BIOGRAPHIES CHRISTOPHER LLOYD (Grandpa Bob) is a native of Stamford, Connecticut. He studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He has since appeared onstage in more than 200 plays, many on Broadway and Off Broadway. Christopher Lloyd’s first movie role was as a psychiatric patient in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). He is best known for his Emmet “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, his Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (and its sequel, Addams Family Values) and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He’s won three Primetime Emmy Awards; often appearing in television series such as West Wing, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Chuck and Raising Hope. # # # ELOISE MUMFORD (Lindsay Rogers) is a native of Washington State. She’s a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and studied acting in New York with the Atlantic Theatre Company. She had a recurring role (as Lena Landry) in the television series The River, and played Lindsay Holloway in the series Lone Star. This is her second Hallmark Hall of Fame movie; the first was Christmas with Holly (2012). She played Anastasia Steele’s roommate, Kate Kavanaugh, in Fifty Shades of Grey. # # # PREMIERES SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015 ON HALLMARK CHANNEL
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WILLIAM SHATNER (Coachman Nick) was born in Montreal, Canada. Best known for his roles on Boston Legal and Star Trek, Shatner is one of the most recognizable stars working today. He’s also directed, written books, and recorded albums. He made his Broadway debut in 1956; two years later he appeared on television in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Christmas Tree. He also made his film debut in 1958, appearing with Yul Brynner in The Brothers Karamazov. The role that made him famous world‐wide was Captain James T. Kirk, commander of the USS Enterprise, on Star Trek, which premiered September 8, 1966. It became a live‐action film in 1978, again with Shatner at the helm of the Enterprise. Several sequels ensued. His many TV series include T.J. Hooker and The Practice. His Denny Crane in the latter series earned him his first Emmy Award; he earned the second for his work in the spin‐off series, Boston Legal. # # # MICHAEL STAHL‐DAVID (Jason Stewart) is a native of Chicago, where he appeared in plays at the famed Steppenwolf Theatre and Goodman Theatre. After arriving in New York in 2005, he appeared in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He has since appeared on stage there in such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center and Manhattan Theatre Club. On television, Stahl‐Davis portrayed Sean Donnelly, one of the four Irish brothers, in the series The Black Donnellys. He’s appeared in many additional TV series, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Person of Interest, New Girl and The Good Wife. He was Rob in the J.J. Abrams feature, Cloverfield. # # # SEAN McNAMARA (Director) is best known for his feature film Soul Surfer (starring Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and Carrie Underwood) and in the preteen film market, having worked with Jessica Alba, Hilary Duff and Shia LaBeouf. He and his business partner founded Brookwell/McNamara Entertainment, which produces shows for MTV’s The N, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. Sean McNamara is a four‐
time DGA Award nominee, Emmy nominee, and BAFTA Award winner. # # # HELEN FROST (Written by) is a writer and poet, best known for her young‐adult novel Keesha’s House, which was a Michael L. Printz honor book. Some of her other titles include Spinning Through the Universe, The Braid, Diamond Willow, Hidden and Salt. They are all novels‐in‐poems for children and young adults. Frost taught for three years in a one‐teacher school in Telida, an Athabascan community of 25 people, and later taught fifth grade in Ketchikan. She lives now in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 3
# # # DON MacLEOD (Written by) has several earlier television writing credits. Titles include Exposed, A Near‐Death Experience and Another Day. They have appeared on various networks, including Lifetime. # # # ANDREW GOTTLIEB (Produced by) has worked on 19 previous Hallmark Hall of Fame productions: Away & Back, Christmas in Conway, Christmas with Holly, Have a Little Faith, Beyond the Blackboard, The Lost Valentine, Front of the Class, The Russell Girl, Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness, The Valley of Light, Candles on Bay Street, Silver Bells, The Magic of Ordinary Days, The Blackwater Lightship, In Love and War, Missing Pieces, Rose Hill, Journey and Blind Spot. # # # CAMERON JOHANN (Produced by) has worked for several years with Hallmark Hall of Fame productions, both in acquisition and development of properties suitable for the Hallmark Hall of Fame imprimatur. His duties have included ensuring that scripts adhere to the Hallmark Hall of Fame image and brand: stories about relationships that will resonate with family audiences. # # # CAROL BAUM (Executive Producer) was executive producer of the Academy Award‐ winning documentary, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt. She has served as producer or executive producer on many notable feature films, including Dead Ringers, Father of the Bride, Shining Through, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Father of the Bride II, Fly Away Home, Snow Falling on Cedars and The Good Girl. Television films include A Smoky Mountain Christmas and Tourist Trap. # # # JANE GOLDENRING (Executive Producer) was, for 11 years, a production executive at Disney. She was involved in the development and production of many Disney and Touchstone films, including The Little Princess, The Fisher King, The Rocketeer, The Ref and Last Dance. Since then she has amassed many producer and executive producer 4
credits in the movies‐for‐television arena. Titles include On the Second Day of Christmas, Heart of a Stranger, I Do But I Don’t and Fatal Desire. # # # TIMOTHY O. JOHNSON (Executive Producer) began his television career with producer Barney Rosenzweig, working on the CBS series The Trials of Rosie O’Neill, starring Sharon Gless. He subsequently enjoyed a six‐year, 100‐episode tenure producing the Jane Seymour series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. At Pax Television his series included Doc (Billy Ray Cyrus) and Just Cause (Richard Thomas), as well as the beloved miniseries, Christy. # # # BRENT SHIELDS (Executive Producer) leads the creative process for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, spearheading development, production and post‐production. In his role as producer of more than 60 films, Shields has successfully brought to television such classic works as William Faulkner’s Old Man, Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, as well as contemporary works by such acclaimed writers as August Wilson, John Grisham, Pat Conroy and Anne Tyler. He has also directed five Hallmark Hall of Fame productions, including the classics Durango and The Magic of Ordinary Days. # # # Press Contacts: Ellen N. Jasa Russ Patrick Brenda Lowry Hallmark Hall of Fame Patrick Communications Hallmark Channel 816 274‐8099 310 385‐9401 818 755‐2587 Enesse1@hallmark.com russ@russpatrick.com brendalowry@crownmedia.com