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Sela Ann Ward was born July 11, 1956, in Meridian,
Mississippi. The oldest of 4 children -- with a sister and 2 brothers
-- Sela (pronounced See-lah, it's an abbreviated form of Hallelujah)
is the daughter of an electrical engineer and a homemaker.
Her childhood was nothing short of ordinary for a beautiful girl
growing up in the South. While a student at the University of Alabama,
where she studied art and advertising, Sela was also a cheerleader
for the football team, a sorority sister, and was elected homecoming
queen.
With her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Sela headed to New York to pursue
a career in advertising, but after the striking, statuesque brunette
was encouraged to become a model, she decided to try her hand at modeling.
Now on the other side of the advertising spectrum as a Wilhelmina
Model, Sela appeared in television commercials, for products such
as Pepsi and Maybelline. After gaining experience in more than 20
commercials, Sela dropped advertising and moved to Los Angeles to
become an actress -- and lengthen her screen time.
She made her debut in the 1983 television series Emerald Point N.A.S.,
and that year, she landed a role opposite Burt Reynolds in The Man
Who Loved Women, which helped her star to gradually rise. Sela was
doing the TV rounds in shows like L.A. Law, Night Court and Cameo
By Night, as well as films such as Nothing In Common, Steele Justice
and Hello Again.
Sela's big break finally arrived in 1991, when she was cast as one
of 4 sisters in the NBC comedy/drama, Sisters. As alcoholic mother
and fashion designer Teddy Reed, Sela became a household name among
the show's many viewers. Sela also took home the Emmy for Best Lead
Actress in a Drama Series in 1994.
Sela did double duty while starring as Teddy; she appeared in the
made-for-TV movies Double Jeopardy, Killer Rules, and starred as the
title character in Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, for which
she took home the Cable Ace Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries.
She also appeared as Harrison Ford's wife in the 1993 blockbuster,
The Fugitive.
After her 6-year stint in Sisters, Sela co-starred with Ryan Phillippe
and Salma Hayek in 54, and had a bit part in the Julia Roberts romantic
comedy, Runaway Bride. Sela auditioned to be a Bond Girl, but was
deemed too old for the part -- no matter, Sela had other opportunities
in the pipeline.
It was back to the television series for Sela -- which seems to be
her forte -- when she was cast as Lily Manning Sammler in the dramatic
series, Once and Again. Sela has already picked up an Emmy for Outstanding
Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2000 and a Golden Globe for Best
Actress in a Drama in 2001, and the show is still seeing high ratings
on ABC. You probably also recognize her as the classy woman in the
Sprint commercials.
Sela has been a girlfriend once and again; she dated MacGyver's Richard
Dean Anderson from 1983 until 1986; was engaged to actor Peter Weller
until 1990; and is currently married to real-estate executive Howard
Sherman, since 1992. Sela and Howard are the parents of Austin Ward
and Anabella Raye.
Both on and off screen, Sela continues to prove that married life
after 40 can still be very hot.Sela
Ward Personal videos and photos - Click here!
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