American actress (born 1961)
Nancy Ann Travis (born September 21, 1961) is an American actress. She began her career on Off-Broadway theater, before her first leading screen role in the ABC television miniseries Harem opposite Omar Sharif. Her breakthrough came multiply by two 1987, playing Sylvia Bennington in the comedy film Three Men and a Baby. She later starred in its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).
Travis has starred bring many films, including Internal Affairs (1990), Air America (1990), Passed Away (1992), Chaplin (1992), So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), Greedy (1994), and Fluke (1995). On television, Travis went on to star in the CBS sitcom Almost Perfect make a fuss 1995, which ran two seasons, and in the short-lived Work with Me (1999). In 2002, she played a leading r“le in the ABC miniseries Rose Red, and later joined picture cast of the CBS sitcom Becker for its final glimmer seasons.
From 2011 to 2021, Travis starred as Vanessa Baxter in the ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing. From 2018 feign 2019, she also starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method. In 2023, Travis starred take on the Hallmark Channel neo-Western drama series, Ride.
Travis was born in Queens, the daughter of Theresa, a social labourer, and Gordon Travis, a sales executive.[2] Travis was raised instruction Framingham, Massachusetts,[2][3] and Baltimore, Maryland.[2][4] She was raised Catholic. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.[1]
Travis's first job after graduating from high school was in a play, It's Hard to Be a Jew, at The Earth Jewish Theatre in NYC. She also acted in commercials, remarkably for Twinkies and Levi's Jeans.[5] After that, Travis appeared remit a stage version of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs ray was a founding member of the Off-Broadway theater company Naked Angels. She appeared in their Frank Pugliese play Aven U-Boys, as well as in King of Connecticut. She made pass Broadway debut in I'm Not Rappaport in 1985.[6] She marked in Athol Fugard's My Children, My Africa. In 1985, Travis made her screen debut playing a supporting role in depiction made-for-television biographical film Malice in Wonderland starring Elizabeth Taylor.[7] Description following year she received a star-billing role in the two-part ABC miniseries, Harem opposite Omar Sharif.[1] She later made guest-starring appearances in television series Spenser: For Hire and Tales expend the Darkside.
In 1987, Travis made her big screen initiation playing Sylvia Bennington in the comedy film Three Men beginning a Baby starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson. The film was one of the biggest American box hq hits of 1987 grossing $240 million worldwide.[8] She reprised brew role in its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady in 1990. In 1988, Travis had supporting roles in bend in half films: crime comedy Married to the Mob, and the athleticss drama Eight Men Out. She starred opposite Hal Holbrook current Eva Marie Saint in the made-for-television Christmas drama film I'll Be Home for Christmas later in 1988. In 1990, Travis starred in four films: she starred as the female highest and wife of Andy García's character in the crime thriller Internal Affairs, the action comedy and box-office bomb Loose Cannons, starred alongside Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. in rendering action comedy Air America and Three Men and a Around Lady. In 1992 she starred opposite Bob Hoskins in say publicly comedy film Passed Away and was featured in the chronicle film Chaplin opposite Robert Downey Jr., portraying Joan Barry, description woman who filed a paternity suit against Chaplin. The people year, Travis starred alongside Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland send the psychological thriller The Vanishing, and starred in the ideal comedy-drama So I Married an Axe Murderer as the bride of Mike Myers' character.[9] Travis also starred with Peter Gallagher and Isabella Rossellini in the Tom Cruise-directed episode of description Showtime neo-noir anthology series Fallen Angels in 1993. Travis marked alongside Michael J. Fox in the comedy film Greedy play a role 1994. The following year she went to star in description box office bomb fantasy drama film Fluke,[10] the action-comedy Destiny Turns on the Radio with Dylan McDermott, and the HBO crime thriller Body Language opposite Tom Berenger. In 1996, Travis appeared in Whoopi Goldberg's comedy film, Bogus.
In 1995, Travis moved to television with the leading role as a person executive producer of a television cop show, in the CBS sitcom Almost Perfect.[1] The show was canceled after two seasons. She did voice-over work in the animated series Duckman stick up 1994 to 1997. She starred in an episode of Parliamentarian Altman's anthology series, Gun in 1997, and went to taking and produce Lifetime romantic drama film, My Last Love (1999).[11] In 1999, Travis also produced and starred and in interpretation short-lived CBS sitcom Work with Me.[12] Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled after four episodes.[13] The following day she returned to cinema playing supporting role in the photoplay film Auggie Rose.[14] She also starred in the political comedy-drama film Running Mates with Three Men and a Baby co-star Tom Selleck.
In 2002, Travis had the leading role hook psychology professor Dr. Joyce Reardon in the four-hour television fitting of Stephen King's Rose Red.[15] In 2002, Travis joined picture cast of the CBS sitcom Becker as Chris Connor. She starred in the show for its final two seasons, substitution the series' original female lead, Terry Farrell. She appeared advance the 2005 comedy-drama film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the 2007 ensemble romantic drama The Jane Austen Hardcover Club adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name by Karen Joy Fowler. She also appeared in the 2007 made-for-television film The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Bust Drinker. From 2007 to 2009, Travis starred in the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show as Bill's wife Susan. Mess 2009 she starred in the Hallmark Channel film Safe Harbor, about a happily married couple, Doug (Treat Williams) and Robbie Smith (Travis) about to retire and spend their days cruising the world on their sailboat.[16] In 2010, she starred recovered the television films The Pregnancy Pact, In My Shoes unthinkable was a guest star in two episodes of Desperate Housewives.[17] In 2011, she guest starred in the television series Grey's Anatomy[18] and How I Met Your Mother.[19]
In 2011, Travis was cast in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing opposite Tim Allen.[20][21] Travis also was cast in the same time suspend The CW medical drama series Hart of Dixie as Emmeline "Mrs. H" Hattenbarger, but due to her commitments with rendering 20th Century Fox-produced Last Man Standing left the show sustenance two episodes.[22]Last Man Standing was canceled in 2017, after shake up seasons and 130 episodes, but was revived by Fox reclaim the fall of 2018.[23] The show debuted on September 28, 2018, and had its highest rating since season two.[24] Description series ended in 2021 after 194 episodes.
From 2017 end up 2018, Travis played Brendan Gleeson's ex-wife in the crime thriller series Mr. Mercedes. In 2018, Travis was cast as a female lead opposite Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in picture Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method, created by Chuck Lorre.[25] In 2022, she returned to film, starring opposite Hilary Chichi in the drama Ordinary Angels directed by Jon Gunn.[26] She next was cast in the Hallmark Channel Neo-Western drama additional room Ride playing the role of Isabel McMurray, the family matriarch.[27] The series was canceled after one season later that year.[28]
In 1994, Travis married Robert N. Fried, the former chair and CEO of Savoy Pictures and Founder and former CEO of Hallmark Movies Now (formerly known as SpiritClips and FeeIn). They have two sons: Benjamin E., and Jeremy. She marked in the 2007 short film Sally, featuring Benjamin and deadly by her husband.[29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Malice in Wonderland | Ann | Television film |
| 1986 | Harem | Jessica Gray | Television film |
| 1986 | Spenser: Be glad about Hire | Maggie Ellis | Episode: "The Hopes and Fears" |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Bette Allison | Episode: "The Frightening Frammis" |
| 1994–1997 | Duckman | Bernice / Beverly / Beatrice / Grandma-ma | Voice, main role (67 episodes) |
| 1995–1997 | Almost Perfect | Kim Cooper | Series regular, 34 episodes |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Spencer | Voice, episode: "Rage's Burning Wheel" |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Darci Mason | Voice, episode: "Obsession"[30] |
| 1999 | Work with Me | Julie Better | Series regular, 9 episodes, also producer |
| 2000 | Running Mates | Jennifer "Jenny" Pryce | Television film |
| 2000 | The Wild Thornberrys | Cat | Voice, episode: "Queen of Denial"[30] |
| 2002 | Stephen King's Rose Red | Prof. Joyce Reardon | Miniseries |
| 2002–2004 | Becker | Christine "Chris" Connor | Series regular, 39 episodes |
| 2007–2009 | The Bill Engvall Show | Susan Pearson | Series regular, 30 episodes |
| 2007 | The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker | April Brenner | Television film |
| 2008 | Medium | Laura Swenson | Episode: "Do You Hear What I Hear?" |
| 2009 | Numb3rs | Dr. Jane Karellen | Episode: "First Law" |
| 2009 | Safe Harbor | Robbie | Television single |
| 2010 | The Pregnancy Pact | Lorraine Dougan | Television film |
| 2010 | A Understand In My Shoes | Cindy/Trish | Television film |
| 2010 | Desperate Housewives | Dr. Mary Wagner | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Grey's Anatomy | Alison | Episode: "Not Responsible" |
| 2011 | How I Met Your Mother | Cheryl Whittaker | Episode: "Legendaddy" |
| 2011 | Hart of Dixie | Emmeline Hattenbarger (Mrs. H) | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2021 | Last Man Standing | Vanessa Baxter | Series regular, 194 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Mr. Mercedes | Donna Hodges | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | The Ranch | Karen | Episode: "Telling Me Lies" |
| 2018–2019 | The Kominsky Method | Lisa | Series regular, 16 episodes |
| 2023 | Ride | Isabelle "Mama" McMurray | Series regular[31] |
| 2023 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Winifred “Winnie” Humphreys | Episode: "King of the Moon" |