Sela Ward

Born: 1956-07-11

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.


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Gone Girl

as Sharon Schieber
Released: 2014-10-01

With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the...

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The Fugitive

as Helen Kimble
Released: 1993-08-06

Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble escapes from...

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The Guardian

as Helen Randall
Released: 2006-09-28

A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's 'A' School,...

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as Dr. Lucy Hall
Released: 2004-05-26

After years of increases in the greenhouse effect, havoc is wreaked globally in the form of...

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Independence Day: Resurgence

as President Lanford
Released: 2016-06-22

We always knew they were coming back. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth...

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Runaway Bride

as Pretty Bar Woman
Released: 1999-07-30

Having already left three grooms at the altar, Maggie Carpenter is branded "the runaway bride"...

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The Stepfather

as Susan Harding
Released: 2009-10-16

Michael Harding returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living...

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Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

as Jeannie Miller
Released: 2004-02-27

In pre-revolution Cuba, Katey Miller is about to defy everyone's expectations. Instead of a...

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54

as Billie Auster
Released: 1998-08-28

Shane, a Jersey boy with big dreams, crosses the river in hopes of finding a more exciting life...

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Hello Again

as Kim Lacey
Released: 1987-11-06

A suburban housewife chokes to death and is brought back to life by a spell cast by her wacky...

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The Badge

as Carla Hardwick
Released: 2002-09-07

A sheriff begins an investigation into the death of a local transsexual after hearing that high...

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Rustlers' Rhapsody

as Colonel's Daughter
Released: 1985-05-10

A singing cowboy roams the Wild West with his sidekick, dancing horse and fancy wardrobe.

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Nothing in Common

as Cheryl Ann Wayne
Released: 1986-07-29

On his way up the corporate ladder, David Basner confronts his greatest challenge: his father.

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Steele Justice

as Tracy
Released: 1987-05-08

Steele is ex-cop and Vietnam vet who is determined to bring down Kwan, former South Vietnamese...

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Rainbow Drive

as Laura Demming
Released: 1990-01-01

A Hollywood multiple murder is investigated by a homicide cop, despite high-placed efforts to...

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Double Jeopardy

as Karen Hart
Released: 1992-11-21

Jack Hart lives with his lawyer wife and yound daughter and enjoys a wonderful life. Jack's old...

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Suburban Madness

as Bobbi Bacha
Released: 2004-10-04

Based on the real story of Clara Harris, the Houston, Texas dentist who made headlines in July...

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My Fellow Americans

as Kaye Griffin
Released: 1996-12-20

They used to run the country. Now they're running for their lives! Two on-the-lam former...

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Bridesmaids

as Caryl
Released: 1989-01-01

Four very different women, best friends during high school many years earlier, gather in the...

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Killer Rules

as Dorothy Wade
Released: 1993-01-24

Two adoptive brothers -- one a mob hit man, the other a Department of Justice investigator --...

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The Man Who Loved Women

as Janet Wainwright
Released: 1983-12-18

A womanizing sculptor seeks help from a psychiatrist to cure him of his obsession with women.

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Child of Darkness, Child of Light

as Sister Anne McBain
Released: 1991-05-01

A Catholic priest is sent to investigate reports of two virgin conceptions. One is about to give...

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Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Women

as Marie-Rose Gineste (segment "Woman on a Bicycle")
Released: 1997-10-05

First in a series of anthology films dealing with Christians who put their lives on the line to...

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Catch a Falling Star

as Sydney Clarke
Released: 2000-03-05

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The Haunting of Sarah Hardy

as Sarah York
Released: 1989-05-31

Sela Ward stars as beautiful, vulnerable heiress Sarah Hardy, recently wed and returning to her...

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Passion's Way

as Anna Leath
Released: 1999-07-25

Set in early 1900s France, a widow renews a former romantic interest until it is discovered that...

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Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story

as Jessica Savitch
Released: 1995-09-04

The story of one of America's first female reporters.

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FBI

as Dana Mosier
First aired: 2018-09-25

The New York office of the FBI brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical...

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Westworld

as Juliet
First aired: 2016-10-02

A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the...

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Frasier

as Kelly Easterbrook
First aired: 1993-09-16

After many years spent at the “Cheers” bar, Frasier moves back home to Seattle to work as a...

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House

as Stacy Warner
First aired: 2004-11-16

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of...

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L.A. Law

as Lynette Pierce
First aired: 1986-09-15

L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from...

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CSI: NY

as Jo Danville
First aired: 2004-09-22

Follow the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers identified...

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Hotel

as uncredited
First aired: 1982-08-21

Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May...

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On Air with Ryan Seacrest

as Self
First aired: 2004-01-01

On Air with Ryan Seacrest is an American syndicated television talk show, which ran from January...

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Once and Again

as Lily Manning
First aired: 1999-09-21

The series depicts the family of a single mother and her romance with a single father.

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The New Batman Adventures

as Calendar Girl / Page Monroe (voice)
First aired: 1997-09-13

The New Batman Adventures is a continuation of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series....

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Night Court

as Heather
First aired: 1984-01-04

Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to...

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Intimate Portrait

as Self
First aired: 1993-11-14

Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network...

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The View

as Self
First aired: 1997-08-11

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin,...

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Emerald Point N.A.S.

as Hilary Adams
First aired: 1983-09-26

The lives and trials of the staff and civilian residents of a US naval base.

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Delirium

as uncredited
First aired: 2014-06-20

Set in a world where love is deemed illegal and can be eradicated with a special procedure. With...

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Graves

as Margaret Graves
First aired: 2016-10-16

Former two-term President Richard Graves embarks on a Don Quixote-like quest to right the wrongs...

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Sisters

as Teddy Reed
First aired: 1991-05-11

Sisters is an Emmy Award-winning television drama. It follows the lives and loves of four close,...

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