Gail O'Grady Movies

It's Christmastime, and all young Jesse wants this year is a new father. But while Jesse's mother Sarah knows the importance of having a male role model for her son to look up to, she just can't seem to muster the motivation to start dating again. Reluctantly agreeing to go on a series of dates as part of a nationally publicized contest, Sarah finds herself unexpectedly swept off her feet by the contest's official chaperone. But despite the fact that young Jesse already has his future father picked out, he's going to have to work extra hard to make his Christmas wish come true this year. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

While investigating the likelihood that sports agent Rob Sherman (Vincent Ventresca) is a murderer, Monk (Adrian Monk) is sidetracked by Julie (Emmy Clarke), the daughter of his caregiver Natalie (Traylor Howard). Currently entangled in a bumpy romance with boyfriend Tim (Andrew James Allen), Julie asks Monk's advice on matters of the heart. Though Monk would just as soon focus on the job at hand, he decides to help Julie out--a decision which proves to be a wise one when a custom-made T-shirt owned by Tim turns out to be a vital clue in solving the murder for which Sherman is suspected. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sequel to the 2003 made-for-cable Sex & the Single Mom, divorced lawyer Jess Gradwell (Gail O'Grady) is confronted with the consequences of her brief fling with heart surgeon Alex Lofton (Grant Show) three years earlier when she finds that she is the mother of a toddler named Jake (Charlie Sperandeo). It isn't long before Alex himself comes back into Jess' life, initially unaware that he's a father but willing to pick up where he left off when he finds out. Trouble is, Jess is currently engaged to another lawyer (the obligatory "Ralph Bellamy" character in these romantic comedies). Meanwhile, Jess' 18-year-old daughter Sara (Chelsea Hobbs), who'd managed to escaped unsullied from her romance with a neighbor kid in the earlier film, has developed a yen for a scruffy photographer. Best line: "Virginity is not all it's cracked up to be." More Sex & the Single Mom first aired February 7, 2005 on Lifetime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Attractive widow Molly Bowser (Gail O'Grady) finds herself unable to get a job because of the jealous wives of her potential male employers. Determined to get money in a hurry by any means possible, Molly arranges for her sexy daughter Lily (Jennifer Morrison) to "accidentally" meet wealthy young Claude Stevens (Will Wallace). Unfortunately for Molly, her best-laid plans may all be for naught: Claude's dad has threatened to cut the boy off without a cent if he marries Lily. Filmed in 2002 under the title The Sure Hand of God, this modest comedy-drama didn't receive American play until it was telecast by cable's Lifetime channel on February 18, 2004, under the title Sinners Need Company. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gail O'Grady stars as Theresa Foley, a highly respected and much-decorated FBI hostage negotiator. Theresa's career goes down the tubes when she refuses to testify in court against her husband Frank (Michael Bowen), an FBI agent gone bad. Escaping from prison, Frank stages a daylight bank robbery, thereby creating the sort of hostage situation that only a crack negotiator like Theresa could possibly handle. But though the FBI is willing to press Theresa back into action, she knows only too well that Frank will be able to anticipate her every move -- and that he has a terrible vengeance in mind for his ex-spouse, one that will "take down" a number of innocent bystanders in the process. Made for cable The Hostage Negotiator was first presented by the USA network on May 22, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael O'Connell ran several video stores in Denver, CO, before taking up screenwriting, and the endless stream of direct-to-video thrillers that littered his shelves inspired his script for this satiric black comedy. Hutch Rimes (Steven Weber) runs an insurance company, and even though he's married, he's developed a bad habit of getting involved with his secretaries. Hutch's latest Girl Friday, Holly (Nina Siemaszko), is also married, but often finds herself being used as a punching bag by her loutish husband Cotton (Gregg Henry). Holly persuades Hutch to help her kill Cotton, but things don't go as planned, and Cotton pulls a gun on Holly; Hutch manages to escape just before Cotton kills his wife. Ten years later, Cotton is released from prison just as Hutch begins receiving a series of anonymous letters from someone who wants to kill him. But since Hutch is having an affair with his stenographer Olivia (Gail O'Grady), he's not sure if the angry party is Cotton or Olivia's husband, Dewey (Stephen Tobolowsky). Things get even stickier for Hutch when Olivia decides she wants out of her relationship with Dewey -- and asks Hutch to help murder her husband. Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes also features Swoosie Kurtz as Binny, one of Hutch's few female employees that he never gets around to sleeping with. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

After private eye Mike Roberts is murdered, John (Bill Brochtrup) tells Sipowicz about Mike's cryptic warning. It all ties in with the wealthy Malcolm Cullinan (Todd Waring), whom John believes was responsible for the death of the benighted Dolores Mayo. Subsequent events relating to this development cause Jill (Andrea Thompson) to sever her relationship with Cohen (Michael B. Silver). And former series regular Gail O'Grady makes a most surprising cameo appearance -- and to tell any more would be unthinkable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ellen Burstyn stars in this warm family drama. Mattie (Burstyn) is an aging southern belle who realizes that she's getting too old to go on living in a house. After an odd encounter with the local dogcatcher Lamar (Mark Hamill), Mattie befriends Lamar's bad-egg nephew, Wesley (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). Soon he betrays her trust and escapes from juvenile detention. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

The story of two average women who refused to be silenced and intimidated by the company who manufactured their silicone implants is detailed in this inspirational docudrama starring Mary McDonnell and Gail O' Grady. Sybil Goldrich (McDonnell) was a wealthy California who was devastated to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and Kathleen Anneken (O'Grady) was a typical middle-class mother from Kansas who had always been unhappy with her breast size. Despite their disparate backgrounds and social statuses, both women would soon be drawn together by the tragic circumstances surrounding their decision to receive breast implants. Ignored, mistreated, and disregarded by silicone specialists Dow Corning after they received their implants and fell gravely ill, Goldrich and Anneken became united in their efforts to take their case to the FDA. While proving Down Corning was responsible for their many ailments was a near impossible task, getting their story out to the public was simply a matter of using every opportunity they had to state their case publicly. In the end it was one lawyer who possessed the incriminating evidence needed to bring Down Corning down, and ensure that their cries weren't silenced by the stifling greenback gag of big business. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Amy Pietz stars in this made-for-TV thriller as Carrie, a professional writer who volunteers her services at a crisis-hotline center dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence. Late one evening, Carrie receives an anguished phone call from an anonymous woman who threatens to kill her abusive ex-husband. As Carrie and the rest of the staff conduct a desperate search for the would-be murderer, they must also tackle the case of a teenager who'd been viciously beaten by her boyfriend after declining help from the center. Also known as A Call for Help, Every 9 Seconds was first telecast October 12, 1997 by NBC ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The second season of NYPD Blue was transitional in every sense of the word, with a number of major cast changes and the deepening of characterizations within the people who remained. The big news during the 1994-1995 season was the defection of David Caruso as Detective John Kelly, the sensitive younger partner of the irascible Det. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). It was no secret that Caruso wanted more screen time and a lot more money to continue with the series, and when producer Steven Bochco said no, the actor departed -- four episodes into season two. His replacement proved to be just as popular with viewers as Caruso, if not more so: Jimmy Smits as the recently widowed, pigeon-fancying Detective Bobby Simone, whose single status not only opened the door for a whole new slew of romantic complications with various female cast members, but also set hearts aflutter amongst audience members. Also leaving the series after the first two second-season episodes was Amy Brenneman as Off. Janice Licalsi, who had been found guilty of the murder of mob functionary Angelo Marino -- an act that also precipitated the departure of John Kelly, who, for trying to suppress evidence on Janice's behalf, was given the choice of being demoted or leaving the 15th Precinct altogether (of course, he chose the latter).
Also added to the cast was Kim Delaney as Det. Diane Russell, who like most the series' characters arrived at the 15th carrying a lot of emotional baggage, in her case an extremely abusive husband and, like Andy Sipowicz, a drinking problem. Andy was, in fact, the first to glom onto Diane's closet boozing, and it was he who offered to become her Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor -- though it would be the younger and svelter Bobby Simone who would win Russell's heart. During her freshman year on NYPD Blue, Diane Russell appeared only on a recurring basis, as did two other new characters: the precinct's temporary administrative assistant, John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup), the series' first (but hardly the last) openly gay character; and Det. Adrianne Lesniak (Justine Miceli), who'd transferred to the 15th to escape a disastrous inter-departmental romance -- only to find herself the object of the affections of Precinct stalwart James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro). But while neither Delaney, Brochtrup, nor Miceli were as yet listed among the "stars" of the series, two recurring characters from season one, Gordon Clapp as Detective Greg Medavoy and Gail O'Grady as administrative assistant Donna Abandando, were bumped up to full "regular" status. Greg and Donna's very, very close friendship became very, very much closer as the year progressed, despite Medavoy's periodic returns to his estranged wife. This was the year in which the misogynistic Andy Sipowicz finally humanized to the point of proposing marriage to Assistant DA Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence), despite having characterized her as a "prissy bitch" during the previous season. This was also the year in which series regular Dennis Franz entered "pop culture Valhalla" by flashing his naked backside to the camera. And this was the year in which NYPD Blue added two more Emmys to its collection, for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Shirley Knight in the episode "Large Mouth Bass"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide