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International Entertainment News

Monday, June 16, 2008

'Living Proof,' Lifetime Television's Marquee Original Movie Starring Emmy(R) and Grammy(R) Award Winner Harry Connick, Jr. Adds Star-Studded Lineup to Cast, Including Amanda Bynes, Angie Harmon, Swoosie Kurtz, Bernadette Peters, Jennifer Coolidge, Regina King, Tammy Blanchard, John Benjamin Hickey, Paula Cale and Trudie Styler

'Living Proof,' Lifetime Television's Marquee Original Movie Starring Emmy(R) and Grammy(R) Award Winner Harry Connick, Jr. Adds Star-Studded Lineup to Cast, Including Amanda Bynes, Angie Harmon, Swoosie Kurtz, Bernadette Peters, Jennifer Coolidge, Regina King, Tammy Blanchard, John Benjamin Hickey, Paula Cale and Trudie Styler

Oscar(R) Winner Renee Zellweger ("Chicago") Reteams with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, Executive Producers of the Oscar(R)-Winning "Chicago" as the Producers for the Sony Pictures Television Project

Movie Airs in October as Centerpiece of Lifetime's 14th Annual Award-Winning Public Awareness Campaign, "Stop Breast Cancer for Life"

LOS ANGELES, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- "Living Proof," Lifetime Television's Marquee Original Movie starring Emmy(R) and Grammy(R) Award winner Harry Connick, Jr. ("Hope Floats"), has added an array of acclaimed actors to its ensemble cast. They include: Amanda Bynes ("Hairspray"), Angie Harmon ("Women's Murder Club"), Emmy(R) winner Swoosie Kurtz ("Pushing Daisies"), Tony(R) winner Bernadette Peters ("Boston Legal"), Jennifer Coolidge ("American Pie"), Regina King ("Ray"), Emmy(R) winner Tammy Blanchard ("Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"), John Benjamin Hickey ("Flags of Our Fathers"), Paula Cale ("Providence") and Trudie Styler ("Empire"). "Living Proof" will premiere in October 2008 on Lifetime Television, as part of the Network's Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

"Living Proof" is the moving true story of Dr. Dennis Slamon, the UCLA doctor who developed the revolutionary breast cancer drug, Herceptin, and his relentless battle to keep the drug trials afloat and save the lives of thousands of women. The newly cast actors join Connick currently filming in his hometown of New Orleans. "Living Proof" is produced by Academy Award(R)-winning actress Renee Zellweger ("Chicago"), film and television producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Chicago") and Sony Pictures Television.

The movie is also a reunion for Zadan and Meron with many of the cast members. The producers previously worked with Peters ("Cinderella"), Blanchard (Emmy(R) winner as young Judy in "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"), Cale ("Brian's Song" and "Martin & Lewis"), Styler ("Empire"), Hickey ("Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows" and the television series "It's All Relative"), Bynes ("Hairspray"), and fellow executive producer Zellweger ("Chicago").

   The "Living Proof" cast includes:   -- Amanda Bynes as Jamie, Dr. Slamon's student assistant.   -- Angie Harmon portrays Lilly Tartikoff, wife of NBC Television president      Brandon Tartikoff, and the person responsible for raising money to      continue Dr. Slamon's research.   -- Swoosie Kurtz is Elizabeth, Nicole's grandmother fighting to keep her      granddaughter alive.   -- Bernadette Peters as Barbara, a retired art teacher and the first woman      in Dr. Slamon's drug trial saved by Herceptin.   -- Regina King plays Ellie, a fashion designer and breast cancer survivor.   -- Tammy Blanchard is cast as Nicole, the very first woman to ever receive      Herceptin.   -- John Benjamin Hickey is Blake, Dr. Slamon's friend and fellow      scientist.   -- Paula Cale portrays Dr. Slamon's compassionate wife, Donna.   -- Trudie Styler is Tina and Jennifer Coolidge is Tish, both participants      in Phase One of the Her2 study.    

"Living Proof" is produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's Storyline Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. Renee Zellweger, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan ("Chicago"), and screenwriter Vivienne Radkoff ("Tempted," "The Agency") are the executive producers. Dan Ireland ("Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont," "Whole Wide World," "Passionada") directs from a script written by Radkoff.

Amanda Bynes has numerous film and television credits including the Golden Globe(R)-nominated "Hairspray," "Big Fat Liar" with Frankie Muniz, "What a Girl Wants" with Colin Firth and Kelly Preston and "She's the Man." In 2004, she loaned her voice to the animated hit film "Robots." On television, Bynes starred in Nickelodeon's "All That" for four seasons and her own variety sketch show, "The Amanda Show." Bynes recently branched out with the launch of her own clothing company, "Dear by Amanda Bynes," with Steve and Barry's.

Angie Harmon most recently starred in the ABC drama "Women's Murder Club" and is best known for her starring role on NBC's Emmy(R)-winning drama "Law & Order." Harmon made her network television series debut starring opposite Eric Roberts on ABC's "C-16: FBI." Other television credits include ABC's "Secrets of a Small Town." Harmon's film credits include "Agent Cody Banks" and the independent film "Lawn Dogs" where she made her feature film debut.

Swoosie Kurtz currently stars in the ABC series "Pushing Daisies." Her work has spanned stage, screen and television. Kurtz's film credits include "Citizen Ruth," "Liar, Liar," "Duplex," "Cruel Intentions," "The Rules of Attraction," "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Reality Bites." The two-time Tony(R) Award winner and Emmy(R) Award-winning actress, most recently twice nominated for her work in "Huff" for Showtime, also starred in the NBC series "Sisters" and "Love, Sydney."

Bernadette Peters is a two-time Tony(R) Award-winning actress who has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage, on television, in concert and in the recording industry. While Peters is best known for her work in the theatre, she boasts an impressive list of television credits including "Ally McBeal," for which she received an Emmy(R) nomination, "Cinderella," "What the Deaf Man Heard," "The Odyssey," "Fall From Grace," "The Last Best Year" and "Prince Charming." Peters has appeared in 17 films including: "It Run in the Family," "Impromptu," "Pennies From Heaven," for which she received a Golden Globe(R) Award, "The Jerk," "The Longest Yard," "Silent Movie" and "Annie" just to name a few.

Jennifer Coolidge is a versatile character actress with a long list of credits, perhaps best known for playing the character "Stifler's mom" in the film "American Pie." A long-running member of The Groundlings, Coolidge made her television debut on "Seinfeld." Her other film credits include: "American Pie 2," "Best in Show," "For Your Consideration," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," "Legally Blonde," "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," "A Mighty Wind" and "Zoolander." On television, she has been seen in "Nip/Tuck," "Joey," "According to Jim" and "Sex and the City."

Regina King starred in the Academy Award(R)-winning film "Ray." Her other film credits include "Boyz n the Hood," "Poetic Justice," "Higher Learning," "Friday," "Jerry Maguire," "Enemy of the State," "How Stella Got Her Grove Back" and "Daddy Day Care." She also provided the voices of Huey and Riley Freeman in "The Boondocks." She guest-starred on "24" and also starred in HBO's "If These Walls Could Talk 2."

Tammy Blanchard made her mark in television starring as young Judy in the television movie "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows," for which she won an Emmy(R) and was nominated for a Golden Globe(R). She also starred in "Sybil" and the Emmy(R) nominated Lifetime Original Movie, "We Were the Mulvaneys." Her feature film credits include "The Good Shepherd," "Bella" and "Stealing Harvard." Blanchard was nominated for a Tony(R) Award in 2003 for "Gypsy." She began her career on the long-running daytime drama, "Guiding Light."

John Benjamin Hickey starred in the Oscar(R) nominated feature film "Flags of Our Fathers," directed by Clint Eastwood. His additional film credits include "Then She Found Me" directed by Helen Hunt, "Freedom Writers," "Infamous," "Flightplan," "The Bone Collector" and "The Ice Storm." He has also made numerous television guest appearances including "Brothers & Sisters," Law & Order," "Alias" and "NYPD Blue." He starred in the Emmy(R) Award-winning and Golden Globe(R)-nominated "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows."

Paula Cale is perhaps most recognizable from her role as Joanie Hansen on the NBC drama "Providence." She starred in the television movies "Martin and Lewis" and "Brian's Song" and guest-starred in the television series "House" and "Ghost Whisperer." Most recently, she appeared in the Neil LaBute play "Some Girl(s)" at the Geffen Playhouse.

Trudie Styler is an actress, producer, director and environmental activist. Married to pop star Sting, she has appeared in numerous films including "Alpha Male," "Bug," "Me Without You," "The Grotesque" and "Fair Game." Her producing credits include "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "Snatch" and "Sweatbox," which she also directed. She appeared in the television miniseries "Empire" and had a recurring role on "Love Soup."

"Living Proof" premieres during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month as the centerpiece of Lifetime's 14th annual multi-platform Stop Breast Cancer for Life public service and advocacy campaign, which reaches women and families in more than 96 million homes across the country in partnership with the Network's cable affiliates, advertising sponsors and twelve leading nonprofit organizations. Other original films that the network has made previously for this commitment include the 2007 movie "Matters of Life & Dating" starring Ricki Lake and the 2006 movie "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy" starring Sarah Chalke, which was nominated for an Emmy(R) Award in the category of "Outstanding Made for Television Movie."

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment for network and cable television, as well as first-run and off-network series for syndication. With more than 25 programs on the air, SPT boasts a program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT also owns one-half of cable channel GSN, and is a partner in FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service. Sony Pictures Television oversees all of Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) domestic digital distribution efforts across all platforms, including the internet and mobile.

Sony Pictures Television, advertiser sales, is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses, for Sony BMG and for iN DEMAND's high-definition channel Mojo and Tennis Channel, and is part owner of national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including myLifetime.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Lifetime Networks

CONTACT: Tracy Speed, Lifetime, +1-310-556-7541, tspeed@lifetimetv.com;
or Lindsay Colker, Sony Pictures Television, +1-310-244-3774,
Lindsay_Colker@spe.sony.com

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: *Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com


Profile: International Entertainment

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