English
EspaΓ±ol
Russian
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 1983Β Burt ReynoldsΒ vehicleΒ The Man Who Loved Women. Her first regular role in a TV drama series, as a socialite onΒ Dennis Weaver's short-lived CBS series, Emerald Point N.A.S.,Β followed in the same year. Ward continued to land guest roles in both TV and movies throughout the 1980s, most notably oppositeΒ Tom HanksΒ inΒ Nothing in Common (1986).
In 1991, she was cast asΒ Teddy Reed onΒ Sisters,Β for which she received her first Emmy forΒ Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesΒ in 1994.Β She portrayed Helen Kimble, the wife of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), inΒ The Fugitive, one of the top films of 1993. Ward won aΒ CableACE AwardΒ for her portrayal of the late TV journalistΒ Jessica SavitchΒ in the 1995 TV movie Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, whichΒ remains Lifetime's most watched TV movie to date.
In 1995, she was passed over for aΒ Bond girlΒ role, learning that even though then-BondΒ Pierce BrosnanΒ was 42, theΒ casting directorΒ 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 succeededΒ Candice BergenΒ as commercial spokesperson forΒ Sprint'sΒ long distance phone service (1999-2002). She also appeared onΒ FrasierΒ 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 ABCΒ drama seriesΒ Once and Again (1999β2002), its creators (Edward ZwickΒ andΒ 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 andΒ a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress β Television Series Drama
In 2004, she played the a private investigator in the TV movie Suburban Madness and she also appeared in the featureΒ film The Day After TomorrowΒ withΒ Dennis QuaidΒ andΒ Jake Gyllenhaal.
In 2005, she landed a recurring role in the Fox seriesΒ HouseΒ as Stacy Warner, the hospital's attorney and formidable ex-partnerΒ of the protagonist Dr. Gregory HouseΒ (Hugh Laurie), until her character was written off the show in 2006.
She was originally offered both the role ofΒ Megan DonnerΒ onΒ CSI: MiamiΒ andΒ Susan MayerΒ onΒ 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 oppositeΒ Kevin CostnerΒ inΒ The GuardianΒ in 2006 and starred in the thrillerΒ The StepfatherΒ in 2009.
In July 2010, she signed on to star inΒ CSI: NY at the start of the 7th season and remained until the 9th and final season'. She appeared as newswoman Sharon Schieber inΒ Gone GirlΒ (2014), and co-starred as the President of the United States inΒ Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). She also played the leading role alongside Nick NolteΒ in the political comedy series Graves. She had a leading role in the crime seriesΒ FBI (2018) for its' 1st season.
