Meredith Eaton Explained

Meredith Eaton
Birth Date:26 August 1974
Birth Place:Long Island, New York U.S.
Height:122 cm
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1999–present
Spouse:
    Children:1

    Meredith Hope Eaton Gordon (sometimes credited as Meredith Eaton-Gilden; born August 26, 1974)[1] is an American actress. She is 122cm (48inches) tall,[2] [3] and refers to herself as a "short-stature actress".[4] She is known for portraying the attorney Emily Resnick on the CBS television series Family Law (in which she was the first female with dwarfism to fill a regular role in an American prime time series), for her recurring role as Bethany Horowitz on the ABC series Boston Legal, and for her lead role as Matilda "Matty" Webber on the CBS series MacGyver.

    Early life

    Eaton was born on Long Island, New York, to a clinical social worker mother and an administrative law judge father. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority; she graduated in 1996 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, minoring in theater. In June 2007, she was named by Hofstra University as their Alumnus of the Month.

    She later earned a master's degree in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, where she achieved a 4.0 grade point average. She would later credit her training in psychology for giving her a better ability to understand character dynamics in preparing for acting roles.

    Professional career

    Eaton's acting career began in 1999 when she attended an open casting call for the comedy film Unconditional Love. Despite it being her first audition, she won out over 500 women from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom to be cast in the role of Maudey Beasley.[5]

    Unconditional Love was not released until 2002. Her performance was seen by Paul Haggis, who created the role of Emily Resnick for her on Family Law. Joining the cast in 2002, she continued with the series until its cancellation later that same year. She later had significant guest appearances on NYPD Blue, Dharma & Greg, , House and NCIS. She also appeared as herself in Standing Tall at Auschwitz, which was a History Channel documentary on the Ovitz family, and in No Bigger Than a Minute, an independent documentary on dwarfism which aired on the PBS program P.O.V.[6]

    In 2006, she joined the cast of Boston Legal as Bethany Horowitz, a love interest to William Shatner's character Denny Crane. The role was written specifically for her by David E. Kelley.[7]

    Eaton has portrayed Carol Wilson, a recurring character on CBS' NCIS for over 6 seasons and its spin-off , an immunologist who works for the CDC and is a friend of forensic scientist Abby Sciuto. In 2013, Meredith starred opposite Christopher Walken and Bill Nighy in David Hare's Turks & Caicos. In 2016, Eaton became a series regular on the CBS show MacGyver. She plays Matilda "Matty" Webber, MacGyver's boss and the new director of operations at The Phoenix Foundation.

    Personal life

    Eaton married Brian Gordon on October 12, 2008. Gordon is a professional photographer. They have one child together, a daughter.

    Eaton was previously married to Michael Gilden from 2001 until his death in 2006.[8]

    Filmography

    Film

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    2002Unconditional LoveMaudey Beasley
    2009Mrs. Tuttle
    2011Paranormal Activity 3Woman
    2013ParanoiaHospital Nurse #3
    2014Veronica MarsReceptionist
    Covena
    TBDKendraPost-production

    Television

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    2001NYPD BlueStella Kensington"Family Ties"
    Dharma & GregKate"Pride & Prejudice"
    2001–2002Family LawEmily ResnickMain role
    2002Melanie Grace"A Little Murder"
    2003Mr. AmbassadorMelodyTV film
    2006HouseMaddy Ralphean"Merry Little Christmas"
    2006–2008Boston LegalBethany HorowitzRecurring role
    2007Without a TraceBrenda Spivak"Claus and Effect"
    2008Jocelyn Miller"Inconceivable"
    2009–2022NCISCarol Wilson"Faith", "Devil's Triangle", "Homesick", "The Helpers"
    2014Turks & CaicosClare ClovisTV film
    Carol Wilson"Carrier"
    2015Battle CreekMeredith OberlingRecurring role
    2017–2021MacGyverMatilda "Matty" WebberMain role

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Meredith Eaton Biography . September 2, 2007 . Eaton-Gilden . Meredith . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927134919/http://mereditheatongilden.com/biography.html . September 27, 2007.
    2. Little People, Big World: Matt's Chats . . . September 2, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120806140623/http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/little-people-big-world/videos/matts-chats-meredith-eaton.htm . August 6, 2012 . dead.
    3. Matthew Roloff (host), Meredith Eaton . November 24, 2008 . Little People, Big World – Meredith Eaton . Television production . February 24, 2022 . Citation . about 30 seconds into the video . The Learning Channel.
    4. Web site: Alumnus of the Month . September 2, 2007 . June 2007 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070621191110/http://www.hofstra.edu/Alumni/AOTM/aotm_jun07_int.html . June 21, 2007.
    5. Web site: TV RISING STAR: Meredith Eaton Casting a Giant Shadow . September 3, 2007 . DuBois . Stephanie . Netscape Celebrity . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120206024637/http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/celebrity/becksmith.jsp?p=bsf_eaton_rstar . February 6, 2012.
    6. Web site: No Bigger Than a Minute . September 3, 2007 . 2006 . Public Broadcasting Service.
    7. Web site: Just Getting Started . September 3, 2007 . Beck . Marilyn . Jenel Smith, Stacy . 2007 . Netscape Celebrity . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120206024641/http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/celebrity/hollywoodexclusive.jsp?feature=ce_hol_10162006 . February 6, 2012.
    8. Web site: Actor Gilden dies at 44 . . December 11, 2006 . August 28, 2017.