Tim Daly

Character: Dr Pete Wilder

Tim Daly has taken on the screen from every angle. As an actor, he's morphed from frightening cult leader David Koresh in "In the Line of Duty: Ambush at Waco" to legendary astronaut Jim Lovell in "From the Earth to the Moon," from a corrupt Army colonel opposite John Travolta in "Basic" to the voice of iconic superhero Superman in the animated series and animated feature. Most recently Daly appeared in several episodes of the award-winning hit series The Sopranos as J.T., a scriptwriter in the grips of drug and gambling addiction. The role was created for the actor by David Chase, with whom Daly worked on his first series, "Almost Grown."

While acting remains his truest passion, Daly has been actively producing and directing in recent years, the results of which have garnered him both a Peabody and a Humanitas Award for Showtime's "Edge of America" which opened the 2004 Sundance film festival. On the big screen his directorial debut, "Bereft" (co-directed with acclaimed cinematographer Clark Mathis), premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004 and went on to screen at the Seattle Film Festival, the Hamptons Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival and the prestigious AFI Film Festival. "Bereft" is the story of a Vermont widow haunted by the memory of her husband and stars Vinessa Shaw, Marsha Mason, Edward Herrmann, Tim Blake Nelson and Michael C. Hall. Daly played a supporting role in the film, which was financed by Showtime Independent Features and produced through Daly's production company, Red House Entertainment.

Last year Daly starred in the critically acclaimed series "The Nine," opposite Chi McBride, Kim Raver and Scott Wolfe. In 2001 he was nominated for a SAG Award for "The Fugitive," in which he played Dr. Richard Kimble. He also starred in the telepic "The Outsider," opposite Naomi Watts. He portrayed Dan White, the 1978 assassin who murdered San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk, the country's first openly gay politician, and Mayor George Moscone, in the drama "Execution of Justice." In addition he served as executive producer on the project, which won the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie.

On the stage Daly has appeared on Broadway in "Coastal Disturbances" and "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial." Other Off-Broadway and regional credits include "Henry Flamethrowa," "The Glass Menagerie," "Buried Child," "The Exonerated" and "The Colorado Catechism," for which he received a Drama Logue Award.

Daly lives in Vermont.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN: New York, NY
BIRTHDATE: March 1

Audra McDonald

Character: Dr Naomi Bennett

Earning an unprecedented three Tony Awards before the age of 30 and a fourth last season (Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun), singer and actress Audra McDonald is frequently compared to legendary performers like Garland and Streisand. Blending a luscious, classically-trained soprano with an incomparable gift for dramatic storytelling, McDonald is also a major concert and recording artist who appears regularly on many of the great stages of the world.

McDonald has sung regularly with all the major American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony, under many of the world's greatest conductors, such as John Adams, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson Thomas. Overseas she is a return visitor to London's BBC Proms, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, and recently made her Paris debut at the TMP/Chatelet.

Her film and television work includes her Emmy-nominated performance in HBO's Mike Nichols production of Wit (opposite Emma Thompson) and strong recognition for her portrayal of Grace Farrell in the made-for-television Disney production of Annie. An exclusive recording artist for Nonesuch Records, McDonald's three solo discs (Way Back to Paradise, How Glory Goes and Happy Songs), comprising both popular standards and contemporary music theater songs, have won a wide audience.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN: Fresno, CA
BIRTHDATE: July 3

Amy Brenneman

Character: Dr Violet Turner

In 2005 Amy Brenneman concluded her final season as star, producer and co-creator of  the hit drama series Judging Amy. Her role as Judge Amy Gray garnered two TV Guide Awards, three Golden Globe Award nominations, three Emmy Award nominations and a People's Choice Award nomination, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series.

Brenneman was recently seen in "Nine Lives," directed by Rodrigo García, and can be seen next in "88 Minutes" with Al Pacino. Other upcoming projects include "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Downloading Nancy."

Her other film credits include roles in Michael Mann's "Heat," opposite Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, the thriller "Daylight" opposite Sylvester Stallone, and Neil LaBute's "Your Friends and Neighbors," opposite Jason Patric and Ben Stiller. In addition she starred in the independent film "Nevada" with Gabrielle Anwar, Angus MacFayden and Kathy Najimy, and in "The Suburbans" opposite Ben Stiller and Robert Loggia. She most recently appeared in Showtime's "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her," opposite Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Kathy Baker and Holly Hunter, and was also seen in the independent feature "Off the Map," opposite Joan Allen and Sam Elliott.

America first took notice of Brenneman with her Emmy Award-nominated performance in "NYPD Blue" in the role of Janice Licalsi. She continued her role on the hit television series for a year as a recurring regular, which again earned her an Emmy nomination.

At the early age of eleven, after singing in the chorus of "The Music Man," Brenneman's interest in performing began to blossom. An 'A' student throughout her academic life, she enrolled in Harvard University with the intention of graduating with a B.A. in Comparative Religions. During her freshman year, she teamed up with a group of fellow actors to form the Cornerstone Theater Company. This unique company customized theater classics such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Our Town," taking them to the back roads of America and integrating local townspeople with professional actors. Consuming over five years of her life, Brenneman is very proud of her hard work with the company. Cornerstone has been celebrated again and again in the national media, including "60 Minutes," The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and American Theatre magazine.

Brenneman's college experience also included a semester abroad in Nepal, where she studied sacred dances with an indigenous priest. In doing so she became one of only two or three westerners to learn the dances. She also found time to live in Paris for seven months, where she earned her living as an au pair for two autistic children.

Upon completion of her studies at Harvard, Brenneman continued her work with Cornerstone and, in 1990, moved to New York. She performed in "The Learned Ladies," opposite Jean Stapleton at the CSC Repertory, Mac Wellman's "Sincerity Forever" at the BACA Downtown, and "The Video Store Owner's Significant Other." Additionally she has performed at the Yale Repertory Company in the role of St. Joan in Bertolt Brecht's "St. Joan of the Stockyards," and starred in the Lincoln Center production of "God's Heart," directed by Joe Montello.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN: New London, CT
BIRTHDATE: June 22

Kate Walsh

Character: Dr Addison Forbes Montgomery


Born in San Jose, California and raised both there and in Tucson, Arizona, Kate Walsh began her career in Chicago, studying at the renowned Piven Theatre Workshop. She then starred in theatrical productions of the critically acclaimed "Born Guilty," "Moon Under Miami" and "Troilus and Cressida" at the Shakespeare Repertory.

In Chicago Walsh was cast in her first two independent films, "Normal Life," directed by John McNaughton, and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer II."

The actress' career quickly took off with a move to New York for comedy and improvisation training. She landed series regular roles on "The Mike O'Malley Show" (ABC), "Mind of a Married Man" (HBO) and "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC). Walsh is perhaps best known for her work on the ABC series "Grey's Anatomy," in which she has portrayed Addison Montgomery Shepherd for the past two seasons. She and her fellow cast members received the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Walsh co-starred opposite Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall in the feature film "Kicking and Screaming." Other feature credits include "Under the Tuscan Sun," "After the Sunset," "Inside Out" and "The Family Man."

Walsh resides in Los Angeles.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN: San Jose, CA
BIRTHDATE: October 13

Taye Diggs

Character: Dr Sam Bennett

An established star of film, television and theatre, Taye Diggs made his feature film debut starring opposite Angela Bassett in the box office hit, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and since then has turned heads in every role he has chosen. He was last seen starring in the ABC drama Daybreak, which aired in November 2006. He also served as a producer on the project. In 2005 he was seen in the feature film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Rent. Diggs, who was part of the original Broadway cast, joined Idina Menzel, Rosario Dawson, Jesse Martin and Adam Pascal in the film.

That same year Diggs received rave reviews for his portrayal of Captain Davenport in the Second Stage Theatre production of A Soldier's Play. His performance earned a nomination for Distinguished Performance from the Drama League Awards. He also starred in his television series debut in Kevin Hill, on which he served additionally as producer, and received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He has created memorable characters in multiple guest appearances on hit television shows, including Ally McBeal, Will & Grace, Ed, The West Wing, New York Undercover and Law & Order.

In 2002 Diggs returned to his musical theater roots in the Academy Award-winning film Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The cast was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Performance. He also starred in Brown Sugar, opposite Sanaa Lathan, Queen Latifah and Mos Def, as well as the futuristic thriller Equilibrium. The following year he starred in John McTiernan's military thriller Basic, opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta.

In 2000 he appeared in The Way of the Gun, opposite Benicio Del Toro and James Caan, and in 1999 in The Wood, for director Rick Famuyiwa, as well as the romantic comedy The Best Man, co-starring Nia Long and Morris Chestnut. That performance garnered him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. Other film roles include Just a Kiss, co-starring Marisa Tomei and Kyra Sedgwick, The House on Haunted Hill, Go, directed by Doug Liman and also starring Katie Holmes and Timothy Olyphant, Drum, Cake and Malibu's Most Wanted.

Diggs' success on stage has also continued. He appeared on Broadway filling in as Fiyero in the Tony Award-nominated musical Wicked, and as Billy Flynn in the hit musical Chicago. Previously he starred in the Manhattan Theater Club's The Wild Party, which was the winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. His musical talents were first recognized in Broadway's critically acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Rent, with his role as Benny the landlord. His first job out of college, in 1994, was a coveted role in the ensemble cast of the five-time Tony Award-winning play, Carousel.

Born in New Jersey, Diggs grew up in Rochester, New York, attending High School of the Arts. He received his BFA degree from Syracuse University, where he studied theater, and was discovered by an agent while performing in a showcase during his senior year in college.

Diggs resides in New York with his wife, actress Idina Menzel.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HOMETOWN: Rochester, NY
BIRTHDATE: January 2