CAST BIOS KELSEY GRAMMER (Mayor Tom Kane) Kelsey ... - Starz

CAST BIOSKELSEY GRAMMER (Mayor Tom Kane)Kelsey Grammer takes on two leading roles in the STARZ Original series “Boss,” where he stars as Mayor TomKane and serves as a series executive producer. Grammer has excelled to the highest level in theatre,television and film, as an actor, producer, executive producer and director.An initial role as Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” developed into the cornerstone of the Julliard-trained actor‟scareer. Grammer played the celebrated character in three different television series (“Cheers,” “Wings” and“Frasier”) over a span of 20 years, tying the record for longest-running television character.Portraying Crane, Grammer has won four Emmys, two Golden Globes and a SAG Award and has received anunparalleled sixteen Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations, sixteen SAG nominations.Fifteen years ago, Grammer created Grammnet, a TV production company which has produced such hittelevision shows as the Emmy-winning “Medium,” for NBC, and “The Game” and “Girlfriends,” for CW. OtherGrammnet producing credits include the NBC productions “The Innocent,” “Kelsey Grammer Salutes JackBenny,” “Fired Up,” “In Laws” and “Gary the Rat.” For PAX, he produced “World Cup Comedy.” For FOX, hestarred in and produced “Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show.” Most recently, he took on the roles ofdirector and executive producer on the just-finished comedy pilot “Alligator Point,” for Lifetime.Grammer has directed single episodes of “Everybody Hates Chris,” “My Ex Life” and “Out of Practice.” He hasalso directed several episodes of “Frasier,” one of which earned him a DGA nomination.Grammer also starred in and served as executive producer of the ABC comedy “Hank.”Also accomplished as a voice-over artist, Grammer plays the character Sideshow Bob on “The Simpsons,” forwhich he won an Emmy in 2006. He has also lent his voice to the feature films Toy Story 2, Anastasia andTeacher’s Pet, to the television series “Father of the Pride” and “Gary the Rat,” and to the Emmy-nominated“Animal Farm” for TNT.Grammer‟s other acting credits include MGM‟s remake of Fame, Paramount Pictures‟ Middle Men, VivendiUniversal‟s An American Carol, Disney‟s Swing Vote, FOX‟s blockbuster hit X-Men: The Last Stand, FOX‟s“Back To You” for which he also served as executive producer, “A Christmas Carol” for NBC, “Benedict Arnold”for A&E, “Mr. St. Nick” for ABC‟s Hallmark Hall of Fame, 15 Minutes for New Line Cinema, Down Periscope for20th Century Fox and Even Money for Yari Film Group.Grammer began acting in plays at Pine Crest Preparatory School in Fort Lauderdale, where his teenage stagesuccess inspired him to apply to Juilliard. He developed an interest in Shakespeare and began his professionalacting career at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Reminiscing, Grammer says, “When I was 21, I waspainting offices for a famous director. As I stood at the top of the ladder, the casting director of the San DiegoShakespeare Festival looked up at me and said, „You‟re an actor, aren‟t you?‟ - I don‟t know how he got thisfrom my butt!” The director offered him the chance to audition, and he spent three years performingShakespeare and Shaw. He continued in regional theatre, and finally made his way to New York with roles inthe off-Broadway productions “Sunday in the Park with George,” “A Month in the Country” and the Obie Awardwinning“Quartermaine‟s Terms.” He scored on Broadway in “Macbeth” and “Othello.”

Before long he appeared in two TV miniseries: first as Stephen Smith in “Kennedy” (NBC, 1983), and next asLieutenant Stewart in “George Washington” (CBS, 1984). Grammer then landed the role of Dr. Frasier Crane in“Cheers.” Originally, the show‟s creators wanted John Lithgow for a brief recurring role, but the actor wasunavailable. Grammer‟s former Juilliard classmate Mandy Patinkin suggested him to the New York castingdirector and he got the job, parlaying six episodes into a career that would span two decades, after which hewould return to the stage and receive critical acclaim as Professor Higgins in “My Fair Lady.” He alsoperformed the title role in “Richard II” and Lucio in “Measure for Measure” at the Mark Taper Forum in LosAngeles.In 2010, Grammer starred in “La Cage aux Folles” on Broadway for which he received rave reviews asnightclub owner Georges. His performance earned him a Tony nomination for Best Performance by a LeadingActor in a Musical.Grammer was born at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and was raised in New Jersey and Florida.CONNIE NIELSEN (Meredith Kane)Connie Nielsen can be seen in an eclectic array of film roles, however it was her portrayal of Princess Lucilla inRidley Scott‟s Academy Award-winning ® Gladiator where she first came to international renown. She recentlywon Best Actress Awards from the Danish Academy Awards and from the San Sebastian Film Festival for herrole in the Danish drama Brothers.Nielsen has had leading roles in the feature films Lost in Africa (directed by Vibeke Muasya) and A Shine ofRainbows (opposite Aiden Quinn). A Shine of Rainbows premiered at the Ibiza Film Festival 2009 and made itsNorth American premiere at the Toronto and Vancouver Film Festivals. She recently completed theindependent feature The Last Word (opposite Eva Green and Ewan McGregor, directed by David Mackenzie).Nielsen‟s extensive film credits include Battle in Seattle (directed by Stuart Townsend); The Great Raid(opposite Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes and James Franco, and directed by John Dahl); Return to Sender(directed by Bille August); and Ice Harvest (with John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton).Nielsen has starred in Philip Haas‟ The Situation (2006) opposite Damien Lewis; Michael Almereyda‟s; Tonightat Noon (2008) opposite Ethan Hawke; and in Demonlover directed by Olivier Assayas and starring ChloeSevigny and Gina Gershon. Additionally, she has given unforgettable performances as a non-matronly Texasmother in Rushmore opposite Bill Murray; and a German heroin junkie in Permanent Midnight oppositeBen Stiller.Her previous film credits include The Hunted (directed by William Friedkin and starring Tommy Lee Jones andBenicio Del Toro); Basic (directed by John McTiernan with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson); One HourPhoto (starring opposite Robin Williams); Mission to Mars (opposite Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and DonCheadle); The Devil’s Advocate (starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves); The Innocents (opposite Jean HughesAngleade); and Voyage (with Rutger Hauer and Eric Roberts).In television, Nielsen played Detective Dani Beck in six-episodes of NBC‟s “Law and Order: SVU.” She alsostarred in the lead role of Danny in the A&E pilot, “Danny Fricke.”Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nielsen began her acting career working alongside her mother inthe local revue and variety scene. At age 18, she headed to Paris to continue her pursuit of acting, which ledher to further work and study in Rome, Milan and South Africa. In addition to being an accomplished actress,Nielsen is also a trained singer, dancer and is fluent in English, German, Danish, Swedish, French, and Italian.She currently resides in San Francisco.HANNAH WARE (Emma Kane)

Born and raised in South London to a Panorama journalist father and a social worker mother, Ware attendedAlleyn‟s school in Dulwich, named after Edward Alleyn who was a major figure of Elizabethan theater. Aroundthis time, at the age of 12 she was picked up by Storm Modeling Agency as the youngest girl they had evertaken on and proceeded to have a successful modeling career.Ware always concentrated on academia, however, and never entertained the thought of being a full-timemodel. She obtained high honors in history of art and had hopes of pursuing architecture, earning acceptanceto some of the world‟s most prestigious schools, including The Architectural Association and The Bartlett.However, by this time, Ware had been regularly attending various acting classes in New York and fallen in lovewith the craft.She then decided to move to New York permanently and spent two years at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Herfirst break came when she was cast opposite Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan in the Warner Brothers film CopOut directed by Kevin Smith. Most recently, Hannah shot the independent film Shame directed by SteveMcQueen and starring Michael Fassbender.JEFF HEPHNER (Ben Zajac)Jeff Hephner most recently appeared as football coach Red Raymond on the CW series “Hellcats.” He is wellknownfor his role as Matt Ramsey on “The O.C.,” as well as for the lead role of Morgan Buffkin in the series“Easy Money” (2008).Hephner‟s career began with a lead role on Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana‟s acclaimed series “The Jury.”His additional television credits include appearances on “Private Practice,” “NCIS,” and Hallmark‟s 2006 movie“The Water is Wide,” in which he starred opposite Alfre Woodard.Hephner is a native of Sand Creek, Michigan.KATHLEEN ROBERTSON (Kitty O’Neil)Kathleen Robertson‟s diverse film and television projects and chameleon-like performances continue toimpress audiences and critics alike. She is set to soon write, produce, and star in Shaw Media/Globals‟sdramedy series “Your Time Is Up,” about a wildly successful, yet deeply troubled psychologist. This marksRobertson‟s second produced script, her first being indie feature Gravity Pulls, which she stars in and co-wrote.In television, Robertson both headlined and served as executive producer for IFC‟s Gemini Award-winningmockumentary style comedy series “The Business.” Additionally, she starred as the wicked sorceress sister toZooey Deschanel in “Tin Man,” the six-hour, mini-series version of “The Wizard of Oz”, which recently garneredthe SyFy Channel‟s highest ratings in the network‟s history and multiple Emmy-nominations.In film, Robertson recently starred in the drama A Night for Dying Tigers, which premiered at the TorontoInternational Film Festival, and she has finished filming Down the Road Again, the anticipated sequel to DonShebib‟s 1970 Canadian classic Goin’ Down the Road. Upcoming films include her starring roles in Static, NotSince You and Losing Control.Robertson starred alongside Academy Award-winning ® actors Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody in the dramaticthriller Hollywoodland, and starred opposite Mark Ruffalo in IFC Films‟ sexual drama XX/XY. She can also beseen in Scary Movie, as well as Gregg Araki‟s Splendor and Nowhere.Robertson‟s additional film credits include Last Exit, which earned her second Gemini Awardnomination, Player5150, The Hill, In the Dark (opposite Charlotte Rampling), Until the Night (Norman Reedus), Control (directedby Tim Hunter, acting alongside Willem Dafoe and Ray Liotta), and Mall Cop. Further feature film creditsinclude roles in Beautiful (with Minnie Driver for director Sally Field), Bruce McCulloch‟s Dog Park, SundanceFilm Festival favorite Psycho Beach Party, Speaking of Sex (co-starring with Bill Murray, directed by JohnMcNaughton), I Love Your Work (with Giovanni Ribisi and Franke Potente), and I Am Sam (Sean Penn).

Robertson garnered her third Best Actress Gemini Award nomination (Canadian Emmy) for Torso, where shestarred as notorious Canadian murderer Evelyn Dick in the grizzly 1946 true story.Her early television career includes the role of Clare Arnold on “Beverly Hills, 90210” (FOX) and her role in theDavid E. Kelley drama entitled “Girls Club.”A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Robertson currently resides in Los Angeles.MARTIN DONOVAN (Ezra Stone)Martin Donovan‟s appearance in all episodes of season two of Lionsgate‟s critically acclaimed Showtimetelevision series “Weeds” playing Mary-Louise Parker‟s love interest continued a string of collaborations withParker, including Saved!, the romantic comedy Pipe Dream and Jane Campion‟s The Portrait of A Lady.Donovan most recently appeared in Unthinkable with Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Sheen. Other recent filmappearances include the Matthew Ryan Hope-directed The United States of Leland with Kevin Spacey andDon Cheadle, The Sentinel opposite Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas, Wind Chill with Emily Blunt andAshton Holmes, and The Quiet opposite Edie Falco. Donovan also starred opposite Al Pacino in director ChrisNolan‟s Insomnia, as well as in Agent Cody Banks. Other film credits include the critically acclaimed TheOpposite of Sex, as well as Living Out Loud, In A Savage Land, Onegin, Heaven, Hollow Reed, and Nadja.In The Portrait of a Lady Donovan played Nicole Kidman‟s doomed cousin and admirer for which he won theNational Society of Film Critics Award for best supporting actor.Donovan has enjoyed a long association with celebrated director Hal Hartley, starring in several of his films,including Amateur, which was selected for both the Cannes and New York Film Festivals. Other Hartleycollaborations are Simple Men, which was also an official Cannes selection, Trust, Surviving Desire, Flirt andThe Book of Life, which was shown at the New York Film Festival.Donovan‟s TV credits include starring in “Masters of Horror: Right to Life” for Showtime, the FX telefilm “RFK,”and the Fox series “Pasadena.” Other television credits include “Amy and Isabelle,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “TheGreat Gatsby” and HBO‟s “When Trumpets Fade.” Donovan made his television series regular début in thecritically acclaimed drama series “Wonderland.”TROY GARITY (Sam Miller)Troy Garity garnered the opportunity to portray his father, Senator Tom Hayden, in the Abbie Hoffman biopicSteal This Movie alongside Vincent D‟Onofrio and Janeane Garofalo.Showtime‟s critically hailed Soldier’s Girl garnered him both a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, as wellas a nod for an Independent Spirit Award. The film, which screened to a standing ovation at Sundance, depictsthe true story of a soldier (Barry Winchell) murdered by his company members for falling in love with atranssexual. This growing recognition appears to have Garity moving in the direction of his legendary mother,actress Jane Fonda. He has since starred in a succession of dramatic features including Danny Boyle‟sSunshine alongside Cillian Murphy, Lake City opposite Sissy Spacek, Eichmann with Franka Potente,Fragments with the likes of Forest Whitaker and Dakota Fanning, and Mercy from writer and co-starScott Caan.Garity also appeared in the comedy My One and Only with Renee Zellweger and has since completed work on“A Day in the Life” with Mekhi Phifer, 3 Ride to Kerosene Cowboys with Cam Gigandet and Bill Pullman, as wellas The Good Doctor with Orlando Bloom.This fall, Garity can be seen on the NBC-TV drama, “The Playboy Club.”

In MGM‟s Bandits, Garity created his own niche within his acclaimed acting family, starring for director BarryLevinson alongside Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett, and Billy Bob Thornton. He also starred alongside Ice Cubeand Eve in the hit ensemble comedy Barbershop for MGM. The sequel was equally successful. He alsoappeared in Brett Ratner‟s New Line caper, After the Sunset.Additional credits include the recent independent feature Milwaukee, Minnesota in which he portrays an idiotsavant ice fisherman, Michael Rymer‟s Sundance entry Perfume which offers an improvisational look into thefashion industry, Richard Donner‟s Conspiracy Theory with Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson, as well as the lead indirector Rafal Zelinski‟s Bohemia.Over the years, Garity has worked to hone his craft, having spent his childhood performing comedia del arte atThe Laurel Springs Camp for the Arts in Santa Barbara, followed by a move to New York where he trained atthe American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He eventually became an Academy Repertory Company Player,appearing in nearly a dozen stage productions.Garity briefly switched gears to direct his first music video that premiered at the Los Angeles IndependentFilm Festival.Currently residing in Los Angeles. Garity, like his parents, is also a staunch political activist, and actively workswith the Peace Process Network that is a worldwide gang violence prevention coalition.ROTIMI AKINOSHO (Darius Morrison)Rotimi Akinosho makes his acting debut portraying Darius, an enterprising and ambitious young man, in theSTARZ Original series “Boss.”He came to an open audition in March 2011 in Chicago for the role and from his first reading, captivated Safiniaand Van Sant with his naturalness in front of the camera and his ease at handling complex dialogue. What wasstartling to the filmmakers was that they discovered his “Boss” audition was Akinosho‟s first acting audition.Born and raised in New Jersey, 22-year-old Akinosho is driven by his passion for music. By the age of 15,Akinosho wowed the historically brutal Apollo Theatre crowd, singing his way to first place on “Amateur Night.”With academic ambitions, Akinosho moved to the Midwest where he studied at Chicago‟s prestigiousNorthwestern University and graduated in June 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and aminor in business.Armed with his promising talent and tireless work ethic, the budding artist was set to stake his claim in themusic industry. To date, Akinosho has performed on BET‟s hit show “106 & Park” as a spotlight act, and he hasshared the stage with America‟s Best Dance Crew popular dance team, Jabbawockies. He has opened forartists such as T.I., Estelle and N.E.R.D. He has also performed at the 2010 BET Awards Pre-Party inLos Angeles.FRANCIS GUINAN (Governor McCall Cullen)Francis Guinan portrays Illinois Governor “Mac” Cullen in the STARZ Original series “Boss.”Guinan is a Chicago area (Elmhurst, Illinois) resident, making him one of the many “local hires” to appear in“Boss.” Guinan was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1951 and grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He graduated in1976 with a master‟s degree in theatre from Illinois State University. While at Illinois State, Guinan met andstudied with many of the original members of Chicago‟s world-renown Steppenwolf Theatre, and joined theensemble in 1979. With Steppenwolf, he has appeared in nearly forty productions including the Tony AwardwinningBroadway productions of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “August: Osage County” which also won thePulitzer Prize in 2008.

Guinan moved to Chicago in 1979 and helped establish Steppenwolf in the city after the company‟s move fromthe suburbs where it originated. In the three years that followed, he appeared in numerous productionsincluding “Balm in Gilead,” “A Nightingale Sang,” and “True West,” roles he reprised when the shows latermoved to New York City. From 1983 to 1989 Guinan lived in New York working mostly onstage but beginningto appear more frequently on television and in small film roles. He also returned occasionally to Chicago toappear on the Steppenwolf stage.In 1989 Guinan made the move to Los Angeles. He remained based there for seventeen years as a typical“working actor,” appearing most notably as Edgar in “Eerie, Indiana” and as Dan in “The Mighty Jungle.” Hismany TV roles include “Murder She Wrote” (once as killer, once as victim), and “Star Trek” (three roles asvarious aliens), as well as assorted doctors, businessmen and lawyers. Film work included roles in Speed III,Constantine, Shining Through and Hannibal.“Boss” is actually the second time Guinan has appeared with Kelsey Grammer. Guinan appeared briefly as“Opera Snob #2” in an episode of “Frasier.” In 2006 Guinan and his family returned to Chicago. He has workedalmost continuously since then: fifteen plays (nine for Steppenwolf), five films and three TV roles.KAREN ALDRIDGE (Dr. Ella Harris)Karen Aldridge was most recently seen in The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, directed byRon Howard. A well-known theatre actress, Aldridge has worked on stages all over the world. Currently aChicago resident, local audiences have seen her perform at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago ShakespeareTheatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Next Theatre, and Writers‟ Theatre. Aldridge has garnered Joseph JeffersonAward nominations for “The Cook” at Goodman Theatre, and “In the Blood” at Next Theatre.Internationally, she was seen playing the lead role in the French language production of Le Costume directedby the famed Peter Brook.