Pretty Persuasion : ABOUT THE CAST


Evan Rachel Wood (“Kimberly Joyce”)

An actress with talent and poise well beyond her years, Evan Rachel Wood is one of Hollywood's brightest young actresses and is already a Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee.
Wood was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award and a Critic's Choice Award in 2004 for her role in the critically acclaimed drama "Thirteen," written and directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Wood starred opposite Holly Hunter for Fox Searchlight.
Wood stars in Mike Binder's "The Upside of Anger," opposite Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell and Alicia Witt for New Line Cinema. Wood plays the daughter of a jilted, alcoholic mother of four, who deals with her failings as they relate to her daughters, her jealousy over her husband's departure, and her on-again-off-again relationship with an ex-baseball player.

Wood will also star in David Jacobson's "Down In The Valley" opposite Edward Norton, David Morse and Rory Culkin. Set in the present-day San Fernando Valley, the project revolves around a delusional man (Norton) who believes he's a cowboy and the relationship that he starts with a rebellious young woman (Wood).
Wood starred in Ron Howard's "The Missing," for Columbia Pictures opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. Wood played Lilly, a young girl captured by a band of outcasts who must fight for her survival until she is rescued.
In 2002, Wood was seen in two feature films; In August she starred opposite Al Pacino in New Line Cinema’s comedy "Simone." Written, produced and directed by Andrew Niccol, Pacino plays a disillusioned producer who attempts to create a computer-generated virtual actress when the leading lady in his movie walks off the set. Wood plays the daughter of Pacino and Catherine Keener; she also appeared in "Little Secrets," for Samuel Goldwyn Films. Starring as the lead role "Emily," Wood plays a talented and curious young girl who spends an eye-opening summer at home while all her friends are away at camp. The movie also stars Vivica A. Fox.

Wood starred in ABC's critically acclaimed hit drama series, "Once and Again." Created by Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick ("thirtysomething") and produced by Disney, the series followed the efforts of divorcees (played by Sela Ward and Billy Campbell) trying to sustain a new relationship through the countless hurdles presented by their children, their ex-spouses and everyday life. Wood played Billy Campbell's sensitive daughter 'Jessie' who had difficulty dealing with the pains of divorce and adolescence.
Wood's additional feature credits include "Practical Magic" with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, Timothy Hutton's "Digging to China," and "Detour" with Michael Madsen. On television, she recently appeared as CJ Craig's niece in NBC's critically acclaimed drama "The West Wing."
Wood's stage credits include "The Miracle Worker" for Theatre in the Park, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for Shakespeare in the Park and a three-year tour with "A Christmas Carol."

Wood is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is also trained in singing and dance. She lives in Los Angeles.


Ron Livingston (“Percy Anderson”)
A consummate actor with an effortless ability to transition between both comedy and drama, the talented and versatile Ron Livingston will currently in the independent film “Winter Solstice” starring Anthony LaPaglia and Allison Janney, and the upcoming independent “Relative Strangers” in which Ron stars opposite Danny DeVito, Kathy Bates and Neve Campbell.
In 2003, Livingston co-starred in “The Cooler” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and opened the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2003. The critically acclaimed film from Lions Gate also starred William H. Macy, Maria Bello, and Alec Baldwin. Also in 2003, Livingston had a memorable guest star turn on the ever popular HBO series “Sex and the City” opposite Sarah Jessica Parker, as Jack Berger.
Livingston most recently was seen in the Sony Pictures/ Revolution film “Little Black Book” in which he starred opposite Brittany Murphy, Holly Hunter, and Kathy Bates in this romantic comedy.

In 2001 Livingston starred as Captain Lewis Nixon in HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actor category. The critically acclaimed series won the Emmy and Golden Globe for best mini-series that year. That fall, Livingston also appeared on the Emmy-winning drama “The Practice” as the hot shot Assistant District Attorney, Alan Lowe. In 2002, Livingston starred opposite Vanessa Redgrave, Ray Liotta, and Catherine McCormack in the MGM film “A Rumor of Angels.”
Livingston may be best known as the star of the cult hit “Office Space.” Directed by Mike Judge and starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, the film has gone on to become one of the best-selling rental films. In the film, he played a disgruntled young office worker caught up in the corporate rat race. Mike Judge also wrote the film as derived from his animation piece, “Milton.”
Livingston’s other film credits include: “Adaptation” for director Spike Jonze opposite Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper. “Swingers,” opposite Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn; “Ink,” “Two Ninas” and the critically acclaimed independent film, “The Low Life.”
Raised in Iowa, Livingston attended Yale University, where he earned his BA in Theatre Studies and English Literature.

During his term at Yale, he performed in the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Soon after graduating, Livingston moved to Chicago where he landed roles in a number of theatre productions, including shows at the Goodman Theatre. He currently resides in Los Angeles.


James Woods (“Hank Joyce”) has been impressing audiences for over three decades with his compelling performances. He has moved effortlessly from big box office studio films to festival-celebrated independent features, in a wide spectrum from comedy to drama. He was also just seen in the outrageous comedy "Be Cool", the sequel to “Get Shorty.”
The son of a US Intelligence officer, he earned a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completed a degree in political science and then headed off to New York to pursue a career on the stage. After appearing in a handful of New York City theater productions, Woods landed his first film role in “All the Way Home” and followed that up with supporting roles in “The Way We Were” and “The Choirboys”. However, it was Woods’ cold blooded performance as the cop killer in “The Onion Field,” that captured both audience’s and critic’s attention.

Other film work includes “Once Upon a Time In America,” Salvador,” “Citizen Cohen,” “Casino,” “Nixon,” “John Q,” “The Virgin Suicides, “ “Riding in Cars with Boys,” “Northfork,” “Contact,” “Any Given Sunday,” and “Scary Movie 2.” Woods was also recently seen on television as the mayor of New York in “The Rudy Giuliani Story.”
Woods has received two Oscar nominations (“Salvador” and “Ghosts of Mississippi”), a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV in “In Love and War,” along with eight other Golden Globe nominations and two Best Actor Emmys among numerous stage, screen and television awards.


Jane Krakowski (“Emily Klein”)
A first class talent in high demand, Jane Krakowski shines in every role on both stage and screen.
She is starring opposite Ewan McGregor in the London Donmar Warehouse’s spring 2005 production of “Guys and Dolls”, and recently signed on to film "Simply Halston," the biopic of the famous designer who will be played by Alec Baldwin; Krakowski will play Liza Minnelli in what is sure to be a scene-stealing performance. Last fall, Krakowski co-starred opposite Jude Law and Susan Sarandon in Paramount's remake of the classic film "Alfie" for director Charles Shyer. Krakowski also starred in NBC's musical remake of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol," in which she played The Ghost of Christmas Past, with Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge.

Krakowski conquered yet another medium last year with her stunning, sultry portrayal of Carla in the Broadway musical "NINE," also starring Antonio Banderas, Mary Stuart Masterson and Chita Rivera. Her knock-out performance earned her the 2003 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Featured Actress in a Musical, and the Outer Critic's Award for Best Actress in a Musical, launching an exciting new chapter in this talented woman's already burgeoning career.
Ever busy with a hand in all the markets, Krakowski appeared in a recurring role opposite Treat Williams in the acclaimed WB series “Everwood.” She also starred opposite George Eads ("C.S.I.") in the ABC Family original telefilm, "Just a Walk in the Park." Her other film credits include "Marci X," "The Flinstones: Viva Rock Vegas" as 'Betty Rubble', the critically-acclaimed feature "Go," "Dance with Me," "Mrs. Winterbourne," "Steppin Out," "Fatal Attraction" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."

A Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominee for "Grand Hotel," Krakowski has also starred in the Broadway productions of "Company," "Once Upon a Mattress," "Tartuffe" and "Starlight Express." In Los Angeles, she starred at the Mark Taper Forum in "Henceforward," winning the Los Angeles Drama Critics and the Dramalogue Awards. She also starred as 'Mabel' in Broadway's Reprise series of "Mack & Mabel."
Jane received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her portrayal of 'Elaine' on "Ally McBeal." Her additional television work includes HBO's "The High Life" and "Men and Women II," Alex Haley's "Queen," the film "When We Were Young" and the recent "Great Performances Rodgers and Hart." She also received two Emmy Award nominations for her work on "Search For Tomorrow."
In addition to singing for several original Broadway cast recordings of shows in which she appeared, she recorded the single track "You" with A/C hitman Jim Brickman on his recent album "Love Songs & Lullabies.”


Elisabeth Harnois (“Brittany Wells”)
Elisabeth Harnois was born in Detroit, Michigan and moved with her family to southern California at age 2. She began acting a year later and soon starred in the features “One Magic Christmas” and “Where Are the Children.”
Her success continued when she played the classic character of Alice in the Disney MOW, “Adventures in Wonderland.” Elisabeth won a Youth in Film award for her performance, and the show was awarded multiple Emmys.
She went on to guest star on such series as “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Boy Meets World,” “Two Guys and a Pizza Place” and “Charmed”. She also starred opposite John Corbett in the CBS MOW, “The Warlord,” and she played the title role in ABC’s highly rated MOW, “My Date With the President’s Daughter.”
While studying for her college degree at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Elisabeth shot two independent films. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of a mentally unstable teenager opposite Angus MacFadyen in “Facade”, and she was the female lead opposite Matt Czuchry in the 2002 indie feature, “Swimming Upstream.”

Elisabeth also appears in “Strangers With Candy,” opposite Matthew Broderick, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Sedaris, which is also screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Elisabeth also starred in Fox's acclaimed drama series, “Point Pleasant," written by Marti Noxon, producer of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel." Elisabeth played the lead, a high school girl who washed up half-drowned on the beach of a New Jersey town and changed everyone's life.


Selma Blair (“Grace Anderson”)
Selma Blair first gained our attention for her performance in “Cruel Intentions,” a youthful retelling of the classic novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
After graduating from high school in Michigan, Selma moved to New York City to pursue her goal of being a photographer but found her way to acting classes at The Stella Adler Conservatory and The Column Theatre.
Selma starred for two seasons as the title character in the WB’s “Zoe” and then appeared in the hit comedy, “Legally Blonde,” opposite Reese Witherspoon and opposite Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate in “The Sweetest Thing.” She then starred in two independent films that garnered her much critical acclaim, Dana Lustig’s “Kill Me Later” and Todd Solodnz’s controversial “Storytelling.”
Last year, Selma was seen starring in “Hellboy”--the sequel to which she will shoot next year--and in John Waters’ “A Dirty Shame.”

Selma can currently be seen in Paul Weitz’s “In Good Company” opposite Topher Grace and will next appear in “The Alibi” opposite Steve Coogan.


Adi Schnall (“Randa Azzouni“)
Adi Schnall, a sophomore in high school, is a relative newcomer to the Hollywood scene. She made her debut in the independent film “Remnants.” Other film work includes roles in “Volcano” opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche and Don Cheadle and “A Very Brady Sequel” with Shelly Long and Tim Matheson.
She has also appeared in the TV series “Murder One,” “Murphy Brown,” “Party of Five” and “Any Day Now.” Adi currently resides in Los Angeles with her parents, who are both educators.


Stark Sands (“Troy”)
In a relatively short span of time, Stark Sands has burst upon the scene and is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young talents. With starring roles in the independent comedy “Die, Mommie, Die,” the psychological thriller “11/14,” and the action adventure “Mission Without Permission,“ Stark’s resume is as extensive as it is versatile.
Stark made his feature film debut in the ensemble comedy “Die, Mommie, Die.” Co-starring Charles Busch and Jason Preistley, the film premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and received rave reviews. Stark was recently seen in the action-packed caper, “Mission Without Permission,” as well as the romantic comedy “Chasing Liberty” with Mandy Moore. The unstoppable Sands was also in last year’s romantic comedy “Shall We Dance” opposite Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.

Additional upcoming projects include the independent drama “11/14.” The film tells the seemingly random, yet vitally connected, story of a set of incidents that all converge one evening at 11:14 p.m. and co-stars Hilary Swank and Colin Hanks.
Stark grew up in Dallas, Texas where he began acting on the stage at age 13. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from the University of Southern California and has performed on stage including performances of “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth,” “Hamlet,” “Pippin” and “Guys and Dolls.” He first gained recognition as a recurring love interest to the angst-ridden teen, Lauren Ambrose, in the critically acclaimed HBO series “Six Feet Under” and co-starred in the short film “Me and Daphne.”


Danny Comden (“Roger”)
Danny Comden is a Los Angeles native who grew up in the slums of Beverly Hills. Danny got his first taste of acting while doing television commercials as a way to put himself through college at UCLA. After landing small parts in feature films, Danny became frustrated with the brutal process of auditioning. He decided to take matters into his own hands and wrote, directed and starred in the Lions Gate independent feature “Sol Goode,” appearing alongside Balthazar Getty, Jamie Kennedy and Jared Leto. “Sol Goode” caught the attention of ABC, which led to a starring role on the network’s comedy “I’m With Her.” Currently, Danny has a deal with Warner Bros. television to write and develop a new show as a vehicle for him to star in. Danny has also recently sold a feature film to Universal Studios.


Jaime King (“Kathy Joyce”)
Jaime King was born in Omaha, Nebraska and left her hometown for New York City when she was discovered by a modeling scout at the age of 14. Jaime soon emerged as a top professional in her field gracing the covers of international fashion magazines and landing such sought after campaigns as Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and Victoria’s Secret. Jaime made the transition into television when she was selected to host MTV’s “House of Style” which solidified her status as a pop culture icon.
Jaime soon landed roles in such films as “Pearl Harbor,” “Blow,” “Bulletproof Monk” and “Slackers.” She was most recently seen in “White Chicks,” and Robert Rodriguez’s acclaimed hit, “Sin City”.
Along with Halle Berry and Julianne Moore, she is currently a spokesperson for the cosmetics company Revlon.