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Sela Ward

Sela Ward

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.

FBI

2018

as Dana Mosier

Graves

2016

as Margaret Graves

Westworld

2016

as Juliet

Independence Day: Resurgence

2016

as President Lanford

Gone Girl

2014

as Sharon Schieber

Delirium

2014

The Stepfather

2009

as Susan Harding

The Guardian

2006

as Helen Randall

House

2004

as Stacy Warner

Suburban Madness

2004

as Bobbi Bacha

CSI: NY

2004

as Jo Danville

The Day After Tomorrow

2004

as Dr. Lucy Hall

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

2004

as Jeannie Miller

The Badge

2002

as Carla Hardwick

Catch a Falling Star

2000

as Sydney Clarke

Once and Again

1999

as Lily Manning

Runaway Bride

1999

as Pretty Bar Woman

Passion's Way

1999

as Anna Leath

54

1998

as Billie Auster

Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Women

1997

as Marie-Rose Gineste (segment "Woman on a Bicycle")

The New Batman Adventures

1997

as Calendar Girl / Page Monroe (voice)

My Fellow Americans

1996

as Kaye Griffin

Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story

1995

as Jessica Savitch

Intimate Portrait

1993

as Self

Frasier

1993

as Kelly Easterbrook

The Fugitive

1993

as Helen Kimble

Killer Rules

1993

as Dorothy Wade

Double Jeopardy

1992

as Karen Hart

Sisters

1991

as Teddy Reed

Child of Darkness, Child of Light

1991

as Sister Anne McBain

Rainbow Drive

1990

as Laura Demming

The Haunting of Sarah Hardy

1989

as Sarah York

Bridesmaids

1989

as Caryl

The King of Love

1987

as Annie Larkspur

Hello Again

1987

as Kim Lacey

Cameo by Night

1987

as Jennifer / Cameo

Steele Justice

1987

as Tracy

L.A. Law

1986

as Lynette Pierce

Nothing in Common

1986

as Cheryl Ann Wayne

Rustlers' Rhapsody

1985

as Colonel's Daughter

Night Court

1984

as Heather

The Man Who Loved Women

1983

as Janet Wainwright

Emerald Point N.A.S.

1983

as Hilary Adams

Hotel

1982