Meredith Eaton
Encyclopedia
Meredith Hope Eaton is an American
actress. She is 4 feet (1.22 m) tall and refers to herself as a "short-stature actress". She is best known for portraying the attorney Emily Resnick on the CBS
television series Family Law
(in which she was the first female dwarf
to fill a regular role in an American prime time
series), and for her recurring role as Bethany Horowitz on the ABC
series Boston Legal
.
to a clinical psychiatrist
mother and an administrative law
judge
father. She attended Hofstra University
in Hempstead, New York
, where she was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon
sorority; she graduated in 1996 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies
, minoring in theater. In June 2007, she was named by Hofstra University as their Alumnus
of the Month.
She later earned a master's degree
in clinical psychology
from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University
, where she achieved a 4.0 grade point average
. She would later credit her training in psychology for giving her a better ability to understand character dynamics
in preparing for acting roles.
Eaton's acting career began in 1999 when she attended an open casting call
for the comedy film Unconditional Love. Despite it being her first audition, she won out over 500 women from Canada
, the United States
, and the United Kingdom
to be cast in the role of Maudey Beasley.
Unconditional Love was not released until 2002. Her performance was seen by Paul Haggis
, who created the role of Emily Resnick for her on Family Law
. Joining the cast in 2002, she continued with the series until its cancellation later that same year. She later had significant guest appearances on NYPD Blue
, Dharma & Greg
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, House
and NCIS
. She also appeared as herself in Standing Tall at Auschwitz, which was a History Channel documentary on the Ovitz family
, and in No Bigger Than a Minute, an independent documentary on dwarfism
which aired on the PBS
program P.O.V.
In 2006, she joined the cast of Boston Legal
as Bethany Horowitz, a love interest to William Shatner
's character Denny Crane. The role was written specifically for her by David E. Kelley
.
She has a dual career as both a mental health therapist and an actress, though she stated in 2007 that her acting career had priority. Finding difficulty in obtaining new roles following the cancellation of Family Law, and disliking the stereotypical
parts frequently offered to little people
in Hollywood, she worked for a year at a locked, in-patient psychiatric unit
in California
, sometimes with dangerous patients. She has advised prospective professional actors to "(h)ave a backup plan" and has stated that her psychology degree is her "safety net".
, also an actor, from May 20, 2001, until his death in Los Angeles, California
on December 5, 2006. Eaton married Los Angeles photographer Brian S. Gordon on October 12, 2008. They have one child together.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress. She is 4 feet (1.22 m) tall and refers to herself as a "short-stature actress". She is best known for portraying the attorney Emily Resnick on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Family Law
Family Law (TV series)
Family Law is a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as divorced lawyer Lynn Holt, who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients...
(in which she was the first female dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
to fill a regular role in an American prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
series), and for her recurring role as Bethany Horowitz on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
.
Early life
Eaton was born on Long Island, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to a clinical psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
mother and an administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
father. She attended Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
in Hempstead, New York
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
, where she was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon
Delta Phi Epsilon (social)
Delta Phi Epsilon is an international sorority founded on March 17, 1917 at New York University Law School in New York City...
sorority; she graduated in 1996 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
, minoring in theater. In June 2007, she was named by Hofstra University as their Alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the Month.
She later earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
, where she achieved a 4.0 grade point average
Academic grading in North America
Academic grading in North America varies from country to country and even within countries.-United States:The most commonly used index in the U.S. educational system uses five letter grades. Historically, the grades were A, B, C, D, and F—A being the highest and F, denoting failure, the lowest...
. She would later credit her training in psychology for giving her a better ability to understand character dynamics
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in preparing for acting roles.
Professional career
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
for the comedy film Unconditional Love. Despite it being her first audition, she won out over 500 women from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to be cast in the role of Maudey Beasley.
Unconditional Love was not released until 2002. Her performance was seen by Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
, who created the role of Emily Resnick for her on Family Law
Family Law (TV series)
Family Law is a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as divorced lawyer Lynn Holt, who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients...
. Joining the cast in 2002, she continued with the series until its cancellation later that same year. She later had significant guest appearances on NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
and NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. She also appeared as herself in Standing Tall at Auschwitz, which was a History Channel documentary on the Ovitz family
Ovitz family
The Ovitz family were a family of Jewish actors/traveling musicians who survived imprisonment at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Most of them were dwarfs.-Origin:...
, and in No Bigger Than a Minute, an independent documentary on dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
which aired on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
program P.O.V.
P.O.V.
POV is a Public Broadcasting Service Public television series which features independent nonfiction films. POV is a cinema term for "point of view"....
In 2006, she joined the cast of Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
as Bethany Horowitz, a love interest to William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
's character Denny Crane. The role was written specifically for her by David E. Kelley
David E. Kelley
David Edward Kelley is an American television writer and producer, known as the creator of Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Boston Legal and Harry's Law, as well as several films. Kelley is one of the only screenwriters to have had a show created by him run on...
.
She has a dual career as both a mental health therapist and an actress, though she stated in 2007 that her acting career had priority. Finding difficulty in obtaining new roles following the cancellation of Family Law, and disliking the stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
parts frequently offered to little people
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
in Hollywood, she worked for a year at a locked, in-patient psychiatric unit
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, sometimes with dangerous patients. She has advised prospective professional actors to "(h)ave a backup plan" and has stated that her psychology degree is her "safety net".
Personal life
Eaton was married to Michael GildenMichael Gilden
Michael Jeffrey Gilden was an American actor with dwarfism . He lived and worked in Los Angeles....
, also an actor, from May 20, 2001, until his death in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on December 5, 2006. Eaton married Los Angeles photographer Brian S. Gordon on October 12, 2008. They have one child together.
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites... |
Kate Palmer | "Pride & Prejudice" |
| NYPD Blue NYPD Blue NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan... |
Stella Kensington | "Family Ties" | |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | Maudey Beasley | |
| Family Law Family Law (TV series) Family Law is a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as divorced lawyer Lynn Holt, who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients... |
Emily Resnick | (14 episodes) | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Melanie Grace | "A Little Murder" | |
| 2003 | Mr. Ambassador | Melody | TV |
| 2006 | House House (TV series) House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in... |
Maddy | "Merry Little Christmas" |
| P.O.V. P.O.V. POV is a Public Broadcasting Service Public television series which features independent nonfiction films. POV is a cinema term for "point of view".... |
Herself | "No Bigger Than a Minute" | |
| Boston Legal Boston Legal Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC... |
Bethany Horowitz | (18 episodes, 2006–2008) | |
| 2007 | Without a Trace Without a Trace Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:... |
Brenda Spivak | "Claus and Effect" (as Meredith Eaton-Gilden) |
| 2008 | Ball’s Out: The Gary Houseman Story Ball’s Out: The Gary Houseman Story Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach is an American comedy film directed by Danny Leiner starring Seann William Scott, Randy Quaid and Leonor Varela. The film was filmed mostly in the Austin, Texas area and Taylor, Texas... |
Mrs. Tuttle | |
| 2009 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Carol Wilson | "Faith" |
| 2011 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Carol Wilson | "Devil's Triangle" |
External links
- Interview with Matthew RoloffMatthew RoloffMatthew James Roloff is an actor, author, farmer and businessman, best known for participating with his family in the reality television program Little People, Big World seen on TLC. The show featured the Roloffs' daily life...
of The Learning Channel (video) - Clip from the documentary No Bigger Than a Minute (video)