Erica
Erica carnea in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Erica L.
Species
Over 700 species, including: Erica arborea Erica azorica Erica caffra Erica carnea Erica cerinthoides Erica ciliaris Erica cinerea Erica erigena Erica lusitanica Erica mackaiana Erica mammosa Erica manipuliflora Erica reunionensis Erica scoparia Erica tetralix Erica turgida Erica vagans Erica verticillata

Erica ( /ˈɛrɨkə/),^[1] the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae.^[2] The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance.

Most of the species are small shrubs from 0.2-1.5 m high, though some are taller; the tallest are E. arborea (Tree Heath) and E. scoparia (Besom Heath), both of which can reach up to 6–7 m tall. All are evergreen, with minute needle-like leaves 2–15 mm long. Flowers are sometimes axillary, and sometimes in terminal umbels or spikes, and are usually outward or downward facing. Flowers are borne in mass, and the plants are grown as landscape or garden plants for their floral effect. The seeds are very small, and in some species may persist in the soil for decades.

At least 660 of the species are endemic to South Africa, and these are often called the Cape heaths, forming the largest genus in the fynbos. The remaining species are native to other parts of Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean region, and Europe.

Like most of the rest of the Ericaceae, Erica species are mainly calcifugous, being limited to acidic or very acidic soils – from dry, sandy soils to extremely wet ones such as bog. They often dominate dwarf-shrub habitats (heathland and moorland), or the ground vegetation of open acidic woodland.

The closely related genus Calluna was formerly included in Erica – it differs in having even smaller scale-leaves (less than 2–3 mm long), and the flower corolla being more divided into separate petals. Erica is sometimes referred to as "Winter (or Spring) Heather" to distinguish it from Calluna (Summer (or Autumn) Heather).

Plants of this genus are eaten mainly by the larvae of many Lepidoptera species including Emperor Moth, Garden tiger moth, True Lover's Knot, Wormwood Pug and the Coleophora case-bearers C. juncicolella and C. pyrrhulipennella.

See also[link]

• Heath (habitat).
• Calluna
• Robert Riley

References[link]

1. ^ The expected Anglo-Latin pronunciation, /ɨˈraɪkə/, may be given in dictionaries (OED: "Erica"), but /ˈɛrɨkə/ is more commonly heard (Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607)
2. ^ Manning, John; Paterson-Jones, Colin (2008). Field Guide to Fynbos. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. p. 224. ISBN 978-1-77007-265-7. 

• 

  Erica arborea
• 

  Erica cinerea
• 

  Erica junonia
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  Erica mammosa
• 

  Erica ciliaris

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Erica

Maura Therese Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio and Abby Lockhart on the television medical drama ER.

Early life[link]

Tierney, the eldest of three children, was born and raised in the Hyde Park neighborhood^[2] of Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother, Pat, is a real estate broker and her late father, Joseph, was a prominent Boston politician who served on the Boston City Council for 15 years. Tierney is of Irish descent.^[3]

She attended Notre Dame Academy in Hingham, Massachusetts, where her studies included drama and led to her appearance at the Boston Globe Drama Festival.^[2] After graduation, she attended New York University where she majored first in dance, and later in drama.^[4]

Career[link]

After appearing in several plays, she moved to Los Angeles, California, and in 1987 got her first break in a role in Disney's made-for-TV film Student Exchange.^[5] Tierney's first starring role in a film was in a low-budget, independently-produced film called Dead Women in Lingerie, shot in 24 days.^[6] The film never received a theatrical release, although it was released on DVD in 2005.^[7]

Tierney continued winning small roles in film and television, though it was not until her leading role in the sitcom NewsRadio from 1995 to 1999 that she received regular national exposure. While she was a NewsRadio cast member, she also appeared in several successful films, including Primal Fear, Primary Colors, Forces of Nature, and Liar Liar, which starred Jim Carrey.^[8]

After NewsRadio was canceled, Tierney decided not to pursue a role in another sitcom:

Tierney played Nurse Abigail "Abby" Lockhart on ER, a character that began as a guest appearance as an OB nurse in November 1999, then expanded in February 2000 to a full-time regular part as an ER nurse (and later, after completion of medical school, a licensed ER doctor). Within a year, her work on ER had earned her an Emmy Award nomination, recognition she credits to a "juicy" story arc featuring Sally Field as Lockhart's mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder.^[5] She was initially reunited with her former NewsRadio co-star Khandi Alexander who at that time had a major recurring role on ER.

Tierney confirmed in April 2008 that she would be leaving ER shortly after the beginning of the show's fifteenth season. In October 2008, she made her final regular appearance on the series after nearly 10 seasons on the show. She did return to make a cameo appearance on one additional episode later on during the final season.

As of 2011^[update], Tierney's highest-profile film since joining the cast of ER has been the 2002 film Insomnia, directed by Christopher Nolan.^[8] That same year she also starred in Scotland, Pa., portraying a Lady Macbeth-like character written specifically for her by then-husband Billy Morrissette. She was praised by critics for her performance. She collaborated with NewsRadio writer Joe Furey for a special, "Working with Joe Furey" featurette for Furey's film Love and Support. In 2004, Tierney won the second season tournament of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown against Lauren Graham.

She returned to the stage in May 2006 in an appearance opposite Eric McCormack in the Off Broadway premiere of Some Girl(s).^[9] She also appeared in the 2008 films Semi-Pro, Baby Mama, The Go-Getter and Finding Amanda.

Tierney played the role of Laurel in the Off Broadway play Three Changes with Dylan McDermott ^[10] from September 16 to October 4, 2008.

She returned to television in 2009, playing the recurring character Kelly McPhee on the FX series Rescue Me.

Tierney replaced Joely Richardson as the female lead of the 2010 ABC television series The Whole Truth, after Richardson dropped out to spend more time with her family.^[11] Tierney's role in the show, a legal drama produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, marks her first return to television after recovering from breast surgery and cancer treatments.^[12] ABC canceled The Whole Truth after just four episodes due to low ratings.

In February 2011, Tierney made her debut at the Gate Theatre in the Dublin premiere of Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage (translation by Christopher Hampton) alongside Ardal O'Hanlon.^[13]

Personal life[link]

Tierney married actor-director Billy Morrissette on February 1, 1993, two days before her 28th birthday, after the two met on the set of a never-aired television series.^[14] After being married for 13 years, she filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. They had no children.

On February 1, 2009 the recently ordained Tierney officiated at the wedding of ER castmate and friend Parminder Nagra and photographer James Stenson.^[15]

Tierney had surgery to remove a tumor from her breast in 2009.^[16][17] Schedule conflicts with her cancer treatments led her to leave the cast of Parenthood, where she had been an original cast member. She was replaced by Lauren Graham.^[18] She finished treatment and returned to work in a stage play in 2010.^[19]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

See also[link]

• Flann Ó Tighearnaigh, Gaelic-Irish Lord, died 1273.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Maura Tierney at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the [[Talk:Lois Smith#biographical article|talk page]]. (December 2008)

Lois Smith (born November 3, 1930) is an American actress whose career in theater, film, and television has spanned five decades.

Smith was born as Lois Arlene Humbert in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Carrie Davis (née Gottshalk) and William Oren Humbert, who was a telephone company employee.^[1] She is a graduate of the University of Washington.

After two TV appearances, Smith made her film debut in East of Eden (1955). Other film credits include Five Easy Pieces, Up the Sandbox, Four Friends, Fatal Attraction, Fried Green Tomatoes, How to Make an American Quilt, Hard Promises, Dead Man Walking, Twister, Minority Report, Tumbleweeds, and Hollywoodland

She has been active in television, appearing in early anthology series (Studio One, Robert Montgomery Presents), soap operas (Another World, Somerset, The Edge of Night, All My Children, One Life to Live), prime-time dramas (The Defenders, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, thirtysomething, The Practice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, ER, Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case and True Blood), and sitcoms (Just Shoot Me! and Frasier).

Smith made her Broadway debut in the 1952 comedy Time Out for Ginger. A member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, she appeared as "Ma Joad" in their production of The Grapes of Wrath in Chicago, La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and London before bringing it to New York City, where her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and nominations[link]

• 1970: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (Five Easy Pieces, winner)
• 1990: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (The Grapes of Wrath, nominee)
• 1996: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Buried Child, nominee)
• 2006: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play (The Trip to Bountiful, winner)

Personal life[link]

She was married to Wesley Dale Smith, a teacher, from November 5, 1948 until their divorce in 1970); they have one daughter.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lois Smith at the Internet Broadway Database
• Lois Smith at the Internet Movie Database

This article about a United States film and television actor or actress born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Erica Leerhsen
Leerhsen at the 2005 screening of Little Athens.
Born	Erica Lei Leerhsen (1976-02-14) February 14, 1976 (age 36) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2000–present
Spouse	Antony Galvan (2007–2008)

Erica Lei Leerhsen (born February 14, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the horror films Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wrong Turn 2. She is often referred to as a modern day scream queen. She is also known for her acting on television series, such as her lead role in The Guardian and several guest appearances, including The Sopranos, Alias, and others.

Early life and education[link]

Leerhsen was born in New York City, and raised in Ossining, Westchester County, New York, along with her two younger sisters, Debbie and Nora, by their father Charles Leerhsen, a longtime editor of celebrity publication Us Weekly. She attended St. Augustine's School and Ossining High School and graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts in 1998. She earned BFA in acting the same year.^[1]

Career[link]

Career progression, 2000–2002[link]

Leerhsen made her film debut in the short film Junior Creative (2000), as Sarah. The film received several good reviews. She appeared in the horror sequel Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, though she originally auditioned for the part that eventually went to Kim Director. The film was panned by film critics, but it debuted at number 2 with $13,000,000 in the United States, and finished with $26,421,314^[2] Overall, internationally the film made $47,737,094.^[3][4] She was also voted #96 in 2001's Maxim Hot 100.^[5]

In 2001, Leerhsen appeared in an episode of the third season of The Sopranos, where she played a lesbian tennis instructor who falls for Drea de Matteo's character. That same year, She was part of cast of the well-acclaimed TV show The Guardian, she played as Amanda Bowles, an ambitious but caring associate, who leaves mid-way through season one. She played a supporting role in Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending.^[1] The film received mixed response by critics and at the box office making $14,569,744 at the end of its theatrical run.^[6] It was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.^[7]

Worldwide success, 2003–2007[link]

Leerhsen at the 2003 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre premiere.

Leerhsen was honored with the title "Arrow in the Head's Mistress of the Year 2003".^[8] She starred alongside Jessica Biel in the horror remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in which Leerhsen had a lead role as one of the doomed teens. During her screen test for the film, her screams were so loud that people on other floors of the building called the police to report that a young woman was being attacked.^[9] The film received mixed reviews and was a box office success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S.^[10] She was a guest star in two episodes of the TV show Alias. She appeared in Woody Allen's romantic comedy film Anything Else, opposite Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon, KaDee Strickland, and Allen. The film was the opening–night selection at the 60th annual Venice International Film Festival.

Leerhsen starred in the 2004 independent thriller film The Warrior Class, where she played Anson Mount's love interest. The film got released on DVD on February 6, 2007. Leerhsen starred opposite Michael Pena in the independent comedy drama film Little Athens. The film was released at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, and on DVD on November 21, 2006. She had a guest appearance in the TV show Ghost Whisperer, and appeared as the character Bronwin in the romantic comedy film Mozart and the Whale, which was released in limited theaters on April 14, 2006.^[11] That same year, Leerhsen guest appeared as Brenda Sanders in the CBS series CSI: Miami episode "The Score".

She starred in Wrong Turn 2, the 2007 sequel to the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn. The film was directed by Joe Lynch and co-starring Crystal Lowe, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. It got released on DVD on October 9, 2007 in the United States, was commercially successful and received a positive response from critics.^[12]

Recent work, 2008–present[link]

She also had the lead role in the horror/thriller film Living Hell, where she played Carrie Freeborn, a hazmat specialist.^[13] The film, written and directed by Richard Jefferies premiered on the SCI FI Channel on February 23, 2008, and was released on DVD under the title Organizm on June 10 in the United States.^[14]

Leerhsen starred in the 2009 independent horror film Lonely Joe. The film's premise followed a reporter from New York City, Michele, who returns to her hometown to investigate and find out what actually happened, related with the mysterious murder of her brother. Then, she discovers bodies dating back more than fifty years, she finds herself feeling as if she is part of the story she is investigating. Filming began on October 15, 2007 and wrapped on November 6, 2007.^[15][16]

Leerhsen also stars in The Message, a supernatural thriller film about a young women who is forced to come to terms with her personality flaws. She is visited by a group of angels who attempt to guide her on a path away from her darker side. In 2010, she landed the lead role in the horror film The Butterfly Room, which is an Italian/American production, produced by Ethan Wiley for Wiseacre Films and directed by Jonathan Zarantonello.^[17]

Personal life[link]

Leerhsen currently lives in Los Angeles. She married professional cyclist Antony Galvan in February 2007, but the couple divorced in 2008.

She enjoys running, playing basketball and yoga.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Erica Leerhsen

• Erica Leerhsen at the Internet Movie Database
• Erica Leerhsen on Myspace
• Erica-Leerhsen.com
• Erica Leerhsen at Yahoo! Movies

Ray Wise
Ray Wise on "Reaper"
Born	(1947-08-20) August 20, 1947 (age 64) Akron, Ohio, USA
Occupation	Actor
Spouse	Kass McClaskey
Awards	B-Movie Award for Best Actor 2006 Cyxork 7

Raymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise (born August 20, 1947), an American actor.^[1] Some of his best-known roles include Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, henchman Leon C. Nash in RoboCop, and the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.

Personal[link]

Wise was born in Akron, Ohio, and attended Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.^[1] He is of Romanian descent on his mother's side.^[2] He grew up in a religious family, during his childhood he went to a Romanian Baptist church in Akron, OH, and later he moved to a Methodist church.^[3]

Wise has two children with wife Kass McClaskey: a son, Gannon (born 1985), and a daughter, Kyna aka DJ Kyna (born 1987). Wise resides in Glendale, California.^[4]

Career[link]

Television[link]

Best known for his role as the murdered Laura Palmer's father Leland in Twin Peaks. In the late sixties and seventies, Wise played attorney Jamie Rollins on the soap opera, Love of Life. He played the character of Dr. Alec Holland in the 1982 film Swamp Thing, directed by Wes Craven and based upon the comic book series of the same name. Dr. Holland is the man who becomes the titular character after his lab is destroyed and he is left for dead. The actual Swamp Thing character was played by Dick Durock. In 1985, Wise played Sol Gann, father to Natty Gann in The Journey of Natty Gann, directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan. In 1987, wise played Tom Gunther, Catherine Chandler's boyfriend, in the pilot episode of "Beauty and the Beast" TV series. In addition to Twin Peaks, Wise has played several roles in science fiction. He played the harried dad in the horror film Dead End. He made an appearance as Liko in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Who Watches the Watchers", and later played Arturis in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Hope and Fear".

He appeared in the Season 7 episode 'The Flame' of Diagnosis: Murder.

He was also featured in three episodes of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! as Grill Vogel, the presenter of a fictive instructional video series called "Business Hugs."

In 1995, Wise was reunited with Twin Peaks cast mate Sherilyn Fenn in the NBC telemovie Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story. Wise played 1950s CBS News anchor Don Hollenbeck in the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck. He also starred as the Devil on the TV series Reaper. In recent years, Wise has appeared on a number of political-themed television series and films. He briefly appeared on The West Wing as California governor Gabriel "Gabe" Tillman, and played Vice President Hal Gardner on the Emmy-winning Fox series 24 in 2006. In August 2006, Wise made a guest appearance in the TV series Bones (Fox) as the primary suspect of the first episode of the second season ("The Titan on the Tracks"), and in the pilot episode of Burn Notice. On the February 6 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Wise guest starred as the head of a company testing pesticides on little children. Wise has also guest starred in two episodes of The Closer, as lawyer Tom Blanchard. He starred in Charmed as the upper level demon Ludlow, who runs a school for the Source Of All Evil in the episode "Lost and Bound." He also had a small role in one episode of the sixth season of Dawson's Creek, playing Roger Stepateck. Wise also starred in the SyFy original movie "Infestation" premièred in August 2009. He was also a guest star in Psych and played the lead as Avery in a psychological thriller, Iodine movie in 2009. In 2010, in a special episode of Psych titled "Dual Spires", he joined his fellow Twin Peaks alumni Dana Ashbrook, Robyn Lively, Lenny Von Dohlen, Sheryl Lee, Catherine E. Coulson, and Sherilyn Fenn in a spoof of Twin Peaks.

Wise appeared in Mad Men Episode 50 (Season 4 Episode 11), "Chinese Wall". He plays Cosgrove's future father-in-law Ed Baxter, the CEO of Corning, in the restaurant scene when Cosgrove learns that Sterling Cooper is losing Lucky Strike as a client. Ray Wise made another appearance as Ed Baxter in Mad Men Episode 57 (Season 4, Episode 7,) "At the Codfish Ball."

In 2010, Wise guest-starred on the TV series Dollhouse as Howard, a higher-up in the Dollhouse organization.^[5] He stars in Kyle Rankins post-apocalyptic horror thriller film Nuclear Family.^[6] Wise will star in the lead of the upcoming Mike Mendez thriller film Ov3rk!ll.^[7]

Wise appeared in Season 4 of Chuck, and the hit FX television show "Wilfred" as a popular TV personality. He also was cast in the part of Robin Scherbatsky's father on How I Met Your Mother in December 2010 (after Eric Braeden declined to make a cameo appearance). Ray made a cameo appearance as a modeling agent in episode four of season 2 of Workaholics.

Wise currently appears in the Hulu original series Battleground.

Film[link]

Wise played the role of entrepreneur/millionaire Dalton Voss in the movie The Chase. He played the role of Bart's father Harrison in the movie The Battle of Shaker Heights. He also played the role of Taggart in the horror film Jeepers Creepers 2.

In the year 2011, Wise played the role of United States Secretary of State in X-Men: First Class.^[8]

He appeared in Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie as Dr. Doone Strut, the leader of the Shrim Healing Center.

Voice work[link]

As a voice actor, Wise played Perry White in the movie Superman: Doomsday.

He is also known for portraying Michael Dugan, President of the United States in the computer real-time strategy game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and its expansion Yuri's Revenge.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Voisin, Scott, "Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting." BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59393-342-5.

External links[link]

• Ray Wise at the Internet Movie Database
• Ray Wise at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Interview with Ray Wise 2011 (video) at 9. Weekend of Horrors
• Ray Wise interview at sci-fi-online.com
• Ray Wise interview at time out Chicago