Biography
Baxter arrived as a regular in millions of American households on the controversial sitcom, "Bridget Loves Bernie" (CBS, 1972-73) when she married her onscreen partner, David Birney, assuming her new stage name - Meredith Baxter-Birney - for much of her career. She went on to earn two Emmy Award nominations as the worldly older sister on the ABC drama "Family" (1976-1980) before landing her signature role as Elyse Keaton, the kindly abiding …
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Career Milestones
1972 | First TV role was in the CBS sitcom, "Bridget Loves Bernie"; series was canceled after one season, but met future husband, David Birney |
1972 | Made feature film debut in "Ben" |
1973 | Made TV-movie debut in the ABC thriller, "The Cat Creature" |
1974 | Played a young adoptee seeking her birth mother in the ABC drama, "The Stranger Who Looks Like Me"; mother Whitney Blake played her on screen birth mother |
1975 | Co-starred in the ABC movie, "The Night That Panicked America" |
1976 | Featured in the film, "All the President's Men," which was based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein |
1976 | Played troubled, self-centered eldest daughter, Nancy Lawrence in the ABC drama series, "Family" (first billed as Baxter-Birney); garnered two Emmy Award nominations in 1977 and 1978 |
1978 | Co-starred as Meg March in the NBC miniseries adaptation of "Little Women"; due to her commitment to ABC's "Family" she was replaced by Susan Walden when the network ordered a weekly series version in 1979 |
1981 | Played one of the three Texas cheerleaders who periodically reunite in the HBO adaptation of "Vanities" |
1982 | Starred as matriarch Elyse Keaton in the long-running NBC sitcom, "Family Ties" |
1986 | Portrayed a bulimic housewife in the NBC movie, "Kate's Secret" |
1987 | Debut as a co-executive producer, the CBS movie, "The Long Journey Home"; also starred opposite then-husband David Birney |
1988 | Played a mentally handicapped woman who possess a remarkable writing ability in the true story of "Winnie" (NBC); also served as associate producer |
1992 | Cast in the title role of a divorcée who was convicted of murder in the shooting of her ex-husband and his young wife in CBS movie, "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story"; earned an Emmy nomination |
1992 | Reprised role of Betty Broderick in the CBS movie, "Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick The Last Chapter," which detailed the murder trial |
1993 | Cast as a lesbian co-parent of a teenager in the CBS schoolbreak special, "Other Mothers" |
1994 | Played an unmarried woman in her forties coping with cancer in the CBS drama, "My Breast"; also co-executive produced |
1996 | Returned to series TV in the short-lived ABC sitcom, "The Faculty"; also served as executive producer |
1997 | Once again played Michael J. Fox's mother in a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom, "Spin City" |
1999 | Starred as a wife and mother struggling to win back her family after another woman enters their lives in "Down Will Come Baby" (CBS) |
2001 | Played 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) |
2006 | Had a recurring role as the dying mother of Detective Lilly Rush on CBS' "Cold Case" |
2009 | Voiced her "Family Ties" character Elyse Keaton on an episode of "Family Guy" (Fox) |
Awards
1977 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance By a Supporting Actress In a Drama Series in Family |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance By a Supporting Actress In a Drama Series in Family |
1992 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story |