Marcia Cross

Marcia Cross is one of those classically-trained actors who then find themselves playing delicious, yet hardly Shakespearean, characters on daytime and primetime soap operas, while pursuing more substantial roles on stage. The attractive redhead found herself alternating between repertory work and TV Sturm und Drang almost from the outset of her career. After graduating from Juilliard in the early 1980s, she made her debut on ABC's soap "The Edge of Night" before segueing to the same network's "One Life to Live." She also starred in various stage productions, including work at the prestigious Williamstown Theater Festival. In 1988, Cross moved to Los Angeles where she found work in episodic TV, including memorable turns as Rebecca's sultry sister on "Cheers" and as Garry's girlfriend on "It's Garry Shandling's Show." Her debut in the 1990 feature film "Bad Influence," in which she played James Spader's fiance, was well received. Cross made her primetime series debut on the CBS sudser "Knots Landing" (1991-92) as the obsessive former girlfriend of Pierce Lawton (Bruce Greenwood).