Barbara Lee Niven (née Bucholz; born February 26, 1953) is an American actress, writer and producer, best known for her performances in Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and for television roles in ''Pensacola: Wings of Gold'', ''One Life to Live'', ''Cedar Cove'', and ''
Chesapeake Shores
''Chesapeake Shores'' is a drama television series, based on the novel series of the same name by Sherryl Woods, produced by Chesapeake Shores Productions Inc in association with Borderline Distribution. The series had a two-hour premiere on th ...
''. Niven had the leading role in the independent film ''A Perfect Ending'' (2012). She is also a motivational speaker, media trainer and animal rights activist, and a National Ambassador for American Humane.
Early life
Barbara Lee Bucholz was born in 1953 in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
,
to parents George and Edie Bucholz. She has two sisters, Shelley
and Kim, and attended
David Douglas High School
David Douglas High School (DDHS) is a public high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is a part of the David Douglas School District.
In 1998 Lynn Olson, author of ''The School-to-work Revolution: How Employers And Educators Are Joinin ...
. She has stated that she knew when she was five that she wanted to be an actress.
She grew up hunting and fishing and was a senior in high school before she got involved in acting.
After high school, she attended college for six months, worked as export coordinator for a foundry, a general contractor, sold commercial real estate, and modelled.
[ She married at twenty-one and had a business with her husband. Niven became a mother at twenty-six. After a divorce, and with no child support, she found a place to live with roommates to help with expenses.
Her ten-year high school reunion committee mailed a questionnaire, with the final inquiry being, "have you achieved everything in your life that you thought you would by now?" The realization that she had not started acting made Niven declare to herself that she was "going to be an actor" and "going to be in show business somehow." Acknowledging a penchant for being on camera and knowing that she enjoyed writing, she decided to look for a job in news reporting.][
]
Career
Getting started
Niven went to see the news director at KGW
KGW (channel 8) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Jefferson Street in southwestern Portland, and its transmitter is located in the city' ...
in Portland and asked to make sample stories for him to critique. She promised to ‘pay it forward’ if she had a successful career. He agreed and provided a typical script. She was later hired as an intern, and her story about the White House Easter Egg Roll
Egg rolling, or an Easter egg roll is a traditional game played with eggs at Easter. Different nations have different versions of the game, usually played with hard-boiled, decorated eggs.
History
In Christianity, for the celebration of Easterti ...
made the network news.[
She spent hours reading from the theater section of '']Powell's Books
Powell's Books is a chain of bookstores in Portland, Oregon, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Powell's headquarters, dubbed Powell's City of Books, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Powell's City of ...
'' and memorized a monologue
In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
from Neil Simon
Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
's '' Chapter Two''. In the early 1980s, there was a nationwide search to replace the character Tina Lord
Tina Lord Roberts is a fictional character from the American daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'', originally and last played by Andrea Evans. The character is the daughter of original series patriarch Victor Lord, and sister to long-running ch ...
on ''One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
''. One audition was held in Seattle. Niven drove in freezing rain from Portland, taped the monologue, and drove back home without telling anyone what she had done. She was one of several people chosen to go to New York for a screen test.
In New York she was told by Mari Lyn Henry, then ABC casting director
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra (acting), extra for a particular role or part in a scr ...
, that she did not have star quality and her voice would only lead to victims' roles. She went back to Portland determined to work on her voice and her craft. She got a retired radio man to be her voice coach. She was cast in Hallmark Hall of Fame
''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
’s 1986 ''Promise
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...
'', which filmed in Oregon. She received her SAG card on this movie. When her daughter was ten, she packed their belongings into a truck and trailer and moved to Los Angeles.
Television and film
For twelve years, she attended the master classes of Milton Katselas
Milton George Katselas (December 22, 1933 – October 24, 2008) was an American director and producer of stage and film, as well as a Hollywood acting instructor and coach who trained under Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg at the acclaimed '' Ac ...
at the Beverly Hills Playhouse
The Beverly Hills Playhouse is an acting school with theaters and training facilities in Beverly Hills, California, and also in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. It is one of the oldest acting schools and theatres in Los Angeles Cou ...
. Between 1986 and 1993 she was billed as Barbara Lee Alexander, and as Barbara Lee Niven for the film ''Lone Tiger'' (1994).see Filmography
A filmography is a list of films related by some criteria. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films they have appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular director. The t ...
She is known for her roles on soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
s ''The Bold and the Beautiful
''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...
'' as Brenda Dickerson, and in ''One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' as Liz Coleman Reynolds
A list of notable characters from the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'' that made their first appearance between the beginning of 2000 and the end of 2009.
Kimberly Andrews
Kimberly Andrews (born Aubrey Wentworth) is a fictional characte ...
.
She served for three years on the National Board of Directors for the Screen Actors Guild. From March 20 - September 8, 1989, she was hostess and announcer, with host Michael Burger
Michael Burger (born June 10, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, game show host and television presenter.
Game shows
Burger was hired by Reg Grundy Productions to host a pilot for a show called ''Matchmates'' in 1985. The show, which was ...
, for the syndicated game show, '' Straight to the Heart''. In 2000, served as a celebrity blue-team contestant for ''St. Thomas'' on Search Party.
Niven starred on the syndicated drama series '' Pensacola: Wings of Gold'' (1998-2000). Niven also has appeared in guest roles on numerous television series, including '' ER'', ''Cold Case
A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
'', ''Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
'', '' NCIS'', ''Charmed
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
'', ''Eli Stone
''Eli Stone'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series, named for its title character. The series was created by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who also served as executive producers alongside Ken Olin who directed the pilot, wit ...
'', and ''Parks and Recreation
''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
''. Additionally, she had multiple roles on ''Silk Stalkings
''Silk Stalkings'' is an American crime drama television series that premiered on CBS on November 7, 1991, as part of the network's late-night ''Crimetime After Primetime'' programming package. Broadcast for two seasons until CBS ended the ''Crim ...
'', and a recurring role on '' Pacific Palisades''.[
She played ]Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
in the HBO film ''The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...
''[ (1998) and has appeared in many films such as '']Under Lock and Key
''Under Lock and Key'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on November 22, 1985, through Elektra Records. The album reached No. 32 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and remained on that chart for 67 weeks. "Do ...
'' (1995), ''Forest Warrior
''Forest Warrior'' is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996. The film is perhaps best known since late ...
'' (1996), ''Foxfire
Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with ...
'' (1996), ''Breast Men
''Breast Men'' is a 1997 American, semibiographical, dark drama film; it was written by John Stockwell and directed by Lawrence O'Neil for HBO.
Plot
Dr. Kevin Saunders (played by David Schwimmer) and Dr. William Larson (played by Chris Cooper ...
'' (1997), ''The Drone Virus'' (2004), '' Chasing Ghosts'' (2005), ''Redline
Redline refers to the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. The redline of an en ...
'' (2007) and '' Summer's Blood'' (2009). She had the leading role in '' A Perfect Ending'' (2012) and co-starred with Kat Dennings
Katherine Victoria Litwack (born June 13, 1986), known professionally as Kat Dennings, is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Max Black in the CBS sitcom '' 2 Broke Girls'' (2011–2017) and as Darcy Lewis in the Marvel ...
and Ray Wise
Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Vice President Hal Gardner i ...
in the horror comedy ''Suburban Gothic
Suburban Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction, art, film and television, focused on anxieties associated with the creation of suburban communities, particularly in the United States and the West, from the 1950s and 1960s onwards.
Criteria
It o ...
'' (2014).
Niven has also appeared in over a dozen Lifetime movies
LMN (also known previously as Lifetime Movies, and an initialism for Lifetime Movie Network) is an American pay television network owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and t ...
, including ''Stranger in My Bed'' (2005), ''The Perfect Neighbor'' (2005), ''Double Cross'' (2006), ''Murder in My House'' (2006), ''The Rival'' (2006), ''A Valentine Carol'' (2007), '' Black Widow'' (2008), ''Dead at 17'' (2008), ''Accused at 17'' (2009), ''Heat Wave'' (2009), ''My Mother's Secret'' (2012), ''Home Invasion'' (2012), ''The Wife He Met Online'' (2012), and Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's '' Tiger Cruise'' (2004).
She has multiple credits for Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''hallmark'' can al ...
, starting with her first role in Hallmark Hall of Fame
''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
's ''Promise
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...
'' (1986), with James Garner
James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...
and James Woods
James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off-Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in '' The Trial of the ...
. Among other appearances, there are ''A Carol Christmas
''A Carol Christmas'' is a TV movie starring Tori Spelling, Dinah Manoff, William Shatner, Jason Brooks and Gary Coleman. It premiered on the Hallmark Channel in 2003. The film is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol ...
'' (2003), ''Wedding Daze
''Wedding Daze'' (also known as ''The Pleasure of Your Company'' and ''The Next Girl I See'') is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael Ian Black and starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher.
Plot
Against the advice of ...
'' (2004), ''Back to You and Me'' (2005), '' Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery'' (2006), '' McBride: Semper Fi'' (2007), and '' Moonlight & Mistletoe'' (2008). In 2013, Niven was cast in Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...
's first original drama series '' Cedar Cove'', opposite Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell's known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. MacDowell has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman ...
and Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950) is an American actor and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series '' How the West Was Won'', '' Bring 'Em Back Alive'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King ...
. Niven is currently appearing in the series ''Chesapeake Shores
''Chesapeake Shores'' is a drama television series, based on the novel series of the same name by Sherryl Woods, produced by Chesapeake Shores Productions Inc in association with Borderline Distribution. The series had a two-hour premiere on th ...
'' with Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor, writer and aviator who has appeared on film, stage and television in over 120 credits. He first became well known for his starring role in the 1979 musical film '' Hair'', and la ...
and Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...
. For Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (formerly known as Hallmark Movie Channel, and also known as HMM) is an American digital cable and satellite television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings. The channel was spun off from sister network Hallmark Chann ...
, she has been cast in the ''Murder, She Baked
''Murder, She Baked'' is an American/Canadian television film series, based on the cozy mystery novels written by Joanne Fluke. The television films centered around small-town baker Hannah Swensen, portrayed by Alison Sweeney, and Detective Mike Ki ...
'' and '' Crossword Mysteries'' movies.
Speaker and coach
Barbara Niven has made motivational speeches and said that if she could become an actor as a single mother at thirty, others can also fulfill their dreams. She has spoken to school classes, professional groups, and on television shows. The subjects have included: "Giving up Perfect to Claim Your Dreams", "Paralyzed to Powerful" (tips to save yourself from a stalker), "Eating Disorders & Pressures to be Perfect", and "The Pressure to be Thin in Hollywood".
She has done media training for individuals and corporations. Niven has a studio and developed workshops to educate people to make a positive impression with speaking, presentation, and media video. Her instructions include: for presentations, consciously create a character with voice, use good lighting, and connect heart to heart; and when performing, build relationships, be a personal producer and the welcoming person in the room.[ She says, "the older one gets the more beautiful tools and instruments you have to add to your orchestra and your palette".][
She has described her writing process as do anything but write, clean the desk, then write from the heart and let the words flow.
]
Personal life
Niven has been married three times, to Ronald Garrison ( 1974, divorced), David Alexander ( 1985, divorced), and David Niven Jr.
David Niven Jr. is a British film producer, film actor and script writer who was an executive at Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures. He is the son of actor David Niven and Primula Rollo.
Career
Niven was the head of the William Mor ...
( June 19, 1993, 1998). She has a daughter, Jessica, and three grandchildren. She obtained dual Canadian citizenship because her father was born there. Her favorite color is red, although she likes to wear black. She prefers sweats to fancy dresses.
For thirty years, between fifteen and forty-five, she suffered from bulimia
Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eate ...
. Her older sister asked about it, and she got help after her daughter fainted at cheerleading practice. Others on the squad were also bulimic/anorexic. Niven promptly got them both help. She says, "secrets are what kept me sick." Once the secret was out, it no longer controlled her.[ Eating disorders is a topic about which she gives presentations that garner positive feedback.][
She supports human rights causes and programs that speak out against bullying. Niven appeared in ''She4ME'' ('She' for Marriage Equality), the 2014 five-minute public service video created in support. She has been a proponent of the 2012 seventeen-minute anti-bullying short '' Love is All You Need?'', and its purpose in asking viewers to see themselves as a minority.
Niven is an animal rights activist and spokesperson. She has a four-legged family of dogs and cats at home, and fosters older pets. She has participated on an animal rescue team to save victims of a puppy mill, and is a National Ambassador for ]American Humane
American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...
.
Filmography
a as Barbara Lee Alexander n as Barbara Lee Niven
Theatre
Video games
Books
Author
* Niven, Barbara (2011). ''111 Star Power Tips – Insider Secrets from a Hollywood Pro : For Videos, Audios, On-Camera Interviews, TV, Radio & Presentations''. Shadoeworks. .
Contributor
* Niven, Barbara (2006). "Barbara Niven ctor
In class-based programming, class-based, object-oriented programming, a constructor (abbreviation: ctor) is a special type of subroutine called to object creation, create an object. It prepares the new object for use, often accepting Parameter ( ...
. In Stromberg, Gary; Merrill, Jane. ''Feeding the Fame : Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories of Eating Disorders''. Hazelden
The Hazelden Foundation is an American non-profit organization based in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden has alcohol and drug treatment facilities in Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, Florida, Washington, and New York. It offers assessment and pri ...
. pp. 96–107. .
* Niven, Barbara (2009). "ACT AS IF!". In Kingsbury, Gail (ed.). ''How Did You Do That! Stories of Going for It''. Yinspire Media. pp. 99–104. .
* Niven, Barbara (2011). "Shine Your Light", In Lim, Kimber (ed.). ''Get Your Woman On! Embracing Beauty, Grace & the Power of Women''. Yinspire Media. pp. 41–46. .
* Niven, Barbara (2013). "A Perfect Ending...and a New Beginning", In Mayfield, Karen (ed.). ''Wake Up Women Be You : Spread Your Wings and Fly Emotionally''. Wake Up Women. pp. 32–39. .
* Niven, Barbara (2015). "Success, Goosebumps & Your Next Evolution". In Allen, Debbie (ed.). ''Experts Wisdom : Life Changing Principles and Transformational Business Strategies from the Go-To Authorities''. Authentic Endeavors Publishing. pp. 203–218. .
* Niven, Barbara (2016). "Taking a Leap of Faith, Dreams, Money, & Show Biz" In Giankas, Patricia (ed.). ''Great Credit Now : Set Your GPS for Positive Success''. Authentic Endeavors Publishing. pp. 105–116. .
References
Sources
*
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Additional reading
* Markel, Adam (2016). ''Pivot : The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life''. Atria Books. ee index .
External links
Official website
*
*
*
*
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*
*
Barbara Niven: Actor, Media Trainer, Motivational Speaker
- a resource page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niven, Barbara
1953 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Portland, Oregon
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
American television actresses
American video game actresses
David Douglas High School alumni