Meredith Baxter

Had lead role as a mother fighting for justice in the death of her son who was killed by a drunk driver in "A Mother's Fight for Justice" (Lifetime)

Starred as a wife and mother struggling to win back her family after another woman enters their lives in "Down Will Come Baby" (CBS)

Again played Michael J Fox's mother in a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom "Spin City"

Returned to series TV in the short-lived ABC sitcom "The Faculty"; also served as executive producer

Portrayed an unmarried woman in her forties coping with cancer in the affecting CBS drama "My Breast"; also co-executive produced

Cast as a lesbian co-parent of a teenager in "Other Mothers", a "CBS Schoolbreak Special"

Earned an Emmy nomination for her turn as a troubled woman who murdered her ex-husband and his new wife in the based-on-fact "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story" (CBS)

Reprised role of Betty Broderick in the CBS sequel "Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick The Last Chapter", which detailed the murder trial

Starred as a reporter and recovering alcoholic struggling to rescue her son from a pedophile in the CBS movie "Bump in the Night"

Played an institutionalized woman classified as mentally handicapped who possess a remarkable writing ability in the true story "Winnie" (NBC); also served as associate producer

Debut as a co-executive producer, the CBS movie "The Long Journey Home"; also starred opposite then-husband David Birney

Breakthrough dramatic TV role, portraying a bulimic housewife in "Kate's Secret" (NBC)

Played one of the three Texas cheerleaders who periodically reunite in the HBO adaptation of the popular stage play "Vanities"

Co-starred as Meg March in the NBC miniseries adaptation of "Little Women"; because of commitment to ABC and "Family", was replaced by Susan Walden when the network ordered a weekly series version in 1979

Cast as a young adoptee seeking her birth mother in the ABC drama "The Stranger Who Looks Like Me"; real-life mother Whitney Blake cast as her on screen birth mother

TV-movie debut in the ABC thriller "The Cat Creature"

Film debut, "Ben"

Starred in CBS sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie", then married leading man David Birney

Played troubled, self-centered eldest daughter Nancy Lawrence in the ABC drama series "Family"; began taking billing as Meredith Baxter-Birney; garnered two Emmy Award nominations

Raised in Southern California

Starred as matriarch Elyse Keaton in the long-running NBC sitcom "Family Ties"