Lisa Ann Walter

Lisa Ann Walter
Occupation Actress, comedian, producer, writer
Years active 1995–present
Children 4

Lisa Ann Walter is an American actress, comedian, writer and film producer.[1] She has appeared in such films as the 1998 version of The Parent Trap, Bruce Almighty,[1] Shall We Dance,[1] and War of the Worlds.[1] Walter also created and starred in the short-lived 1996–1997 sitcom, Life's Work. She was a judge on ABC's reality television series The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?. She also won for her charity in a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link.

Early life

Walter was born and raised in suburban Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., where she remembers "always liking to show off" as a child. Her mother was of Italian descent and her father was from a family from Alsace, and had German ancestry.[2][3][4] She was a high-achieving student and always the class clown. Walter's father worked at NASA and indulged his own love of performing after-hours in local community theater. Her mother was a teacher, later working at the local courthouse. Her parents, both native New Yorkers, divorced when Walter was in elementary school. She attended Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland, finally studying drama at the Catholic University of America under the tutelage of the renowned Father Gilbert Hartke. She began appearing in various regional and dinner theater productions, and met her future spouse, Sam Baum, while performing in "A Streetcar Named Desire". They married before moving to New York City, where both began various day jobs while raising their baby, shoehorning in frequent auditions and roles various off-Broadway venues. Walter performed at amateur night contests at some of the noted comedy clubs.

Career

After five years of standup comedy, she was cast to star in her own Fox Network comedy series, My Wildest Dreams, followed by an ABC sitcom, Life's Work, which she both created and starred in. Walter also co-starred in the Bravo series Breaking News and in the NBC sitcom Emeril.

In addition to Bruce Almighty (2003) and Shall We Dance (2004), Walter co-starred in the Disney film The Parent Trap (1998); in the remake of the original classic, she appeared as the nanny to Dennis Quaid's character's daughter, who was played by a young Lindsay Lohan. Prior to that, she played Whoopi Goldberg's tarty sidekick Claudine in Eddie (1996).

In early 2007, Walter had a supporting role as Mabel the bartender in the MyNetworkTV soap opera Watch Over Me. That summer, she served as a judge on the ABC reality TV show The Next Best Thing, which searched for the best celebrity impersonators in America.

In the Spring of 2008, she was in the comedy film Drillbit Taylor, and also starred on the VH1 reality series Celebracadabra, in which celebrities competed to see who was the best magician among them. She made it to the final three but was eliminated in the sixth episode. She has developed a series for the Oxygen network called Dance Your Ass Off. On December 19, 2011, she appeared on "Rizzoli & Isles" as a dance and ballet coach, J.J. It was far from her usual role, as she played a very serious character in a drama. Her comic memoir, "The Best Thing About My Ass Is That It's Behind Me" was published in May 2011.

Beginning in May 2011, Walter hosted a talk show on Los Angeles radio station KFI. Known as "The Fabulous Lisa Ann Walter Show," the program aired for three hours each Saturday and Sunday. In August 2014, Walter quit in order to focus on her acting career.

Personal life

Walter resides in Los Angeles with her four children, including son Jordan, daughter Delia, and twin boys Simon and Spencer. She is developing enough material for a return to standup comedy. She remains good friends with British actor Simon Kunz who portrayed her love interest in The Parent Trap.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Eddie Claudine
1998 Parent Trap, TheThe Parent Trap Chessy
2000 Get Your Stuff Nancy Perry
2001 Early Bird Special Janet
2003 Bruce Almighty Debbie
2004 Shall We Dance? Bobbie
2005 War of the Worlds Bartender
2005 Trouble with Dee Dee, TheThe Trouble with Dee Dee Dee Dee Rutherford
2006 Room 6 Sgt. Burch
2006 Coffee Date Sara
2006 Man vs. Monday Joan Short film
2007 Graduation Carol
2007 Entry Level Kathie
2008 Drillbit Taylor Dolores
2010 Wreckage Dr. Richardson
2010 Killers Olivia Brooks
2010 Monsters Under the Bed Leslie Branson Short film
2012 Wedding Day Chef Cherie
2013 Feels So Good Lisa Wright
2014 Wish Wizard Helga Short film
2015 You Can't Have It Suzanne
2015 Dependent's Day Bette Post-production
2015 LA Spinster, TheThe LA Spinster Lisa Short film, filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 My Wildest Dreams Lisa McGinnis Main role
19961997 Life's Work Lisa Ann Hunter Main role
1997 Late Bloomer Cassie Baltic TV film
1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave, TheThe Love Boat: The Next Wave Audrey Cranston "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
2000 Curb Your Enthusiasm Nurse "Interior Decorator"
20002001 Emeril Cassandra Gilman Recurring role
2001 Strong Medicine Rita Harper "Hot Flash"
2002 Breaking News Rachel Glass Main role
2004 Las Vegas Rose Gluck "Sons and Lovers"
2006 Modern Men Iris "Kyle Dates Up"
2006 Nip/Tuck Mrs. Hickock "Reefer"
2006 Watch Over Me Mabel "Pilot", "The Engagement", "Goodbye"
2011 Rizzoli & Isles Coach JJ "Don't Stop Dancing, Girl"
20132015 Exes, TheThe Exes Margo "Defending Your Wife", "What Dreams May Come", "Along Came Holly"

References

External links

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