stars

Anne of Green Gables - The Stars

Megan Follows was sixteen years old when she was chosen to play the part of Anne Shirley. Already well known in Canada due to her many television appearances, she began her career at age three in commercials. Her first big break came when she was eleven, playing Jenny in the television series Matt and Jenny. From there she did parts in The Baxsters, The Littlest Hobo, and the NBC series The Facts of Life.

While filming the Canadian special Hockey Night she auditioned for the role of "Anne". The audition didn't go that well and so began a nation-wide search for the right actress. Months later they decided to audition Megan once more. This time, she was successful. Megan went on to win the 1986 Gemini Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Anne Shirley.

In 1987 Megan returned to the role in Anne of Green Gables - The Sequel (Anne of Avonlea in the US) In between she had starred in a ABC afterschool special called The Stacking and in the CBS-TV movie Sin of Innocence.

From the success of the Anne series, Megan returned to Toronto to star in the stage play The Effect of Gamma Rays on the Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds with her mother Dawn and sister Samantha. She teamed up with Colleen Dewhurst once more for the Canadian film Termini Station after that and acted in another stage production, Les Liaisons Dangeurous at the Williamstown Theatre in Massachusetts.

In 1989, Megan went to Vancouver to film Deep Sleep where she met her future husband, Christopher Porter, a photographer/lighting technician who was working on the set. In 1990 Megan acted in a movie for the Disney Channel called Back to Hannibal and then did the NBC-TV movie Cry in the Wild-The Taking of Peggy Ann. After taking some time off with her family and new baby girl Lyla Anne Porter, in 1992 Megan joined the Startford production of Romeo and Juliet in the title role. In 1995, Megan stared in Under the Piano another Sullivan production, where she played an autistic woman. staring alongside Amanda Plummer and Teresa Stratus. This summer Megan is once again reprising her role as Anne Shirley in the third and final installment of Anne of Green Gables.

Colleen Dewhurst was one of North America's finest and most beloved actresses. President of Actor's Equity, the theatre union for the United States, from 1985-1991, Colleen's career spanned five decades and included many films.

Colleen was the first choice of producer Kevin Sullivan when he was casting for Anne of Green Gables. A long time fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery herself, Colleen went against the advice of others and accepted the role of Marilla.

As well as appearing regularly on Road to Avonlea, Colleen had a recurring role as Candice Bergen's mother on the CBS-TV series Murphy Brown, for which She won her third Emmy. Over the course of her 45 year career, she won a total of four Emmys, two Tonys and two Gemini awards.

Colleen Dewurst died of cancer on August 22, 1991 at the age of 67. Active until the end, she was scheduled to do an episode of Road to Avonlea reprising her role as Marilla. The script had to be scrapped and a new one written. Using footage from Lantern Hill, Road to Avonlea and Anne of Green Gables, they were able to edit and splice together a scene where her character passes on. The episode entitled "Old Friends, Old Wounds", was dedicated to her memory.

Richard Farnsworth started off his career as a stuntman when he was sixteen years old and since then he has appeared in countless films. These include A Day at the Races (1937), Red River (1948), The Wild One (1953), Spartacus (1960) and Texas Across the River (1965). After more than thirty years as a stuntman, Richard decided to move into acting. He played small roles in movies such as

The Cowboys (1971) and the mini-series Roots, but it wasn't until The Grey Fox in 1981 that he finally began to win the recognition he deserved. He won the Genie award for Best Foreign Actor. After that he worked with Robert Redford in The Natural followed by Rhinestone with Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton. Finally in 1985, he joined the cast of Anne of Green Gables and turned perhaps the best portrayal of the loveable old bachelor "Mathew" ever done in any adaptation.

Jonathon Crombie, the son of former Toronto mayor, David Crombie, was discovered while acting in a school play by the casting directors for Anne of Green Gables. In fact during the shooting of Anne he was still writing his grade 13 exams. The young eighteen year old was well on his way to becoming an actor. Since the days of Anne he has appeared in many productions ranging from appearances in 21 Jump Street, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Campbell's. To feature films such as The Housekeeper, Bullies and The Jewelers Shop with Burt Lancaster. He has made many stage appearance as well and spent a great deal of time acting at the Statford festival in Ontario.