Meredith Ann Baxter, born June 21, 1947[1], is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles in Family, Family Ties, Dan Vs., and she guest starred as Liz Stevens on Glee in 2013.
Personal life[]
Baxter was born in Pasadena, California to Whitney Blake and Tom Baxter.[1] She has two brothers, Richard and Brian. Blake remarried twice, Jack Fields (divorced)[1] and Allan Manings (until Blake's death). Baxter attended Hollywood High School and Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy.[1]
She was married to Robert Lewis for three years before they divorced in 1969 and have two children, Ted and Eva.[2] Her second marriage was to David Birney for fifteen years (they divorced in 1989)[1][2] and had three children, Kate, Mollie and Peter (twins).[2] Baxter was credited as Meredith Baxter-Birney during her marriage to David and became an alcoholic to escape the abuse (Birney denied the allegations). She became sober in 1990.[3][4][5]
Her third marriage was to Michael Blodgett and ended in divorce after five years in 2000.[2] On December 2, 2009, she came out as a lesbian during an interview with Matt Lauer on Today, and on the Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius-XM OutQ 102. Baxter has been in a relationship with Nancy Locke since 2005.[2] She married Locke, after being together for seven years, in December 2013.[6]
Baxter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 and beat it.[7] Her memoir, Untied, was published in 2011.[8]
Career[]
She got her first big break on television in 1972 as one of the stars of Bridget Loves Bernie, it was cancelled after one season. She then went on to star in Family, under the name Meredith Baxter-Birnley, for four years. Her next televison series was Family Ties and latest for seven years. She guest starred on Cold Case as Detective Lilly Rush mother in the 2000s.
She guest starred as Liz Stevens on Glee in the the episode "All or Nothing" in 2013.
Baxter has appeared in two episodes, as of now, on MTV's Finding Carter as Grandma Joan in 2014.
Baxter was announced to have joined the cast of the soap opera, The Young and the Restless, in August 2014. She portrayed Maureen and debuted on September 8th[9] and has been in twenty episodes, as of December 9th.
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | The Partridge Family | Jenny | ("Where Do Mermaids Go?") |
The Doris Day Show | April | ("Young Love") | |
The Young Lawyers | Gloria | ("The Victims") | |
1972 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Ann Glover | ("Words of Summer) |
Ben | Eve Garrison | ||
Stand Up and Be Counted | Tracy | ||
Bridget Loves Bernie | Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg | 1972 - 1973 (24 episodes) | |
1973 | The Invasion of Carol Enders | Carol Enders | TV movie |
The Cat Creature | Rena Carter | TV movie | |
Doc Elliot | Jenny | ("And All Ye Need to Know") | |
1974 | Young Love | April | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
The Stranger Who Looks Like Me | Joanne Denver | TV movie | |
Barnaby Jones | Jenny Sutherland | ("The Deadly Jinx" and as Meredith Baxter Birney) | |
Medical Center | Paula / Priscilla | 1974/1975 ("Demi-God"/"The Velvet Knife") | |
1975 | McMillan & Wife | Faye Leonard | ("Secrets for Sale") |
Medical Story | Erica Schiff / Sunny | ("A Life in the Balance"/"Us Against the World": as Meredith Baxter Birney) | |
The Night That Panicked America | Linda Davis | TV movie | |
The Streets of San Francisco | Jodi Dixon | ("Deadly Silence" and as Meredith Baxter Birney) | |
The Impostor | Julie Watson | TV movie | |
Target Risk | Linda Flayly | TV movie | |
1976 | Bittersweet Love | Patricia Peterson | as Meredith Baxter Birney |
Police Woman | Liz Robson | ("Sarah Who?" and as Meredith Baxter Birney) | |
The Wide World of Mystery | ("Terror in the Night") | ||
Standing Room Only | Joanne | ("Vanities") | |
All the President's Men | Debbie Sloan | ||
City of Angels | Mary Kingston | ("The November Plan: Part 1," "The November Plan: Part 2," "The November Plan: Part 3" and as Meredith Baxter-Birney) | |
Family | Nancy Lawrence Maitland | 1976 - 1980 (59 episodes) | |
1977 | The November Plan | Mary Kingston | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
The Love Boat | Sandy Rytell/Francesca Randall | 1977 - 1982 ("The Captain and the Lady/One If by Land/Centerfold," "Venetian Love Song/Down for the Count/Arrividerci," "Venetian Love Song/Down for the Count/Arrividerci, Gopher/The Arrangement: Part 1," "Gopher/The Arrangement: Part 2" and as Meredith Baxter Birney) | |
1978 | Little Women | Meg March | ("Pilot" and as Meredith Baxter Birney) |
What Really Happened to the Class of '65? | Gloria | ("Class Athlete") | |
1979 | The Family Man | Mercedes Cole | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
1980 | Beulah Land | Lauretta Pennington | as Meredith Baxter Birney |
1981 | The Two Lives of Carol Letner | Carol Letner | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
1982 | Take Your Best Shot | Carol Marriner | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
Family Ties | Elyse Keaton | 1982 - 1989 (176 episodes) | |
1985 | Family Ties Vacation | Elyse Keaton | TV movie |
The Rape of Richard Beck | Barbara McKee | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney | |
1986 | Kate's Secret | Kate Stark | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
1987 | The Long Journey Home | Maura Wells | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney |
1988 | Winnie | Winnie | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter-Birney |
1989 | American Playhouse | Eve | ("The Diaries of Adam and Eve") |
She Knows Too Much | Samantha White | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter Birney | |
1990 | Jezebel's Kiss | Virginia De Leo | |
Burning Bridges | Lynn Hollinger | TV movie and as Meredith Baxter-Birney | |
The Kissing Place | Florence Tulane | TV movie | |
1991 | A Mother's Justice | Lila | TV movie |
Bump in the Night | Martha Tierney | TV movie | |
1992 | Stolen Love | DeeDee | TV movie |
Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter | Betty Broderick | TV movie | |
A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story | Betty Broderick | TV movie | |
1993 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Paula Hensen | ("Other Mothers") |
Darkness Before Dawn | Mary Ann Guard | TV movie | |
1994 | My Breast | Joyce Wadler | TV movie |
One More Mountain | Margaret Reed | TV movie | |
For the Love of Aaron | Margaret Gibson | TV movie | |
1995 | Betrayed: A Story of Three Women | Amanda Nelson | TV movie |
The Faculty | TV movie | ||
1996 | After Jimmy | Maggie Stapp | TV movie |
The Faculty | Flynn Sullivan | (13 episodes) | |
1997 | Spin City | Macy | ("Family Affair" and "Family Affair: Part 2") |
Miracle in the Woods | Sarah Weatherby | TV movie | |
Let Me Call You Sweetheart | D.A. Kerry McGrath | TV movie | |
The Inheritance | Beatrice Hamilton | TV movie | |
Dog's Best Friend | Cow | voice and TV movie | |
1999 | Miracle on the 17th Green | Susan McKinley | TV movie |
Down Will Come Baby | Leah Garr | TV movie | |
Holy Joe | Annie Cass | TV movie | |
Elevator Seeking | Ann | ||
2000 | The Wednesday Woman | Muriel Davidson | TV movie |
2001 | Murder on the Orient Express | Mrs. Caroline Hubbard | TV movie |
A Mother's Fight for Justice | Terry Stone | TV movie | |
2002 | A Christmas Visitor | Carol Boyajian | TV movie |
2003 | 7th Heaven | Ms. Jones | ("Go Ask Alice") |
Devil's Pond | Kate | ||
Aftermath | Carol | TV movie | |
2004 | Angel in the Family | Lorraine | TV movie |
Half & Half | Joan Tyrell, Nick's Mother | ("The Big Rules of Engagement Episode") | |
2005 | The Closer | Congresswoman Simmons | ("Fantasy Date") |
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green | Harper Green | ||
Paradise, Texas | Liz Cameron | ||
2006 | Brothers & Sisters | Margaret Packard | ("For the Children") |
Cold Case | Ellen Rush | 2006 - 2007'(4 episodes) | |
2007 | What About Brian | Frankie | ("What About All That Glitters") |
2008 | The Onion Movie | Cooking Show Chef | |
2009 | Brothers | TV Mom | ("Commercial/Coach DMV") |
Bound by a Secret | Ida Mae | TV movie | |
Family Guy | Meredith Baxter/Elyse Keaton | voice ("Family Gay"/"Brothers & Sisters" and "Stew-Roids") | |
2010 | Airline Disaster | President Harriet Franklin | video |
We Have to Stop Now | Judy | ("The Grass Is Always Greener," "Celesbianism" and "How Sweet It Is") | |
2012 | Switched at Birth | Bonnie, Kathryn's Mother | 2012 ("Las Dos Fridas"); 2015 ("Fog and Storm and Rain") |
Naughty or Nice | Carol Kringle | TV movie | |
2013 | Reading Writing & Romance | Elaine | TV movie |
Glee | Liz Stevens | ("All or Nothing") | |
Shadow on the Mesa | Emilie Rawlins | TV movie | |
The Neighbors | Mother Joyner | ("Supreme Like Me" and "Thanksgiving is No Schmuck Bait") | |
2014 | Instant Mom | ("Not Your Mother's Day") | |
Finding Carter | Grandma Joan | 2014 - (9 episodes) | |
The Young and the Restless | Maureen Russell | (20 episodes) | |
2015 | Undateable John | Beatrice | post production |
Trivia[]
- Meredith guest starred in an episode of Instant Mom with Glee guest star, Jackée Harry.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Meredith Baxter
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Meredith Baxter "I'm a Lesbian Mom"
- ↑ Meredith Baxter Deals with Her Pain with Alcohol
- ↑ Meredith Baxter Alleges Ex-Husband David Birney
- ↑ Meredith Baxter: Ex-Husband David Birney Hit Me
- ↑ Meredith Baxter marries Nancy Locke
- ↑ Actress Meredith Baxter details cancer battles at Missoula hospital
- ↑ David Birney Denies Abuse Claims by Meredith Baxter
- ↑ Exclusive: Meredith Baxter Joins The Young and the Restless