The Cast

Melinda Page Hamilton (Abbey)

With several series regular and memorable recurring roles, Melinda Page Hamilton has established herself as a versatile actress able to embody any character she plays. She is a series regular in the much anticipated Netflix series “Messiah” in which she plays “Anna Salguero”, the well-bred Southern wife of a preacher. She will be seen this fall opposite Cate Blanchett in FX limited series,“Mrs. America”. In it, she plays “Mary Frances”.  Other series regular roles include the USA 1940’s period drama “Damnation”. In it she played “Connie Nunn” the unassuming murderous detective in search of her husband’s killer. On the comedy side she was a series regular in Lifetime’s “Devious Maids”, in which she played the Russian housekeeper “Odessa.” She has had many memorable recurring roles on hit shows including ABC’s “How To Get Away With Murder” as “Special Gent Telesco”,  AMC¹s Emmy Award-winning “Mad Men”, as “Anna Draper”; the HBO series “Big Love” as JJ’s wife “Malinda”; The acclaimed Sundance Channel show “Rectify”, The CW show “Frequency,” and as sexy nun “Sister Mary Bernard” in ABC¹s “Desperate Housewives”. A veteran of the theatre, Melinda starred opposite Kevin Bacon in the Hartford Stage production of “Rear Window”, she played the lead in the Ahmanson production of “The Royal Family”, and  starred in several plays at The Old Globe Theatre, including the title role of “Cornelia” in the original play by Big Love creator Mark V. Olson. Her other credits include, Modern Family, True Blood, True Detective, Grey¹s Anatomy, Private Practice, The Mentalist,  Nip/Tuck, The Closer, Criminal Minds and many more. She was also the star of Bobcat Goldthwait¹s comedy feature, Sleeping Dogs Lie, which was selected in the main drama competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

Bailey Edwards (Jacob)

Bailey Edwards is an actor and filmmaker from New York City. He holds a BA from Williams College, where he was in a show every semester including a production of “Princess Ivona” that was remounted Off-Broadway by the Polish Consulate at NYC’s Theater Row in 2016. He received additional training at RADA and LAMDA, eventually earning an invitation to train with the Suzuki Company of Toga, Japan. His theater credits have since landed him stints at REDCAT, and a run of Too Much Sun at the Odyssey Theater in 2019. His film credits include My Dead Boyfriend (2016). Netflix’s Bright (2017), and upcoming indie Highway One (2020).

Edward Asner (Dr. Arden)

One of the most honored actors in the history of television, Edward Asner has been the recipient of eight Emmy Awards and 16 nominations, as well as five Golden Globe Awards and he served as National President of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. He was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was honored by the Screen Actors Guild as the 38th recipient of the prestigious Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.

Asner is best known for his comedic and dramatic talent as the gruff but soft-hearted journalist Lou Grant, the role he originated on the landmark TV news room comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and continued in the newspaper-set drama Lou Grant, which earned him five Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards.  Asner received two more Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots.

 In addition to his long and celebrated television career, Asner has also appeared in motion pictures, including: The Slender Thread, El Dorado, They Call Me Mister Tibbs, Fort Apache the Bronx, JFK, Elf (as Santa Claus), and was the voice of Carl Fredricksen in the celebrated Academy Award winning Best Animated film, Up! in 2009.

On the small screen, he continues to work, including co-starring in the Netflix comedy series Dead To Me opposite James Marsden, Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate and some of his guest star appearances include Cobra Kai, Bones, Criminal Minds, The Good Wife, Law & Order S.V.U., Hawaii Five-O, and Royal Pains. His voice is also featured on such prominent animated series as: American Dad!, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Cleveland Show, Spider-Man, Family Guy and many more.

Asner continues and most recently starred in the Broadway show Grace opposite Paul Rudd and Michael Shannon and more recently toured in the one man show, FDR as well as God Help Us and A Man And His Prostate.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Asner was also a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

Janet Ulrich Brooks (Millie) 

Janet is a Chicago based actor and teaching artist. Theatre credits include Goodman Theatre: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Jeff Award nomination, Sonia), 2666, The Seagull, A True History of the Johnstown Flood and Teddy Ferrara. She is a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre, where credits include The Audience, Bakersfield Mist, The Apple Family Plays, The How And The Why, and Jeff-nominated performances in 33 Variations, A Walk in the Woods, All My Sons, When She Danced, Not Enough Air and Weekend. Other credits: Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC, Helen Hayes nomination Actress in Principal Role) To Master The Art (Broadway Playhouse); Crazy For You (Drury Lane Theatre), South of Settling (Steppenwolf); Native Gardens and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens); By The Water (Northlight Theatre) Golda’s Balcony (Jeff Award – Pegasus Players). Television credits include: Sense8, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, Boss, and The Playboy Club. Film Credits include: Divergent, Conviction, Polish Bar, One Small Hitch, Fools, Book of Leah, The Middle Distance, Market Value, I Heart Shakey, and short film For a Good Time. As a teaching artist, Janet has worked with TimeLine Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance, Child’s Play Touring Theatre, Writers’ Theatre and Vagabond School of the Arts. . Before moving to Chicago, her early years were spent entertaining in Branson, MO and acting in the Kansas City, MO area. Janet was the first recipient of the Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award from the University of Central Missouri and holds an MFA from Western Illinois University. She is a proud union member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA and is represented by Gray Talent Group.

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