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Sela Ward

Actor, ProducerBorn July 11, 1956 (69 years)
Sela Ward (born July 11, 1956) is an American movie and television actress, producer, author, and former model.

She moved to California to pursue acting and landed her first film role in the 1983 Burt Reynolds vehicle The Man Who Loved Women. Her first regular role in a TV drama series, as a socialite on Dennis Weaver's short-lived CBS series, Emerald Point N.A.S., followed in the same year. Ward continued to land guest roles in both TV and movies throughout the 1980s, most notably opposite Tom Hanks in Nothing in Common (1986).

In 1991, she was cast as Teddy Reed on Sisters, for which she received her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She portrayed Helen Kimble, the wife of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), in The Fugitive, one of the top films of 1993. Ward won a CableACE Award for her portrayal of the late TV journalist Jessica Savitch in the 1995 TV movie Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, which remains Lifetime's most watched TV movie to date.

In 1995, she was passed over for a Bond girl role, learning that even though then-Bond Pierce Brosnan was 42, the casting director said "What we really want is Sela, but Sela ten years ago". In response, she developed and produced a documentary, The Changing Face of Beauty, about American obsession with youth and its effect on women.

Ward succeeded Candice Bergen as commercial spokesperson for Sprint's long distance phone service (1999-2002). She also appeared on Frasier as supermodel/ zoologist Kelly Easterbrook in the 5th season opener ("Frasier's Imaginary Friend").

When she read for the role of Lily Brooks Manning on the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002), its creators (Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz of thirtysomething fame) initially deemed her "too beautiful" for the average single mother to identify with. Ward received her 2nd lead actress Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama

In 2004, she played the a private investigator in the TV movie Suburban Madness and she also appeared in the feature film The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal.

In 2005, she landed a recurring role in the Fox series House as Stacy Warner, the hospital's attorney and formidable ex-partner of the protagonist Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), until her character was written off the show in 2006.

She was originally offered both the role of Megan Donner on CSI: Miami and Susan Mayer on Desperate Housewives, but turned both down. She was reluctant to commit to another lead role in an hour-long series because of the time away from her family it would require.

Although she was on a brief hiatus from TV, she continued to appear in feature films. She starred opposite Kevin Costner in The Guardian in 2006 and starred in the thriller The Stepfather in 2009.

In July 2010, she signed on to star in CSI: NY at the start of the 7th season and remained until the 9th and final season'. She appeared as newswoman Sharon Schieber in Gone Girl (2014), and co-starred as the President of the United States in Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). She also played the leading role alongside Nick Nolte in the political comedy series Graves. She had a leading role in the crime series FBI (2018) for its' 1st season.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Badge
  • Sisters

Known For

  • The Day After Tomorrow
  • The Guardian
  • The Fugitive
  • The Stepfather
  • Independence Day: Resurgence
  • Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
  • Once And Again
  • 54
  • CSI: NY
  • My Fellow Americans
  • Sisters
  • The Badge
  • Nothing in Common
  • Hello Again
  • Graves
  • Catch a Falling Star
  • Rustlers' Rhapsody
  • Steele Justice
  • The Man Who Loved Women
  • Suburban Madness
  • Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story
  • Double Jeopardy

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2018
    FBI (TV Series) · as Dana Mosier
    2016
    Graves (TV Series) · as Margaret Graves
    2016
    Westworld (TV Series) · as Juliet
    2016
    Independence Day: Resurgence · as President Lanford
    2014
    Gone Girl · as Sharon Schieber
    2014
    Delirium (TV Series)
    2009
    The Stepfather · as Susan Harding
    2006
    The Guardian · as Helen Randall
    2006
    Discovery Atlas (TV Series) · as Narator
    2004
    House (TV Series) · as Stacy Warner
    2004
    Suburban Madness · as Bobbi Bacha
    2004
    CSI: NY (TV Series) · as Jo Danville
    2004
    The Day After Tomorrow · as Dr. Lucy Hall
    2004
    Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter · as Kelly Easterbrook
    2004
    Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights · as Jeannie Miller
    2002
    The Badge · as Carla Hardwick
    2002
    2002
    2001
    2000
    Catch a Falling Star · as Sydney Clarke
    1999
    Once And Again (TV Series) · as Lily Manning
    1999
    Runaway Bride · as Pretty Bar Woman
    1999
    Passion's Way · as Anna Leath
    1998
    54 · as Billie Auster
    1997
    Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Women · as Marie-Rose Gineste (segment "woman On A Bicycle")
    1997
    The New Batman Adventures (TV Series) · as Calendar Girl / Page Monroe (voice)
    1996
    My Fellow Americans · as Kaye Griffin
    1995
    1993
    Frasier (TV Series) · as Kelly Easterbrook
    1993
    The Fugitive · as Helen Kimble
    1993
    Killer Rules · as Dorothy Wade
    1992
    Double Jeopardy · as Karen Hart
    1991
    Sisters (TV Series) · as Theodora 'teddy' Reed
    1991
    Child of Darkness, Child of Light · as Sister Anne Mcbain
    1990
    Rainbow Drive · as Laura Demming
    1989
    1989
    Bridesmaids · as Caryl
    1987
    Hello Again · as Kim Lacey
    1987
    Steele Justice · as Tracy
    1986
    L.A. Law (TV Series) · as Lynette Pierce
    1986
    Nothing in Common · as Cheryl Ann Wayne
    1985
    Rustlers' Rhapsody · as Colonel's Daughter
    1984
    Night Court (TV Series) · as Heather
    1983
    The Man Who Loved Women · as Janet Wainwright
    1983
    Emerald Point N.A.S. (TV Series) · as Hilary Adams
    1983
    Hotel (TV Series)
    1975
    Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as Woman In Fur Coat

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