American actress and producer Meredith Baxter is well-known. She is best known for her television work, having had significant parts in hit shows including “Family” and “Family Ties.” In her career to date, she has received five Emmy Award nominations. She made a guest appearance in the TV show “The Young Lawyers” to launch her career. She soon appeared in the television series “Bridgette Loves Bernie” in her first significant role. Her popularity increased a few years later after she was cast in one of the lead parts in the TV drama series “Family.” She has appeared in many movies as an actor. Her notable film roles include a supporting one in the political suspense film “All the President’s Men.” The movie detailed the tale of how two journalists broke the story of the Watergate affair, which ultimately caused US President Richard Nixon to resign. The movie received multiple Oscar nominations, and it took home four of them. She has also acted in the movies “Paradise, Texas” and “Airline Disaster.” She played the lead in the latter. In addition to performing, Baxter spent some time co-hosting the NBC morning news and conversation show “Today.” She has also developed a skin-care line called Meredith Baxter Simple Works as a breast cancer survivor. It helps her breast cancer research foundation raise money.
Early Childhood & Life
The daughter of radio announcer Tom Baxter and actress-director Whitney Blake, Meredith Anne Baxter was born in South Pasadena, California, on June 21, 1947. When she was still very little, in 1953, her parents were divorced.
She was reared by their mother together with her two older brothers, Richard and Brian. Her mother wed Allan Manings once more. Baxter attended James Monroe High School before transferring to Hollywood High School, where she received her diploma in 1965.
Career of Meredith Baxter
After appearing in a few TV shows as a guest, including “The Young Lawyers” and “The Partridge Family,” Baxter landed her first significant part in the situational comedy series “Bridgett Loves Bernie” in 1972. She made her cinematic debut in the same year with a small part in the movie “Stand Up and Be Counted.” She then made a cameo appearance in the horror movie “Ben.”
She acted in a few TV movies throughout the coming years, including “The Invasion of Carol Enders” and “The Stranger Who Looks Like Me.” She also appeared in the television programs “Medical Story” and “Police Woman.”
She began to become well-known starting in 1976 for her performance in one of the series’ leading roles. The program ran until 1980. For her performance, Baxter received two Emmy nominations, both for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.”
She appeared in the political thriller “All the President’s Men” in 1976 in a supporting role. Alan J. Pakula was the movie’s director, and it received several Oscar nominations. The plot of the movie was the Watergate Scandal, which two journalists named Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward discovered, and how it ultimately resulted in the resignation of US President Richard Nixon. It was based on the same-named nonfiction book. Baxter also had a part in the romantic drama movie “Bittersweet Love” that same year.
She featured in other TV movies during the ensuing years, including “The Family Man” (1979), “Take Your Best Shot” (1982), “Kate’s Secret” (1986), “Burning Bridges” (1990), and “Bump in the Night” (1991). She also played the principal character in the situational comedy series “Family Ties” from 1982 until 1989. The program was a hit and garnered numerous accolades.
She has continued to appear in other TV movies, including “One More Mountain” (1994), “After Jimmy” (1996), “Spin City” (1997), and “Murder on the Orient Express,” despite the fact that she has not been extremely active since the 1990s (2001). Her films on the big screen include “Airline Disaster,” “The Onion Movie,” and “Paradise Texas” (all from 2005). (2010). She has recently been in recurring and minor roles in TV shows like “Glee,” “The Young and the Restless,” and “Finding Carter.”
Bigger Works of Meredith Baxter
One of Meredith Baxter’s most significant works is the American political thriller movie “All the President’s Men.” The Alan J. Pakula-directed movie was based on the nonfiction book of the same name. The infamous Watergate Scandal was the subject of the film, and Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two young journalists, revealed it, ultimately forcing US President Richard Nixon to resign. The movie was a great commercial hit and took home four Oscars.
Baxter portrayed one of the key characters in the TV drama series “Family.” Sada Thompson, James Broderick, Gary Frank, Kristy McNichol, and Elaine Heilveil were among the other performers who appeared in it. The television show featured a middle-class couple and their three children, portraying a traditional family with credible and realistic characters. It ran for five seasons, from 1976 to 1980. Baxter received two Emmy nods for her work on the program.
Recognition & Achievements
For her part in the television drama series “Family,” Meredith Baxter received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award in 1977 and 1978. For her part in the television film “A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story,” she received her third Emmy nomination. In 1994, she was nominated for another Emmy for her performance in the CBS Schoolbreak Special. Her most recent nomination for the same award was in 2015 for a guest appearance she made on the television show “The Young and the Restless.”
Individual Life of Meredith Baxter
Meredith Baxter experienced three failed unions with men. Lewis Bush was the first one, which happened in 1966. They have two youngsters. She married David Birney from 1974 to 1989 after their divorce in 1971. Three kids were born to them. Then, in 1995, she wed actor and screenwriter Michael Blodgett; nevertheless, the union ended in divorce in 2000.
She later admitted that she later discovered she was a lesbian, which is why her relationships with men had never been successful. She tied the knot with general contractor Nancy Locke in 2013.
In 1999, Baxter received a breast cancer diagnosis. She had treatment and was able to fully recover.
Estimated Net Worh
An actress and producer, Meredith Baxter has a $7 million net worth. For her roles on the television shows “Bridget Loves Bernie,” “Family,” and “Family Ties,” Meredith Baxter is best known. A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story, the television movie in which she played the lead, also won her praise. Baxter has acted in movies including “All the President’s Men,” “Bittersweet Love,” and “Paradise Texas” on the big screen.