Nia Peeples

A suburban homeowner becomes obsessed with the secretive family next door in this independent drama. Norman (Steven Weber) is an airline pilot who one day discovers he has new neighbors when he hears them moving into a nearby house during the dark of night. While Norman soon learns that Dr. Peoples (Eriq La Salle) is a psychiatrist, he can't figure out much else about him, beyond the fact he only mows his lawn after the sun goes down. Eager to uncover the enigma of the folks next door, Norman becomes friendly with Maria (Nia Peeples), the doctor's wife, and reaches out to their phobic son, Obert (Tyler Posey), but Dr. Peoples himself remains a mystery. As time goes on, Norman also discovers he's not the only one in the neighborhood eager to know more about the mysterious new arrivals. Inside Out was the first feature film for writer and director David Ogden. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Action hero Steven Seagal goes behind bars -- though don't worry, he isn't really a bad guy -- in this action thriller. Sascha Petrosevitch (Seagal) is an FBI agent working undercover to infiltrate a gangland kingpin's operations. While Petrosevitch is able to gain the trust of one of the gangster's lieutenants, Nick Frazier (Ja Rule), things go haywire during an FBI raid, and Petrosevitch takes several slugs in the back as he struggles to maintain his cover. Eight months later, Petrosevitch and Frazier are serving time together in the newly refurbished Alcatraz Penitentiary, as Petrosevitch secretly continues his investigation. Prison warden Hubbard (Stephen J. Cannell) is arranging for the execution of convicted killer and thief Lester (Bruce Weitz), and U.S. Supreme Court justice Jane McPherson (Linda Thorson) has announced she will attend as a witness. But Hubbard's assistant Donny (Morris Chestnut) has devised a secret plan -- it seems Lester stole and stashed away 200 million dollars in gold before he was arrested, and Donny, along with an underground SWAT team, takes control of the prison and takes Hubbard, McPherson, and the other assembled dignitaries hostage, demanding to be told where Lester has hidden his fortune. Now Petrosevitch must drop his cover and persuade his allies within the prison -- including Frazier and Little Joe (Michael "Bear" Taliferro) -- to join him in a desperate bid to foil Donny and free the hostages. Half Past Dead also features Nia Peeples, Kurupt, Tony Plana, and Claudia Christian. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

New Orleans music promoter Adam Goodnight (newcomer Cameron Smith) has his checkered past revived when a failed musician, Shoop Summers (old timer Antonio Fargas), takes Adam's new protégé, Kenny Carter (Mister Jones), under his drug-addled wing. Goodnight begins having flashbacks to a time when Shoop was on top of the jazz charts, and he also remembers what happened to end Shoop's productive career -- and end their friendship. Goodnight sees it all happening again with Kenny. Goodnight's beautiful and intelligent girlfriend, Heather (Nia Peeples), is helpless to stop the drama. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Season eight of Walker, Texas Ranger resolves the cliffhanger finale of season seven, as Cord Walker (Chuck Norris), his partner Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), his fiancée Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), and his best friend C.D. (Noble Willingham) survive a harrowing plane crash. The trick now is to get back to Dallas in time to prevent elusive serial killer Thomas Openshaw (Stephen McHattie) from being released for lack of evidence. Once this crisis is resolved, Walker and Alex begin a season-long preparation for their marriage, which will occur during the two-part season eight finale (we hope). Meanwhile, Walker's crime-fighting team has taken in two new members: undercover police officers (and masters of disguise) Francis Gage (Judson Mills) and Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For this TV movie, Bob Rafelson directed James Caan as famous shamus Philip Marlowe. The novel Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) was writing during the year of his death remained unfinished until it was completed 30 years later by Spenser author Robert Parker. The British-based, Czech-born screenwriter/playwright Tom Stoppard scripted this telefilm adaptation. In 1963, the middle-aged Marlowe has put on a few pounds and gained a new wife, wealthy heiress Laura (Dina Meyer). In Poodle Springs, California, on the Nevada border, the couple lives in a house given them by P.J. Parker (Joe Don Baker), Laura's father. Framed for murder, Marlowe is bailed out by Laura, and he's soon hired to locate a gambler who owes $100,000. Investigating lowlife photographer Larry Victor (David Keith), Marlowe learns of a blackmail plot involving stripper Lola (La Joy Farr); he follows a trail that leads to a land scheme, while corpses begin to litter the landscape. This was James Caan's first TV role since Brian's Song (1971, later released theatrically), and the whodunit premiered July 25, 1998 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Steve Guttenberg stars in this thriller as a once-respected reporter who has fallen on hard times and is now working for a sleazy tabloid. He happens upon a story that he hopes might put him back in the good graces of better newspapers; in 1939, five people disappeared in an accident aboard the elevator of a luxury hotel. It's believed that their ghosts haunt the old building, and an old woman claims to have the key to their secrets. The cast also includes Kirsten Dunst and Nia Peeples. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One of the acknowledged masters of the medical thriller, Robin Cook, co-scripted Terminal. Sean O'Grady (Doug Savant) is an intern who begins to wonder about a supposed miracle cancer cure his hospital is dispensing after a young girl dies from the disease. He must overcome a hostile bureaucracy as well as other doctors who are hiding dangerous secrets. This made for television film was directed by Larry Elikann and features Michael Ironside, Nia Peeples, and former Newsradio cast member Khandi Alexander. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV sequel to Deadlock, Jack Claremont (Stephen McHattie) wants Allie Thompson (Nia Peeples) out of prison, and has a plan to help her escape. Jack has Tony Archer (Esai Morales) framed for murder, and then tells Tony he'll reveal the truth and clear his name if he can help Allie escape. Tony agrees, but it isn't long before he learns that breaking out of prison and staying ahead of the law is no easy task. Deadlocked: Escape From Zone 14 also features Jon Cuthbert and Sarah Strange. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Kate (Donna Mills) is an alcoholic--and, as is often the case, she is in full denial regarding her illness. Only when she is threatened with mass desertion by her husband, children and best friend does the sullen Kate agree to seek out treatment. A lengthy and often harrowing rehabilitation period with a varied group of recovering addicts seems to have a enlightening effect on Kate, who promises her loved ones--and herself--that she has taken her last drink. Thus is established the tension that permeates the final half of the made-for-TV My Name Is Kate, for which Donna Mills pulled double duty as star and producer. The film made its initial ABC appearance on January 24, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nia Peeples guest stars as Nefertiti, handmaiden to Egyptian queen Nefertiti. Released from her sarcophagus after 2000 years, Nefertiti swears vengeance against her ex-lover, immortal Roman General Marcus Constantine (James Faulkner). Now a gentle museum curator, Constantine insists that Nefertiti is over-reacting. Duncan (Adrian Paul) promises to protect Constantine by any means available -- even though he himself has fallen in love with Nefertiti. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Karate-champion-turned-movie-star Chuck Norris was ideally cast as the title character in the contemporary Western series, Walker, Texas Ranger. Introduced as a two-hour TV movie on April 21, 1983, the weekly, hour-long CBS series starred Norris as Cordell Walker, who worked out of the Dallas office of the Texas Rangers with his youthful partner, Baltimore-born former football pro Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.). While Jimmy, like his superiors, preferred to rely upon modern crime fighting techniques -- computers, forensic science, strict adherence to civil liberties and due process -- the impassive, taciturn Walker was generally of the opinion that criminals were subhuman scum, worthy only of a slug in the face or a kick in the groin. Kicking, in fact, was a Walker specialty, notably whenever he came within close proximity of a locked door or bolted window. Though she didn't always approve of his methods, Walker's off-and-on girlfriend, assistant D.A. Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), admired his strong sense of justice and fair play, especially when protecting those weaker than himself. Too, Alex found Walker extremely handy whenever she got kidnapped, which seemed to happen at the rate of once every other week! Despite his loyalty to his friends, those close to Walker remained so at their own risk, inasmuch as the bad guys were not above hurting them to get to him. Others within Walker's orbit included his old pal C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham), a former Ranger who, after being invalidated out of the service, opened up a restaurant; Uncle Ray Firewalker (Floyd Red Crow Westerman), the sagacious old Native American who raised Walker from childhood and had taught him the value of restraint and contemplation -- unless of course, violence was absolutely called for; Carlos Sandoval (Marco Sanchez), an undercover detective who owed his life to Walker; and Walker's former martial arts student Trent Malloy (James Wlcek), who owned a karate school (and who, teamed with Carlos Sandoval, was briefly spun off into his own TV series, Sons of Thunder). During the series' final seasons, undercover Rangers Francis Gage (Judson Mills) and Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples) linked up with Walker's team. In the course of events, Uncle Ray Firewalker passed away; C.D. Parker was killed by a band of elusive assassins who intended to work their way up to Walker in their efforts to knock off every Texas Ranger in Dallas; and in the series' seventh season, Walker and Alex became engaged, with wedding bells ringing at the end of season eight and the birth of a baby daughter in the final episode. After ending its CBS run on July 28, 2001, Walker, Texas Ranger launched what was apparently an endless rerun cycle in syndication and on cable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason represents a former student who is accused of murdering a singing star. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide