ANNE HATHAWAY (Jane Austen) Continuing to emerge as one of Hollywood's most engaging talents, Anne Hathaway's most recently starred with Meryl Streep in the hit comedy THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, following on the heels of her critically admired turn in Ang Lee's Oscar®-winning drama, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. She also recently starred in the independent drama HAVOC directed by Barbara Kopple, and provided the voice for "Red" in the animated film HOODWINKED.

Hathaway traveled to Cambodia in January 2005 on behalf of the documentary, A MOMENT IN THE WORLD, organized by Angelina Jolie. The project placed roughly 25 participants in various locations on a specific day, each instructed to videotape their surroundings at the same specific, "moment in time."

Hathaway has also been dedicating her time and efforts to community service on this side of the globe. She has been involved with the Step Up Women's Network, a foundation created to strengthen community resources for women and girls. She is also on the advisory board for Lollipop Theater Network, an organization that screens movies in hospitals for pediatric patients suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Hathaway was recently seen in Garry Marshall's anticipated sequel, THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT. Starring opposite Julie Andrews, Hathaway reprised her role as Princess Mia Thermopolis for which she received a 2002 Teen Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy for the original THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Other credits include the starring role in ELLA ENCHANTED based on Gail Carson Levine's celebrated novel and directed by Tommy O'Haver, as well as NICHOLAS NICKLEBY based on the novel by Charles Dickens. Directed by Douglas McGrath, Hathaway starred as Madeline Bray in this classical adaptation. Prior to that, she was seen in the independent film THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN directed by Mitch Davis.

Hathaway gained Hollywood's attention for her acclaimed turn in the series "Get Real," for which she was nominated for a 2000 Teen Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama. She studied acting at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and at the award winning Barrow Group in New York City, becoming the first and only teen ever admitted to their intensive acting program. She also studied in the musical theater program with the Collaborative Arts Project, CAP 21, affiliated with New York University. In high school, Hathaway was nominated for the Rising Star Award, sponsored by the Paper Mill Playhouse, for the best high school performance by an actress in the state of New Jersey.

Hathaway's theater credits include: The Lincoln Center Encore series presentation of "Carnival," for which she won the prestigious 57th Annual Clarence Derwent Award; Andrew Lloyd Webber's workshop of "Woman in White" and, "Forever Your Child." In 2004-2005, she also participated in the Encores Concert Gala as well as the Stephen Sondheim Birthday Gala.

Hathaway is also an accomplished dancer who studied at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Additionally, she is a first soprano and has performed in two concerts at Carnegie Hall as a member of the All-Eastern US High School Honors Chorus.
--Back to top

JAMES MCAVOY (Tom Lefroy) James McAvoy was most recently seen in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, starring opposite Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker as the physician to Idi Amin, and in the romantic comedy drama STARTER FOR TEN. McAvoy was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1979 and graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2000. After playing Dan in Paul Abbott's highly acclaimed TV series "State of Play," he went on to film the role of Leto in the Science Fiction miniseries "Children of Dune" in 2003. He starred in Stephen Fry's directorial debut BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS in the same year and received a nomination as Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2004 for his role in the TV series "Shameless."

In the film INSIDE I'M DANCING, which won the Edinburgh Film Festival Audience Award, he played Rory O'Shea, an Irish teenager who suffers from muscular dystrophy, and was nominated for Best British Actor from the London Film Critics Circle. James also appeared in WIMBLEDON alongside Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, for which he was nominated as Best British Actor from the London Film Critics Circle and as Best Newcomer at the Empire Film Awards in 2006.
--Back to top

JULIE WALTERS (Mrs. Austen) Julie Walters made her theatre debut in 1980 when she played the title role in Willy Russell's play "Educating Rita," for which she subsequently won the Variety Club and the Critics Award for Best Newcomer. The film of the play was made in 1983 and Julie Walters won a BAFTA award for Best Film Actress, a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar® nomination performing alongside Michael Caine. Julie Walters also received a BAFTA Film Award, an Oscar® nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a supporting Role for playing Billy's dancing teacher in the film BILLY ELLIOTT. Recent film credits include CALENDAR GIRLS and her role as Molly Weasley in the four HARRY POTTER films.

For her performance in Sam's Shepard's play "Fool for Love" at the National Theatre in London she was nominated for the Olivier Award, which she won for her role in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," also at the National Theatre.

Julie Walters is well known for her TV appearences alongside comedienne Victoria Woods, including the BAFTA award winning TV series "Dinnerladies." Further TV credits include the BBC films "Say Something Happened" written by Alan Bennet and Alan's Bleasedale's "Boys From the Blackstuff," receiving a BAFTA nomination for each. She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress in 2002, 2003 and 2004 for her peformances in "My Beautiful Son," "Murder" and "The Canterbury Tales," respectively.
--Back to top

JAMES CROMWELL (Mr. Austen) Born in Los Angeles, but raised in Manhattan, James Cromwell is a highly respected Hollywood character actor who worked extensively on the stage before beginning his film career in 1976. He first became known to international audiences with his role as Farmer Hoggett in BABE (1995). His work in the film earned James an Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actor, as well as numerous other feature films, including THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (1996), STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (1996), L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997), THE GREEN MILE (1999) and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (1999). He was most recently seen as Prince Philip in the acclaimed THE QUEEN, starring Helen Mirren in the Oscar®- winning role of Queen Elizabeth.

James has also made many notable guest appearances on television including "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "The Next Generation," "LA Law," "Hill Street Blues" and "MASH."
--Back to top

MAGGIE SMITH (Lady Gresham) Dame Maggie Smith is quite simply one of the world's greatest stage and screen actresses, revered both by her peers and the public alike and the recipient of countless awards, including two Academy Awards, the CBE and the DBE. Most recently she received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for her role in Robert Altman's highly acclaimed GOSFORD PARK.

She has been seen in all of the HARRY POTTER films as Minerva McGonagall and reprises the role in HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. Smith first appeared on stage with the Oxford University Drama Society in 1952 and then made her professional debut in New York in "The New Faces 1956 Revue." She joined the Old Vic Company in 1959 and began gathering awards including the 1962 Evening Standard's Best Actress Award for her roles as Doreen in "The Private Ear" and Belinda in "The Public Eye." Smith joined The National Theatre in 1963 playing Desdemona opposite Laurence Olivier's Othello and went on to further success in "Black Comedy," "Miss Julie," "The Country Wife," "The Beaux Strategem" and "Much Ado About Nothing."

But it was in 1969 and her portrayal in THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE that catapulted her into the public eye and won her an Academy Award®¨ and the Society of Film and TV Arts Best Actress Awards.

Further film roles followed including TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT (nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Actress) and DEATH ON THE NILE. In 1977, Smith won her second Academy Award®¨ and a Golden Globe for her role in Neil Simon's CALIFORNIA SUITE.

The accolades continued to flow with Alan Bennet's A PRIVATE FUNCTION (co-starring Michael Palin) for which she won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, a Variety Club Award and her fifth Academy Award®¨ nomination. Further film success followed with Merchant Ivory's A ROOM WITH A VIEW; THE LONELY PASSION OF JUDITH HEARNE (and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress); Steven Spielberg's HOOK; SISTER ACT; THE SECRET GARDEN; RICHARD III, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB; WASHINGTON SQUARE; TEA WITH MUSSOLINI (for which she won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress); THE LAST SEPTEMBER and Callie Khouri's THE DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD with Sandra Bullock.

She was also recently seen with Chris Cooper in MY HOUSE IN UMBRIA, in Charle's Dance's LADIES IN LAVENDER and KEEPING MUM with Rowan Atkinson.Smith has remained faithful to her stage career throughout her illustrious film and television career. She played the title role of "Hedda Gabler" in 1970 and won her second Variety Club Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Mrs Millamant in "The Way of the World." Further stage productions include "Night and Day" and Edna O'Brien's "Virginia" for which she received the Evening Standard Drama Award for Best Actress.

Other notable productions include "The Interpreters"; "Infernal Machine"; "Coming in to Land"; "Lettice and Lovage" (for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress); "The Importance of Being Earnest"; "Three Tall Women" (for which she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress); "A Delicate Balance"; Alan Bennet's "Lady in the Van"; and most recently opposite Judi Dench in David Hare's "The Breath of Life."

Major television credits include Granada's "Mrs. Silly," for which she won a BAFTA for Best Actress; the BBC's "Momento Mori"; "Suddenly Last Summer" and "Talking Heads: Bed Among the Lentils" for which she won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actress and most recently The BBC's "All the King's Men" and "David Copperfield."

In 1970 Smith received a CBE and in 1990 she became Dame Maggie Smith when she received the DBE. She was awarded the Hamburg Shakespeare Prize in 1991, is a Fellow of the British Film Institute; was awarded a Silver BAFTA in 1993, is an Hon. DLitt of Cambridge University and St. Andrews and is a patron of the Jane Austen Society.
--Back to top