CARLY SCHROEDER (Grace Bowen)
ELISABETH SHUE (Lindsay Bowen)
DERMOT MULRONEY (Bryan Bowen)
ANDREW SHUE (Coach Clark)
JESSE LEE SOFFER (Johnny Bowen)
JOSHUA CARAS (Peter)
JULIA GARRO (Jena Walpen)
HUNTER SCHROEDER (Mike Bowen)
TREVOR HEINS (Daniel Bowen)
MADISON ARNOLD (Grandad)
JOHN DOMAN (Coach Colasanti)
CHRISTOPHER SHAND (Kyle Rhodes)
KARL GIROLAMO (Curt)
EMMA BELL (Kate Dorset)

CAST BIOS

CARLY SCHROEDER (Grace Bowen)

Recently, Schroeder completed work in the independent film Prey, directed by Darrell Roodt and shot in South Africa. She has also finished a starring role in the independent feature Eye of the Dolphin, written and directed by Michael Sellers.

Schroeder was most recently seen in Richard Loncraine’s, Firewall for Warner Brothers Studios playing the daughter of Harrison Ford and Virginia Madsen’s character; she is taken hostage in order for the kidnappers to blackmail Ford.

Schroeder also stars in the Paramount Classics’ movie Mean Creek, released in August 2004. Mean Creek debuted at The Sundance Film Festival, and screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the Stockholm Film Festival, the London Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. Recently, the film received the prestigious Humanitas Award. In Mean Creek Schroeder plays best friend to Sam, played by Rory Culkin, and Rocky, played by Trevor Morgan, who embark on a haunting teenage take on deliverance in which a prank turns to tragedy. The cast received the Special Distinction Award at the Independent Spirit Awards and the film won the John Cassavetes Award.

Previously, Schroeder portrayed Serena Baldwin, the adorable daughter of Scotty Baldwin and Lucy Coe, on not one but two soap operas: General Hospital and its sister show Port Charles. She has completed over 480 episodes in six years as Serena Baldwin.

Schroeder added comedy to her resume by recurring on Disney Channel’s number one show Lizzie McGuire. She resumed her role as Melina Bianco, a devilish, free-spirited, prankster and best friend to Matt McGuire in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. She also stepped into the ring with The Rock for the Best D*** Sports Show Period. Schroeder has guest starred on The George Lopez Show for ABC, as well as on Dawson’s Creek for the WB Network. She has provided her voice in two movies, Babe Pig in the City and Toy Story II, and played Cindy Brady in the movie Growing Up Brady. Schroeder has appeared in dozens of commercials, her favorite being “Got Milk?”

Schroeder lives in Los Angeles with her parents and younger brother. In her free time she enjoys horseback riding, fencing, karate, scuba diving, surfing, and soccer.

ELISABETH SHUE (Lindsay Bowen)

Elisabeth Shue was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for her performance in Mike Figgis’s Leaving Las Vegas, in which she starred opposite Nicolas Cage. Shue’s poignant portrayal of a prostitute who has a doomed love affair with an alcoholic also brought her Best Actress Awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Chicago Film Critics, and the National Society of Film Critics, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award.

Shue most recently starred in Dreamer opposite Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning. Her list of film credits includes Hide and Seek, opposite Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning; the independent film Mysterious Skin, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival; Paul Verhoeven’s Hollow Man, opposite Kevin Bacon; the title role in John Duigan’s Molly; Des McAnuff’s Cousin Bette; Volker Schlondorff’s Palmetto; Woody Allen’s Deconstructing Harry; Phillip Noyce’s The Saint, opposite Val Kilmer; David Koepp’s The Trigger Effect opposite Kyle MacLachlan and Gracie co-star Dermot Mulroney; Ron Underwood’s Heart and Souls, opposite Robert Downey Jr.; Soapdish, with Sally Field and Kevin Kline; Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future, Parts II & III, with Michael J. Fox; Roger Donaldson’s Cocktail, opposite Tom Cruise; Chris Columbus’s Adventures in Babysitting; and John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid.

On television, Shue starred in the Oprah Winfrey Presentation Amy and Isabelle. In addition to her work on the screen, Shue starred on Broadway in Richard Nelson’s Some Americans Abroad and off-Broadway in Lanford Wilson’s Burn This, opposite Peter Sarsgaard.

DERMOT MULRONEY (Bryan Bowen)

Dermot Mulroney was most recently seen in David Fincher’s Zodiac and Garry Marshall’s Georgia Rule. Zodiac, based on Robert Graysmith’s novel about the lives and careers of the detectives and news journalists as they search for the notorious 1970s San Francisco serial killer, also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr,. and Mark Ruffalo. In Georgia Rule, Mulroney stars opposite Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman, and Lindsey Lohan. He also recently wrapped production on Jolene, directed by Dan Ireland, in which he stars opposite Chazz Palminteri.

Mulroney’s recent credits include The Family Stone, a romantic comedy for Fox in which he starred opposite Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Luke Wilson, and Rachel McAdams; the Warner Bros. romantic comedy, Must Love Dogs, with Diane Lane and John Cusack; the Universal romantic comedy, The Wedding Date, with Debra Messing; and David Gordon Green’s Undertow, with Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas.

He also appeared in Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt, co-starring Jack Nicholson and Hope Davis; and in The Safety of Objects, an ensemble film adapted from the A.M. Homes novel of the same name, in which he starred with Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, Joshua Jackson, and Timothy Olyphant.

Additional credits include: My Best Friend’s Wedding, opposite Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz; the Nicole Holofcener film, Lovely & Amazing, co-starring Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Mortimer; Griffin & Phoenix with Amanda Peet; Trixie, opposite Brittany Murphy and Emily Watson; Goodbye Lover, with Patricia Arquette and Ellen DeGeneres, directed by Roland Joffe; Where the Money Is, starring opposite Paul Newman and Linda Fiorentino; The Trigger Effect with Elisabeth Shue; Robert Altman’s Kansas City with Jennifer Jason Leigh; Copycat opposite Holly Hunter and Sigourney Weaver; Tom DiCillo’s Living in Oblivion opposite Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener; How to Make an American Quilt with Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Capshaw, and Alfre Woodard.

Mulroney’s earlier work includes critically acclaimed performances in Longtime Companion and Where the Day Takes You; Samantha with Martha Plimpton; Staying Together with Stockard Channing; Peter Bogdanovich’s The Thing Called Love with River Phoenix and Sandra Bullock; Young Guns with Kiefer Sutherland; Point of No Return with Bridget Fonda; Bad Girls opposite Andie MacDowell, Madeline Stowe, and Drew Barrymore; the Blake Edwards comedy Sunset; and Career Opportunities, opposite Jennifer Connelly.

His television work includes a multi-episode guest-starring role on the hit NBC comedy Friends; the HBO film Long Gone; ABC’s four-hour drama Family Pictures, with Anjelica Huston; the TNT feature The Heart of Justice; the ABC movie-of-the-week Daddy; CBS’s Unconquered, in which he starred as football and track star Richard Flowers; the CBS movie-of-the-week Sin of Innocence; and the ABC After School Special, Toma-The Drug Knot.

ANDREW SHUE (Coach Clark)

Andrew Shue has been fortunate to play out his life on many different fields. He has found success in such diverse roles as school teacher, professional athlete, actor, producer, community activist, and business entrepreneur.

Shue has had many life-changing experiences that have all shaped him in different ways. In high school his father—a former public defender—inspired him to become School President and start a student group to serve the elderly in his town called Students Serving Seniors. The group still exists today and received a “Service” award from President Reagan in 1987. At Dartmouth College, as he was in high school, Shue was a Regional All American soccer player and spent a winter studying and playing soccer in Glasgow, Scotland for Queens Park FC.

After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in History, Shue traveled to Africa with his childhood friend Michael Sanchez and spent a year living in Zimbabwe, where he taught math to 200 African high school students and played soccer as the only white player in the African First Division for the Bulawayo Highlanders.

Once back in America in 1991, Andrew set his sights on following his sister Elisabeth’s path when he ventured into acting. By the middle of 1992 he had landed a coveted role on the then new hit Fox TV show Melrose Place, where he played the likable Billy Campbell for six years. Along the way he had his greatest acting experience playing a pivotal role opposite Matt Damon and Claire Danes in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rainmaker.

While living in Los Angeles, Andrew never let go of his love for soccer. He fulfilled a dream when he interviewed Pelé for Good Morning America while serving as the National Spokesman for the 1994 World Cup. Then in 1996, he earned a spot on the Los Angeles Galaxy in the debut season of Major League Soccer (he became the first pro athlete to play and act on a TV show at the same time). His most memorable moment came back in New Jersey when he helped set up two goals in a 4-0 win over the MetroStars in front of 50,000 fans at Giants Stadium. He retired after two seasons in 1997.

Shue’s social interests came full circle in 1993. Shue called upon his experiences in high school and Africa and teamed up with Sanchez to create a national non-profit organization called “Do Something.” Started with the belief that young people must be the drivers of social change, Do Something has reached millions of kids in all 50 states through school and web-based programs that teach young people to take the lead and to learn life’s most important values by doing.

In 1999 Shue and his family moved back to the east coast and created a more consistent family life by finding success in business. As an entrepreneur he and Sanchez have led several successful start-up ventures—from International Sports Publishing—the creator of the ‘94 Cup Daily—to CMI Marketing—the owner of Clubmom and Cafemom the nation’s leading information and community websites for moms.

Shue most recently joined forces with his brother John, sister Elisabeth, and her husband, director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) to create the production company Ursa Major Films. Their first project and Shue’s debut venture as a producer is GRACIE. Inspired by their true family story, GRACIE was independently financed and controlled creatively by the Shues. Guggenheim directed the picture, while Elisabeth and Andrew have acting roles as well. GRACIE is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who honors her brother’s memory when she attempts to play on the boys’ high school soccer team and in the process brings together her broken family. Shue’s experience in fundraising and the formation of strategic marketing partnerships allowed the team to create a groundbreaking business model for the film.

Andrew lives in New Jersey with Jennifer, his wife of eleven years, and their three boys. Since moving back to his home state from Hollywood, he has enjoyed the consistency of family life in suburbia—coaching his kids’ soccer teams and focusing on the little things that make life rich.

JESSE LEE SOFFER (Johnny Bowen)

Jesse Lee Soffer’s acting career began at the early age of six when he landed a Kix cereal commercial. It was just weeks after the Ossining, New York native expressed interest to his mother in the craft. At age eight, Soffer made his feature film debut opposite John Goodman and Cathy Moriarty in Matinee. Soon after, he was cast as Susan Sarandon and Sam Shephard’s son (Percival) in the family drama Safe Passage, as well as the iconic character Bobby in both The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.

Soffer continued his fledgling career traversing the comedy and drama arenas in television as well. Continuing the pattern of working with Oscar caliber and other A-List talent, the young actor starred as runaway turned sleuth Jamie Kincaid in the made-for-television movie From the Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler, where he held his own in scenes with the legendary Lauren Bacall. Additionally, Soffer worked with acclaimed director Richard Shepard in AMC’s longform presentation The Royale. In 1998 Jesse was cast as a series regular on the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s ABC sitcom Two of a Kind. When the series ended, Soffer returned to the East Coast and immediately took on the role of Max Nickerson on the CBS serial Guiding Light. After barely four months on the show, Soffer decided to give it all up and focus on his neglected education. To that end, he sent himself to The Gunnery boarding school in Connecticut. His experience there was life changing: he went from being a rambunctious teen to mature young man. Upon graduation, Jesse realized that he still yearned to act and, once again, began to actively pursue a career in front of the camera.

Within months, Soffer landed his current contract role on the daytime drama As the World Turns. His portrayal of troubled youth Will Munson earned him a 2006 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Lead Actor in 2005.

Simultaneously, the New York-based Soffer has made his return to the big screen in GRACIE playing the son of Elisabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney. In the film, Soffer was able to combine his real-life passion for soccer as high school star player and older brother to the title character.

JOSHUA CARAS (Peter)

Currently enrolled at The New School in New York City, Josh Barclay Caras began his professional acting career in a River Rep production of On Golden Pond at the Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, Connecticut. Caras was first introduced to film acting at the age of 11 when he appeared in an NYU student film. As a youth, Caras studied acting with Malachi Weir at the Young People's Institute (YPI) arts camp at the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut.

Born in Guam, raised in Essex, Connecticut, this current resident of Red Hook, Brooklyn was most recently seen on-screen in Bugcrush, director Carter Smith's 2006 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winning short film. Appropriately enough given his role in GRACIE, Caras was a varsity soccer player at Valley Regional High School in Deep River, Connecticut.

JULIA GARRO (Jena Walpen)

Julia Garro was the first American born of her family. Raised mostly in New York but also in Argentina, she began her dramatic training at the prestigious LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts on the upper west side of Manhattan. During that time she also studied at the French-American Association for Cinema and Theater in Paris. She is now enrolled in Columbia University’s affiliate Barnard College. In the 2006 Julia made her screen debut in Dito Montiel’s A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints with Robert Downey Jr. and Rosario Dawson. She will subsequently be seen in the 2007 Sundance movie Teeth, New Line’s Normal Adolescent Behavior alongside Amber Tamblyn, and Neil Jordan’s The Brave One alongside Jodie Foster.

HUNTER SCHROEDER (Mike Bowen)

Hardly a newcomer to acting, Hunter began his career at the age of three with a brief appearance on ABC’s General Hospital. Over the next few years he went on to do several commercials, at one point booking three roles in two weeks. However, by the ripe old age of seven, Hunter wanted to concentrate more on his schooling.

Since starting school he assisted on the set of 2005’s We All Fall Down. He has also completed work in the soon to be released Eye of the Dolphin.

Hunter and Carly Schroeder real life brother/sister combo, finally had the chance to play brother and sister in front of the camera, with Hunter playing the role of Mike, Gracie’s little brother.

TREVOR HEINS (Daniel Bowen)

Trevor Heins, 12, lives in South Jersey with his mom, dad, older brother, sister, cat and dog. He has been making the long audition commute since he was age three when he got his first job on Blue’s Clues for Nickelodeon. Since that time he has been seen in almost 100 television commercials, Hope & Faith, The Jury, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and in the feature films Second Born and In God’s Hands. He was recently seen in the VH1 television film Totally Awesome co-starring with Chris Kattan, and will soon be seen on the big screen in the feature Hot Baby. For the past three seasons Trevor has played Denis Leary’s son, Connor, on Rescue Me. Getting killed off was sad but returning as a ghost was pretty cool. He loves skiing (even though he broke his leg two years ago doing so) and flying in his grandfather’s plane. He is always trying to take the controls and hopes to be a pilot when he grows up.

Trevor has been playing soccer since age three. Like his character, Daniel, in GRACIE, his older brother and sister also play and are coached by their skilled father. Trevor presently plays for the traveling soccer team the Medford Hurricanes His team has won the top division in their age group this past fall and spring.

MADISON ARNOLD (Grandad)

Broadway and NYSF credits include Man in the Glass Booth, Broadway Bound, Pavlo Hummel, In the Boom Boom Room, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Jungle of Cities, etc. Regional theaters include Yale Rep, Syracuse Stage, Hartford Stage, Rochester, Alliance Theater Atlanta, Chicago, Center Stage Baltimore, etc. In the mid 70’s to mid 80’s Arnold made repeated guest star appearances on the television series Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, Baretta, Rockford Files, Barney Miller, Mary Hartman, Mike Hammer, T.J Hooker, The Equalizer, Hill St. Blues, etc. as well as five hit mini-series and movies-of-the-week.

Recent television appearances include: Deadline, Wonderland, The Wire, Ed, Comedy Central, Saturday Night Live, CSI Miami, as well as repeat performances on Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and Law and Order CI. Movies include Escape From Alcatraz, Presumed Innocent, The Lonely Guy, White Lies, Looking For Richard, Donnie Brasco, and the soon-to-be-released The Flying Scissors.

JOHN DOMAN (Coach Colasanti)

John Doman has worked extensively in both film and television. Currently he stars as Deputy Commissioner William Rawls in the HBO critically-acclaimed dramatic series The Wire. His film work includes the soon-to-be-released Lonely Hearts with John Travolta, Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River, Noel, City by the Sea, Mercury Rising, Sniper III, Cop Land, Claire Dolan, Stonewall, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Little Boy Blue, The Journey of August King, The Opponent, and Fatwa. He has had recurring and guest starring roles on many prime time television shows including Close to Home, NCIS, Oz, ER, CSI, The Practice, Hack, NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Judging Amy, Star Trek DS9, and Martial Law.

John has also worked on the stage in New York and in regional theatres. He appeared in the Off-Broadway premiere of Lyle Kessler’s Robbers directed by Marshall Mason. Other New York credits include productions of True West, Critic’s Choice, The Seagull, Wilderness of Mirrors, and Fool for Love. Last year he starred opposite Kathleen Chalfant in Honour at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He was directed by Mark Lamos in Cymbeline at Hartford Stage and the McCarter Theatre.

John was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and had a 20-year career in advertising before becoming and actor. He resides in Brooklyn Heights, New York, with his wife Linda.

CHRISTOPHER SHAND (Kyle Rhodes)

This talented young actor is a graduate of University of Michigan where he majored in theatre and English. While there he established his roots in theatre by acting in several of the main stage productions as well as starring and directing several basement art productions. Before commencing his senior year, he landed his first professional job on NBC's long-running Emmy-awarding winning series ‘Law & Order.’

He'll be seen in a lead role in Davis Guggenheim's (An Inconvenient Truth) feature film GRACIE. Previous to this, he completed a lead role in Jess Manafort's highly anticipated film Beautiful Ordinary which will be in theatres later this Fall.

He currently resides in New York City and is represented by Endeavor Talent Agency and One Entertainment.

KARL GIROLAMO (Curt)

Karl Girolamo is thrilled to be making his feature film debut in the role of Curt. He can be seen in the recurring role of Kevin in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. Girolamo can also be seen in numerous national network commercials, as well as voice-overs. He recently participated in his college production of The Cider House Rules in the role of Snowy Meadows. Girolamo’s deep love for sports made his role in Gracie all the more special. He is also a certified lifeguard.

EMMA BELL (Kate Dorset)

Emma was born December 17, 1986. She was raised in New Jersey, Emma moved around a lot in her early years. Emma’s fondest memories are when she lived in Stanton, New Jersey where she lived in a 250-year-old house.

Emma started singing and acting in church recitals and pageants. She is also very fond of dancing and has been taking ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop since she was five. After her debut on the New York off-Broadway stage, Emma joined two different performing arts groups The New Dance Theater Group and The Five Alarm Troupe. Her first television appearance was a bit part on All My Children which lead to larger roles in Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Third Watch, and a recurring role on last year’s WB Bedford Diaries.

In addition to GRACIE, in the past year Emma has done roles in the following films: The Favor, directed by Eva Aridgis, and New York Serenade, directed by Frank Whaley.