Cast of American Dreams
List activity
940 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
15 people
- Actress
- Producer
Gail Ann O'Grady an American actress and producer, is best known for her roles on television. Her roles include Donna Abandando in the ABC police drama NYPD Blue, and Helen Pryor in the NBC drama series American Dreams. O'Grady is also well known for her lead roles in a number of television movies. She has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Awards three times.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Tom Verica is a true multi-hyphenate with an illustrious career as a gifted actor, director and executive producer. Currently, he is the Head of Creative Production for Shondaland/Netflix.
Among his roles in creative leadership, Tom serves as Executive Producer and director on three worldwide smash successes for Shondaland/Netflix including QUEEN CHARLOTTE, of which Verica directed all episodes of the critically acclaimed series, BRIDGERTON, and INVENTING ANNA, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series as an Executive Producer and a Directors Guild Award for Best Director of a Limited Series. Other work with longtime collaborator, Shonda Rhimes, include Executive Producer/Director of SCANDAL and FOR THE PEOPLE.
Verica has helmed over one hundred hours of television, with both pilots and episodes to his credit, including THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, GREY'S ANATOMY, BOSTON LEGAL, UGLY BETTY, and AMERICAN DREAMS among others.
As an actor, Tom has an extensive career in film, stage and television. Notable tv performances include the role of Sam Keating, opposite Viola Davis as her husband, in HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER on ABC; Jack Pryor, family patriarch, in the renowned, historical drama, AMERICAN DREAMS on NBC; and, as NASA astronaut, Dick Gordon, in the HBO, Emmy Award winning mini-series, FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON with Tom Hanks. Additional tv highlights include WILL & GRACE, THE NAKED TRUTH, LA LAW, CENTRAL PARK WEST, THE NINE, PROVIDENCE and the iconic 'conversion' episode of SEINFELD. Feature film acting credits include ZODIAC helmed by David Fincher, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS directed by Clint Eastwood, MURDER BY NUMBERS, RED DRAGON, and DIE HARD 2, In theatre, Tom has performed on and Off-Broadway in numerous stage plays including the Tony-nominated Broadway production of Craig Lucas' PRELUDE TO A KISS.
Tom is an advocate for the development, mentorship and inclusion of new directors. Aligned with this mission, he works with numerous programs including the Directors Guild of America, SeriesFest Women Directing Mentorship and The Latinx House at Sundance Institute. Currently, he serves on the DGA Television Creative Rights Committee and has a long history as a champion of directors' educational and equity programming across the entertainment industry. He is a proud member of the DGA, PGA and SAG/AFTRA.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as Susan "Daisy" Lemay on the CBS series Guiding Light (1952) for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two other Young Artist Awards and a Soap Opera Digest Award. She then played the protagonist Meg Pryor on the NBC series American Dreams (2002) for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award and three Teen Choice Awards.
Snow's notable film roles include Kate Spencer in John Tucker Must Die (2006), Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray (2007), Donna Keppel in Prom Night (2008), Emma Gainsborough in The Vicious Kind (2009), and Chloe Beale in Pitch Perfect (2012).- Will Estes returned to prime-time television with a starring role in the successful CBS drama Blue Bloods (2010). Will stars as NYPD police officer Jamie Reagan opposite Tom Selleck. Throughout his career Will Estes has amassed a diverse body of film and television work, challenging himself with each role. On the small screen, Estes received critical acclaim for his performance as JJ Pryor in American Dreams (2002). His additional television credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), The Cleaner (2008), In Plain Sight (2008), Eleventh Hour (2008), and many others. Major motion picture credits include his role in the two-time Academy Award-winning WWII film U-571 and the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise The Dark Knight Rises, portraying 'Officer Simon Jansen'. Highlights of Estes' independent film credits include the noir thriller Automotive, Line of Duty, See You In My Dreams with Marcia Gay Harden, and Magic Valley with Scott Glenn which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. His humanitarian efforts include advocating renewable energy, conservation of wild lands and humane treatment of animals.
- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Sarah Ramos was born on 21 May 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Parenthood (2010), City Girl (2017) and The Bear (2022). She has been married to Matt Spicer since 25 October 2020.- Ethan Dampf was born on 27 May 1994 in Orange County, California, USA. He is an actor, known for American Dreams (2002), Collateral Damage (2002) and Hanging Up (2000).
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Vanessa Brittany Lengies, born July 21, 1985, Canadian actress, dancer and singer. She is best known for her role on American Dreams and as Sugar Motta on Glee. Lengies was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a German father and an Egyptian mother. She speaks French, English and some Arabic. Lengies graduated from Hudson High School in 2002.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Arlen Escarpeta was born in Belize, Central America as Arlen Alexander Escarpeta. He is known for his work on Whitney (TV Movie) (2015), Final Destination 5 (2011), Into the Storm (2014) and Friday the 13th (2009). He currently resides in Los Angeles, California and has been able to make a name for himself within the world of TV, film, voiceover and print.- Actor
- Additional Crew
"This fall, Jonathan Adams stars opposite Lacey Chabert in the Hallmark Channel film "The Sweetest Christmas".
Audiences will recognize Jonathan as "Chuck Larabee", the neighbor/cohort of Tim Allen, on "Last Man Standing", the ABC Series on which he appeared for the past four seasons.
Prior to that he was cast as a regular in "American Embassy" for FBC. He then moved on to play "Henry Walker", for three seasons, on NBC's "American Dreams". The next season, Jonathan was cast as "Dr. Daniel Goodman" for the first year of FBC's 'Bones".
Over the past several years, Jonathan has made notable recurring appearances on such series as "Women's Murder Club", "Revenge", "Castle", "Dallas", "24", and "Hellcats".
In addition to his on-camera experience, Jonathan continues to have a flourishing voice-over career which includes narration, animation, radio and television commercials.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he studied theater at Carnegie-Mellon University. After college, Jonathan appeared in numerous regional theaters across the country, most notably playing several seasons at the prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Jonathan is married with two beautiful daughters."- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Rachel Boston was born and raised in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. At 17, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. At 19, Boston drove to Los Angeles and began filming NBC's award-winning Television Series, American Dreams (2002).
For her starring role as Mindy in the independent feature The Pill (2011), Boston was honored with the Stargazer Award for the most talented emerging actress at the Gen Art Film Festival in New York City, the Best Actress Award from the San Diego Film Festival, and the Emerging Artist Award from the Big Apple Film Festival. Filmed in Manhattan, "The Pill", also took home the Gen Art Film Festival Audience Award.
She previously appeared, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, in the Golden Globe® nominated film, 500 Days of Summer (2009), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. She also co-starred, alongside Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, in the romantic comedy, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009).
Boston starred as Ingrid Beauchamp in the television series, Witches of East End (2013). Previously, Boston starred on the USA series In Plain Sight (2008) and the CBS series The Ex List (2008). Some of her guest-starring appearances include Grey's Anatomy (2005), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), ER (1994), NCIS (2003), Rules of Engagement (2007) and Mad Love (2011).
She lives in Los Angeles, California.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Paul D. Roberts was born in 1970 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Veronica Mars (2004), Krews (2010) and American Dreams (2002).- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Keith Robinson was born in Kentucky and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. He later moved to Augusta and graduated from Lakeside High School. He attended the University of Georgia and, while there, signed a recording contract with Motown Records, but that label never issued any of his material.
Robinson moved to Los Angeles and earned a starring role as Joel Rawlings, the Green Ranger in the TV series Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Robinson appeared in other series including ER (1994), American Dreams (2002), Monk (2002), Half & Half (2002), and Over There (2005).
Robinson's role as C.C. White in Dreamgirls (2006), which includes a Robinson-led version of the song "Family," appears to have been a breakout. He was subsequently cast in Comanche Moon (2008) now in post-production, in This Christmas (2007) now filming, The Apostles (2008) in pre-production and Caught on Tape (2011) now in production.- Matthew John Armstrong was born on 28 August 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for American Dreams (2002), American Horror Story (2011) and Heroes (2006). He is married to Ashley Crow.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Joey Lawrence (born Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr.) is an American actor and singer from Pennsylvania. He is a former child actor, and has had an active career since the early 1980s. Lawrence is primarily known for television roles in sitcoms. He portrayed middle child Joseph "Joey" Russo in the popular sitcom "Blossom" (1990-1995), and male nanny Joseph Paul "Joe" Longo in the sitcom "Melissa & Joey" (2010-2015). As a singer, he is mostly remembered for the hit song "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" (1993), which peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1976, Lawrence was born in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia's northern fringe. The township has largely been overshadowed by Philadelphia for most of its history. It is mostly remembered in history books as one of the battlefields in the inconclusive Battle of White Marsh (1777). Lawrence's parents were Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Sr. and his wife Donna Lynn Shaw. His father was an insurance broker and his mother was a personnel manager and former school teacher. Through his parents, Lawrence has English, Italian, and Scottish ancestry. His entire family changed their surname to "Lawrence" during his childhood.
Lawrence started appearing in commercials in early childhood. In 1982, he received his first taste of television stardom when he performed a song in the late-night talk show "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962-1992). In the same year, he had his first guest star roles in the long-running sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978-1986) and the then-new sitcom "Silver Spoons" (1982-1987).
In 1983, Lawrence joined the main cast of the sitcom "Gimme a Break!" (1981-1987). He played the new foster son of main character Nellie Ruth "Nell" Harper (played by Nell Carter), who was already tasked with raising an old friend's three daughters. The series was moderately successful for most of its run. Its 6th and final season featured an attempt to retool the series, with most of the regular cast written out and the introduction of a new premise. This failed to prevent its cancellation, marking the end of Lawrence's first recurring role.
Lawrence had his feature film debut in the comedy "Summer Rental" (1985). He played Bobby Chester, son of the main character Jack Chester (played by John Candy). The film focuses on the efforts of stressed-out Jack to achieve victory over an arrogant sailing champion who has ruined his vacation. The film earned 25 million dollars at the domestic box office. It is mainly remembered for featuring John Candy's first lead role in a Hollywood film.
In 1988, Lawrence had his first starring role in a film. He voiced the eponymous orphan kitten Oliver in the animated feature film "Oliver & Company". The film was a loose adaptation of the novel "Oliver Twist" by Charles Chickens, changing the setting to 1980s New York City and featuring anthropomorphic animals in main roles. The film was a box office hit of its time, helping revitalize the animated studio Walt Disney Feature Animation. However, Oliver's role was overshadowed by that of the Artful Dodger (voiced by Billy Joel) who was granted more screen-time
Lawrence received more attention when he joined the cast of the sitcom "Blossom" (1990-1995). The series' main character was Italian-American teenage girl Blossom Ruby Russo (played by Mayim Bialik), but the main cast also featured Blossom's single father, her two older brothers, and her best friend. Lawrence had to play middle child Joseph "Joey" Russo, a skilled baseball player and aspiring ladies' man. Despite his stereotypical "dumb jock" traits, Joey received some character development and at time shared the spotlight with his sister. Lawrence was at the height of his popularity during the series' run, which lasted for 5 seasons and 114 episodes.
Lawrence wanted to have a singing career of his own. In 1993, he released his eponymous debut album "Joey Lawrence". He co-wrote some of the album's songs, including the international hit "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix". He performed the song live at then-popular music television shows, such as "The Arsenio Hall Show" and "Top of the Pops". His next album, "Soulmates" (1997), did not chart. He subsequently released the singles ""Ven Ven Conmigo" (1997) and "Never Gonna Change My Mind" (1998), the later of which was the 49th most popular song in the British charts. Following these, Lawrence's singing career went on hiatus.
In 1995, Lawrence was cast as the main character in a sitcom. He played elder brother Joseph "Joe" Roman in "Brotherly Love" (1995-1997), while his real-life brothers Matthew Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence were cast in the roles of Joe's half-brothers. In the series, Joe was a 20-year-old mechanic. Following his father's death in a racing accident, Joe had to serve as a father figure to his two underage half-brothers. Other subplot's of the series focused on Joe's attempts to woo female mechanic (and artist) Louise "Lou" Davis (played by Liz Vassey), and whether she actually viewed him as a love interest. The series lasted for 2 seasons and 40 episodes, though it was never a ratings hit.
After a brief decline in his acting career, Lawrence had a supporting role in the slasher film "Urban Legends: Final Cut" (2000). The film was the second in a trilogy of slasher films. In the film, film student Amy Mayfield (played by Jennifer Morrison) has to discover who is the masked serial killer who is targeting her classmates, and why is he stalking her in particular. The film was noted for homaging scenes from several classic serial killer films, particularly Italian giallo films.
In 2001, Lawrence had one of the main roles in the slasher film "Do You Wanna Know a Secret?" The film featured a mysterious killer, who always warned victims by writing this message before attacking. The film has a subplot about the killer's unrequited love for a woman, and mentions that he has been stalking her for more than a year.
In 2002, Lawrence played a police detective in the neo-noir erotic thriller "Trois 2: Pandora's Box". In the film, retired police psychologist Mia DuBois (played by Monica Calhoun) is unaware that her husband, her lover, and her new patient have secretly conspired to get their hands on her inheritance money. The film was marketed as a sequel to the then-popular erotic thriller "Trois" (2000), though their plots and characters were unrelated.
In 2002, Lawrence joined the cast of the period television series "American Dreams" (2002-2005), which depicted life in Philadelphia during the 1960s. He played the floor producer of the historical music and dance show "American Bandstand" (1952-1989), though his character was written out following the period series' first season.
Lawrence next had one of the main roles in the short-lived sitcom "Run of the House" (2003-2004). The series' premise was that three adult siblings are allowed to move into their middle-aged parents' former residence in Michigan, on condition of raising their underage sister Brooke Franklin (played by Margo Harshman). The series only lasted a single season and 19 episodes, as it was canceled due to low ratings.
In 2005, Lawrence joined the cast of the sitcom "Half & Half" (2002-2006). He played recurring character Brett Mahoney for the series' last few seasons. The series' premise followed the interactions between half-sisters Mona Rose Thorne (played by Rachel True) and Deirdre Chantal "Dee Dee" Thorne (played by Essence Atkins). The two women decided to form a relationship after moving into the same apartment building, despite being kept apart for most of their lives and having much different life experiences.
In 2006, Lawrence played a police officer in the horror film "Rest Stop". The premise of the film was that main character Nicole Carrow (played by Jaimie Alexander) had a series of mysterious encounters in a sparsely-populated area, including meeting a girl (or the girl's ghost) who went missing in 1971. The film was released direct-to-video, where it was an unexpected sales hit. It reportedly had a gross of about 5 million dollars in domestic video sales at retail.
In 2007, Lawrence played the recurring role of serial killer and serial rapist Clay Dobson in the police procedural television series "CSI: NY" (2004-2013). According to his character arc, Dobson had originally been convicted without forensic evidence tying him to his first murder. He was released on appeal, and took care that the corpses of his victims were never found.
In 2008, Lawrence played a fictionalized version of himself as one of the murder victims in the comedy horror film "Killer Pad". The film concerns three young men who are oblivious to the fact that their new residence is a portal to hell, and that their new friend Lucy (played by Emily Foxler) is actually Lucifer in female form. Much of the humor derived from their failure to notice supernatural events around them.
In 2009, Lawrence experienced a resurgence of his career when he and actress Melissa Joan Hart co-starred in the comedy television film "My Fake Fiancé". The premise of the film was that two financially broke people arranged their marriage to each other, motivated primarily by the idea of getting cash and gifts from their families and friends. But a brief cohabitation resulted in them developing genuine feelings for each other. The film was the most "the most-watched television film of the ratings season", and was unexpectedly popular with key demographics. Motivating the network ABC Family to cast Lawrence and Hard as the co-leads in an upcoming sitcom.
From 2010 to 2015, Lawrence played the male lead in the sitcom "Melissa & Joey". The premise of the series was that character Joseph Paul "Joe" Longo (Lawrence) was a formerly successful business executive and commodities trader, who lost his job, money and marriage due to a Ponzi scheme orchestrated by the brother-in-law of young politician Melanie Alison "Mel" Burke (Melissa Joan Hart). Following the disappearance of her brother-in-law and the incarceration of her sister, Melanie became the legal guardian of her niece and nephew. Having no idea how to raise two kids on her own, Melanie hired Joe as a male nanny and live-in housekeeper. The two adults eventually started dating each other, and were eventually married. The series lasted for 4 seasons and 104 episodes. The series was among the highest-rated sitcoms during its first three seasons. Ratings declined during its fourth season, along with a general decline in the numbers of television network subscribers at the time. The network decided to cancel the series.
In 2011, Lawrence revived his singing career. He released the singles "Rolled" and "Give It To Ya" during this year. He released several more singles between 2013 and 2022. He also released the albums "Imagine" (2017) and "Guilty" (2022). In 2017, Lawrence formed the music band "Still 3" with his brothers Matt and Andy.
In July 2017, Lawrence and his wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson both filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Their case was reportedly settled in April, 2018, though its details were not publicized. The couple filed for divorce in 2020. They had been married since 2005, and had been acquainted to each other since their teen years. In August 2021, Lawrence was engaged to actress Samantha Cope. They were married to each other on May 1, 2022. This is Lawrence's third marriage, and he has two children from previous marriages.
By 2022, Lawrence was 46-years-old. He has not had recurring acting roles for several years, though he continues appearing in guest-star roles in several television series. His singing career is still ongoing, and he keeps releasing new material. Lawrence is no longer a teen idol, but his career has endured for 40 years. He remains popular due to several of his past roles.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Born in New York and raised in Montreal, McGill University graduate Jamie Elman has appeared on many of television's most acclaimed series including Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, House M.D., Criminal Minds, Without A Trace, CSI: NY, The Closer and The Young and the Restless. He also played Luke, the resident piano-playing record store guy and boyfriend, for three seasons on NBC's award winning and critically lauded drama American Dreams. His breakout role was Cody on the FOX/YTV hit teen sitcom Student Bodies.
Elman's starred in "California Dreamin'" (Grand Prix, Un Certain Regard, 2007 Cannes Film Festival) opposite Armand Assante, "When Nietzsche Wept," portraying a young Sigmund Freud opposite Ben Cross, "Shattered Glass"(with Peter Sarsgaard, Chloë Sevigny and Hayden Christensen), "The Chicago 8" (with Orlando Jones, Danny Masterson and Phillip Baker Hall), "Saving Lincoln" (with Tom Amandes, Penelope Ann Miller and Bruce Davison), and "Random Encounters" (with Michael Rady and Sean Young). Elman has done extensive voice work for video games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic and animated films including Disney's highly acclaimed Wreck-It Ralph and the blockbuster Frozen. A creator in his own right, the actor wrote and starred in the web series "crazy/sexy/awkward," produced by Howie Mandel and purchased by Shaw Media, and "YidLife Crisis," the world's first 18+ Yiddish comedy series, which he Co-Created and stars in. He recently starred opposite Jodi Balfour in the finale of the beloved Canadian series "Bomb Girls."
Jamie is also an accomplished blues and jazz pianist and singer who has recorded with Ben Harper, Natalie Maines and Rickie Lee Jones. He lives in Los Angeles.