Megan Follows
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Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows ( ; born March 14, 1968) is a Canadian actress and director. She is known for her role as Anne Shirley in the 1985 Canadian television
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
''
Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...
'' and its two
sequels A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
. From 2013 to 2017, she starred as
Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
, Queen of France, in the television drama series ''
Reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., King of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, List of Belgian monarchs, Belgium, Co-princes of Andorra, Andorra), of a people (e.g., List of Frankish kin ...
''.


Early life

Follows's three siblings are all in the entertainment industry. Her elder sister Edwina is a writer, while her brother Laurence and sister Samantha Follows (who is married to American actor Sean O'Bryan) are also actors.


Career


Beginnings

Her first acting job came at nine when she landed a spot in a commercial for
Bell Canada Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun, Quebec, in Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the province ...
. She was directed to make an impudent gesture out of a school bus window – like sticking out her tongue - but ended up making a rather obscene adult gesture instead. She found steady work in Canada, appearing in a few TV series such as ''
Matt and Jenny ''Matt and Jenny'' (or ''Matt and Jenny on the Wilderness Trail'') is a Canadian television series of 26 episodes of 25 minutes each, broadcast on Global starting October 21, 1979."Matt and Jenny". ''The Globe and Mail'', October 20, 1979. A Fr ...
'', ''
The Baxters ''The Baxters'' is a sitcom that aired in broadcast syndication from September 1979 to August 1981. The original American incarnation of the series aired locally from 1977 to 1979 on the Boston, Massachusetts, Boston station WCVB-TV; in 1979, N ...
'', and ''
The Littlest Hobo ''The Littlest Hobo'' () is the Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on C ...
'', in which she guest-starred with her entire family in a three-part episode. She also starred in the short films '' The Olden Days Coat'' (1981) and '' Boys and Girls'' (1983), the latter of which won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.


''Anne of Green Gables''

Follows' breakthrough occurred when she was cast as Anne Shirley in the 1985
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
''
Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...
'' (as well as its two sequels). The part of "Anne" was a coveted role that she won over 3,000 other young girls when director, producer, and writer Kevin Sullivan chose her despite early worries during the audition process that she might be too old for the part. The miniseries, wholly produced in Canada, became successful worldwide and remains the highest-rated drama in Canadian television history. Her performances earned her two
Gemini awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in th ...
as best actress for the first two miniseries, ''Anne of Green Gables'' and '' Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel'', and a Gemini nomination for the third Anne installment, '' Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story''."Interesting facts about Anne of Green Gables"
Ctv.ca; accessed April 10, 2014.
She did not reprise the role for the fourth film, '' Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning'', and
Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including Wester ...
took over the role. In 2023, Follows directed an audiobook dramatisation. She said, "I loved the idea of going back and deeply immersing myself in the text, in the writing of Lucy Maud Montgomery."


Television

Follows has made many appearances on both Canadian and U.S. television. In 1989, she starred in an episode of ''
The Ray Bradbury Theater ''The Ray Bradbury Theatre'' is an anthology series that ran for three seasons on Crave (TV network), First Choice Movie Central, Superchannel in Canada and HBO in the United States from 1985 to 1986, and then on USA Network, running for four ad ...
'', "The Dwarf". In 1991, she starred with actors
David Soul David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943 – January 4, 2024) was an American-British actor and singer. With a career spanning five decades, he rose to prominence for portraying Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the Americ ...
and David Morse in the made-for-television movie ''Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann'' in the titular role. The plot is based on the true story of the abduction of Peggy Ann Bradnick by an ex-convict and ex-mental patient William Diller Hollenbaugh which took place in Shade Gap, Pennsylvania on May 11, 1966. It aired on NBC on May 6, 1991. In 1995, as Megan Porter Follows (as she was then known, by her married name) starred in '' The Outer Limits'' episode "The Choice" (along with
Thora Birch Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut with a starring role in '' Purple People Eater'' (1988), for which she won a Young Artist Award for "Best Actress Under Nine Years of Age". Birch rose to pr ...
) and as the title character in the 1995 "Home Care" episode of '' Murder She Wrote'', starring
Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...
. In Canada, she appeared in a popular made-for-TV movie, '' Hockey Night'', around the time she appeared in ''Anne of Green Gables''. She played Cathy, a young girl who played hockey on a previously all-male team. Other Canadian television appearances include leading roles in the period drama '' Under the Piano'' and police drama ''Major Crime''. She appeared in several episodes of the CBC comedy-drama television series, '' Heartland'' as Ty Borden's mother, as well as directed episodes of the series. In 2005, she guest-starred in the Canadian ensemble drama ''
Robson Arms ''Robson Arms'' is a Canadian television series that began airing on CTV Television Network, CTV on June 17, 2005, and ended on June 30, 2008. ''Robson Arms'' is a co-production between Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions Limited and Metropolita ...
'' as one of the tenants of the Robson Arms apartment complex. She also appeared in the hospital drama '' Open Heart''CBC TV ''Open Heart'': interview with Megan Follows
cbc.ca. Accessed April 10, 2014.
as a nurse fighting a physician of malpractice, and in '' Shania: A Life in Eight Albums'', as Sharon Twain. Most recently, she starred as Booky's mother in the three movie adaptations of Bernice Thurman Hunter's "Booky" series: '' Booky Makes Her Mark'', '' Booky and the Secret Santa'', and ''Booky's Crush''. Among her earliest American television appearances were roles in '' The Facts of Life'' (as a cousin of Jo Polniaczek in Episode 23 of Season 3 that was intended as a
backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
for a proposed
spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...
) in 1982, and in the short-lived series '' Domestic Life'' as
Martin Mull Martin Eugene Mull (, August 18, 1943 – June 27, 2024) was an American actor, musician, and painter. He became known on '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,'' its spin-off '' Fernwood 2 Night,'' and '' America 2 Night.'' Other notable roles included ...
's character's daughter in 1984. She appeared in two TV movies, ''Sin of Innocence'' and ''Shattered ... If Your Kid's On Drugs'' (both 1986). In 1993–94, she was part of the ensemble in the CBS television series '' Second Chances''. Since 2000, she has appeared on ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'', '' ER'', ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'', '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', '' CSI: Miami'', ''
Cold Case ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...
'', and ''
Lie to Me ''Lie to Me'' (stylized as ''Lie to me*'') is an American crime drama television series created by Samuel Baum that aired on Fox from January 21, 2009, to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman ( Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The ...
'', among others. In 2004, Follows was part of the ensemble cast of the Hallmark movie ''Plainsong'', which included
Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an Irish-American actor. He made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984), and has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), '' Stakeout'' (1987) ...
,
Rachel Griffiths Rachel Anne Griffiths (born 1968) is an Australian actress. List of awards and nominations received by Rachel Griffiths, Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, three AACTA Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and four Primetime Em ...
, and
America Ferrera America Georgina Ferrera (; born April 18, 1984) is an American actress, director and television producer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by America Ferrera, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golde ...
. In 2009, she made a guest appearance on '' Brothers and Sisters''. In 2011, she had a guest role on ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
''. In 2012, she played Beth in '' Hollywood Heights''. Also in 2012, she appeared as Alice Stewart in one episode of '' Longmire'', and in the Starz series '' World Without End'', playing Lady Maud. In 2013, she was cast as
Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
on ''
Reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., King of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, List of Belgian monarchs, Belgium, Co-princes of Andorra, Andorra), of a people (e.g., List of Frankish kin ...
'', a historical drama series on
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
, based on the early life of
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
. The series ran for four seasons. In 2018, it was announced that Follows would be the lead director on ''Held'', a psychological web series produced by marblemedia. She has a recurring role as the mother of the titular character on '' Wynonna Earp''. In 2020, it was announced that Follows would direct ''She Came Back'', which was released in 2024 starring
Amybeth McNulty Amybeth McNulty (born 7 November 2001) is an Irish actress based in Canada. She is known for her starring role as Anne Shirley in the CBC/Netflix drama series ''Anne with an E'' (2017–2019), based on the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' ...
.


Film

Follows has appeared in some feature films. She co-starred with
Corey Haim Corey Ian Haim (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010) was a Canadian actor who rose to fame in the 1980s as a teen heartthrob. He starred in '' Silver Bullet'' (1985), '' Murphy's Romance'' (1985), '' Lucas'' (1986), '' License to Drive'' (1988 ...
and
Gary Busey William Gary Busey (; born June 29, 1944) is an American actor. He portrayed Buddy Holly in ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics Award fo ...
in the 1985 film adaptation of
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
's novella, ''
Silver Bullet Silver Bullet(s) or The Silver Bullet may refer to: * Silver bullet, in folklore, a weapon against supernatural creatures; metaphorically, a simple, effective solution to a problem Film and television * The Silver Bullet (1935 film), ''The Silve ...
''. In 1990, she was the voice of Clara from the cartoon Christmas film '' The Nutcracker Prince''. Her later film credits include '' Christmas Child'', ''A Foreign Affair'' (2003; released on DVD as ''Two Brothers and a Bride''), and a cameo in Laurie Lynd's '' Breakfast with Scot''. She also had a brief uncredited cameo as a grocery store clerk in the movie ''
I Am Number Four ''I Am Number Four'' is a young adult fiction, young adult science fiction novel by Pittacus Lore (the pseudonym of James Frey and Jobie Hughes) and the first book in the ''Lorien Legacies'' series. The book was published by HarperCollins on Aug ...
'' (2011).


Theatre

Even though the career of Follows' parents was anchored in the theatre, she did not appear in many stage productions until the 2000s. Her first stage credit was in ''
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds ''The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'' is a play written by Paul Zindel, a playwright and science teacher. Zindel received the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the work. The play ...
'', in which she starred alongside her mother, Dawn, and her sister, Samantha, in 1988 in Toronto. In 1992, she was offered the role of Juliet in the
Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
's production of ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'', which she reprised the following year in Los Angeles. Other notable stage credits include ''
A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...
'' (Minneapolis'
Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...
), ''
Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'' (Edmonton's Citadel Theatre and Ottawa's National Arts Centre), ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...
'' (Atlantic Theatre Festival), and
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...
's ''Hay Fever'', in which she appeared with her siblings, and which was directed by her father. Recent years have seen the return of Follows on stage as a regular of the Toronto-based
Soulpepper Theatre Company Soulpepper is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario.Keith Garebian"Soulpepper Theatre" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 4, 2010. History Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatri ...
. In 2005, she had the leading role of May in their production of '' Fool for Love'' by
Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...
. The following year, she took on the role of Annie in
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's '' The Real Thing'' which ran at Ottawa's
National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one ...
as a co-production between Soulpepper and NAC English Theatre. Following this run, the play made its way to Toronto as part of Soulpepper's 2006 season at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. In 2007, she played the role of Marlene in the critically acclaimed summer production of
Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.
's '' Top Girls'' with Soulpepper. Soulpepper's 2008 season, marking the company's tenth anniversary signaled the continuation of Megan's prolific theatre career. Just like the past season, she appeared in two productions. The first was
Marsha Norman Marsha Norman (born September 21, 1947) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play '' 'night, Mother''. She wrote the book and lyrics for such Broadway musicals as ''The S ...
's '' 'night, Mother'', in which she co-starred opposite her real-life mother, Canadian actress Dawn Greenhalgh. The second was Soulpepper's remount of '' Top Girls''. She returned to the stage in 2010 in Mirvish Productions's revival of Churchill's '' Cloud 9''. In 2011, she returned to the stage to star in the Canadian premiere of
Melissa James Gibson Melissa James Gibson is a Canadian-born playwright based in New York. Life The child of former British Columbia Liberal Party, BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA Gordon Gibson (politician, born 1937), Gordon Gibson and journalist ...
's ''This'' at the Vancouver Playhouse directed by Amiel Gladstone and, in 2012, she starred in the lead role of "Penelope" at the Nightwood Theatre's production of '' The Penelopiad''.


Personal life

In 1991, Follows married Christopher David Porter, a Canadian gaffer and photographer she met on the set of ''Deep Sleep''. They have two children, Lyla Anne Porter (b. 1991) and Russell Porter (b. 1994). The couple divorced in 1996. Follows was subsequently in a long-term relationship with actor Stuart Hughes; they broke up around 2010.


Humanitarian work

Follows has served as a spokeswoman for the relief organization World Vision Canada. She travelled to both Rwanda and Tanzania as a spokeswoman and a photographer. She also participated in the 2005 benefit concert ''Canada for Asia'' held to support the relief efforts for Asia after the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...
."Talent, Hosts, Radio and Television Stations Still Signing up to be Part of Benefit Event Canada for Asia"
, Channelcanada.com; accessed April 10, 2014.
She travelled to Cambodia in 2007 with the director Heather Connell to film ''Small Voices: Stories of Cambodia's Children'', a documentary about how the children of Cambodia living on the street and garbage dumps face their living conditions amid poverty and abuse and how they view their future. Follows is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Follows, Megan 1968 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses Actresses from Toronto American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American television directors American voice actresses American women television directors Canadian child actresses Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian film actresses Canadian Screen Award winning actors Canadian Shakespearean actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian television directors Canadian voice actresses Canadian women television directors Naturalized citizens of the United States University High School (Los Angeles) alumni Canadian Screen Award winning directors