Helen Shaver

Classically trained at the Banff School of Fine Arts and celebrated in her native country for her brilliant stage interpretations of Shaw and Ibsen, Canadian actress Helen Shaver made her American debut in, of all things, a TV sitcom -- 1980's United States. Neither this nor her second series Jessica Novak (1981) was successful, but she remained in demand in films and theatre productions in both the U.S. and Canada. The best of Shaver's many movie roles include fortyish Ann MacDonald in In Praise of Older Women (filmed in 1978, when she was 25) and Paul Newman's ever-patient lady friend in The Color of Money (1986). Additionally, Shaver was showcased in several made-for-TV movies, among them Lovey: A Circle of Children 2 (1978) and This Park is Mine (1985). - Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide