Hallie Todd (born Hallie Jane Eckstein; January 7, 1962) is an American actress, producer and writer, who played Penny Waters on Brothers and Jo McGuire on Lizzie McGuire.
Early life[edit]
Todd was born in Los Angeles, California, the second child of actress Ann Morgan Guilbert and writer/producer George Eckstein.[1] Her mother carried her to term while appearing on The Dick Van Dyke Show, although the pregnancy was not part of the story line and was covered up with loose fit clothing and close up camera angles.[2] Her older sister, Nora Eckstein, was an actress and talent agent and coach. She has a younger half sister, Jennifer (daughter of George Eckstein and Selette Cole). Todd attended Palisades Charter High School [3] and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.[4]
Career[edit]
She played a homeless character, “The Kid,” on a Christmas episode of Growing Pains. She played Penny Waters, the daughter of fictional former football player Joe Waters on the Showtime comedy series Brothers, which is her longest lasting role. In 1990, a year after Brothers left the air, Todd moved into her next sitcom role as spunky writer-and-aspiring-comedian Kate Griffin on Going Places.[5]
Later roles include Lal, Data's daughter on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Offspring";[6] Blanche's niece, Lucy, on The Golden Girls episode "Nice and Easy;" the mother in the Disney Channel original movie The Ultimate Christmas Present; Hilda's and Zelda’s cousin Marigold, Amanda's mother, on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; and as Lizzie's mother, Jo McGuire, on Lizzie McGuire.
She appeared in seven episodes of Murder, She Wrote, all but one as "Rhoda Markowitz", assistant to Keith Michell's sleuth, Dennis Stanton.[7] Todd starred in the feature film The Mooring, which she co-wrote with her husband and daughter. The film was released on DVD, digital download and Video on Demand on February 19, 2013. Todd is the co-founder of the film production company In House Media and also teaches acting classes and privately coaches.
In 2016, Todd was seen starring in Universal's An American Girl: Lea to the Rescue. She was cast in The Last Champion, and will executive produce and perform in the film. Her husband, Glenn Withrow, is set to direct the project. He and Todd co-wrote the screenplay along with their daughter, Ivy Withrow, VP of Development for the company. In House Media Film Partners was born when Todd and Withrow were inspired to create a family production company after Withrow's experiences working with Francis Ford Coppola on five films, starting with The Outsiders.[8]
Personal life[edit]
Todd has been married to director/producer Glenn Withrow since 1991. The couple have a daughter, Ivy.
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sam's Son | Cathy Stanton | |
| 1986 | The Check Is in the Mail | Robin Jackson | |
| 2003 | The Lizzie McGuire Movie | Jo McGuire | |
| 2012 | The Mooring | Nancy | |
| 2016 | An American Girl: Lea to the Rescue | Carol Clark | |
| TBA | The Last Champion | Melinda Miller | post-production |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Sara | Emma Higgins | TV series |
| 1977 | Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night | Babysitter | Television film |
| 1980 | Family | Marci Murdock | Episode: "Daylight Serenade" |
| 1983 | Who Will Love My Children? | Joann Fray | Television film |
| 1983 | ABC Afterschool Special | Brenda | Episode: "Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents?" |
| 1983 | The Best of Times | Patti Eubanks | Television pilot |
| 1984–1989 | Brothers | Penny Waters | Main role |
| 1985 | Highway to Heaven | Cindy DeGeralimo | Episode: "Cindy" |
| 1986 | The Golden Girls | Lucy Warren | Episode: "Nice and Easy" |
| 1986 | Growing Pains | The Kid | Episode: "The Kid" |
| 1988 | HeartBeat | Allison | Episode: "To Heal a Doctor" |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Moira McShane | Episode: "Class Act" |
| 1990–1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Rhoda Markowitz | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 1990 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Lal | Episode: "The Offspring" |
| 1990–1991 | Going Places | Kate Griffin | Main role |
| 1992 | Laurie Hill | Ellen Maddox | Episode: "The Heart Thing" |
| 1992 | Brooklyn Bridge | Miss Chapin | Episode: "In the Still of the Night" |
| 1996 | Murder One | Monica Reese | Episode: "Chapter 18" |
| 1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | Susan Stimpson | Episode: "Left-Handed Murder" |
| 1996–1997 | Life with Roger | Lanie Clark | Main role |
| 1998 | Two of a Kind | Marci | Episode: "Breaking Them Up Is Hard to Do" |
| 1999 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Marigold | Episode: "Sabrina the Matchmaker" |
| 2000 | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Michelle Thompson | Television film |
| 2001–2004 | Lizzie McGuire | Joanne "Jo" McGuire | Main role |
| 2003 | Kim Possible | Summer Gale | Voice role; 2 episodes |
| 2003 | National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion | Jill Snider | Television film |
| 2004 | Malcolm in the Middle | Miss Shaw | Episode: "Dirty Magazine" |
| 2005 | Brandy & Mr. Whiskers | Dr. Phyliss | Voice role; episode: "Freaky Tuesday" |
Books[edit]
In between her acting roles, Todd wrote two books, Being Young Actors and Parenting The Young Actor.
References[edit]
- ^ "Hallie Todd biography at". filmreference.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ David Van Deusen. To Twilo and Beyond!: My Walnut Adventures with the Dick Van Dyke Show Cast. iUniverse; November 2005. ISBN 978-0-595-37380-2. p. 172.
- ^ "E-Yearbook". e-yearbook.com. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Take Lessons". takelessons.com. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Millie Fanelli". Los Angeles Times, By SUSAN KING Oct. 7, 1990
- ^ David Greven. Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek: Allegories of Desire in the Television Series and Films. McFarland; 10 January 2014. ISBN 978-0-7864-5458-7. p. 114.
- ^ Mike Hughes, "Guilbert and daughter Todd try newly launched comedies". The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, October 3, 1990, Page: 28
- ^ "Variety". variety.com. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
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