roles in television
shows including “Spin City” and “Tales From the Crypt.” In 1995, he starred in his own show,
“The George Wendt Show,” but it was ill-fated and didn't last. He went on to a recurring role on
“Sabrina,” “The Teenage Witch,” and hosted a reality show, “House of Dreams.”
In May 2006, Wendt was seen yet again on television. He made several appearances on “Late
Night with Conan O'Brien” where he performed short skits. He starred in a 2006 episode of
“Masters of Horror” entitled "Family," directed by John Landis and played Santa Claus in the
ABC Family original movie “Santa Baby.” Wendt performed alongside Richard Thomas in Twelve
Angry Men in October 2006 in the Eisenhower Theater in Washington, D.C. Wendt was
interviewed by local movie critic Arch Campbell where he was asked, "What should people do
when they see you around town?" After hesitating for a moment, Wendt held his thumbs up
and replied, "If their impulse is to buy me a beer, then by all means, follow that impulse." In
spring 2007, Wendt performed in 12 Angry Men in Los Angeles. Wendt appeared as an
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American GI in the 2007 Christmas Special episode of British sitcom “The Green Green Grass.”
Most recently, Wendt starred on Broadway in Hairspray playing the character of Edna Turnblad
and also had an eight week run playing Santa Claus in the musical ELF.
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