primeview - Stephanie, a very special student

Stephanie Niznik - The Actress

The TV series, Everwood has been very good to Stephanie Niznik according to Dale McGarrigle of the Bangor Daily News in his article entitled "Ever Good". Stephanie, the actress, a native of Brewer, Maine, is now in her [fourth] season as a regular on the family drama, Everwood, which airs regularly in America on Warner Brothers Channels.

"As an actor, work security is something you treasure," Stephanie said in a phone interview with Dale from Salt Lake City, where Everwood is based. "Also, you get to create and build on a character. We're especially lucky because the cast is very close and is composed of actors who really want to be here. It's great when you enjoy the cast and crew you work with."

In Everwood, Stephanie plays divorcee Nina Feeney, mother of a 6-year-old boy, Sam. Nina is the next-door neighbor of Dr. Andy Brown, the widower played by series star Treat Williams. "The writers are so clever, and they don't tell us anything," said Stephanie, "You find out when you get the script. I think eventually Nina and Andy will deal with their feelings."

Stephanie loves the role of Nina for a number of reasons. "It's a role I fit in, and realize how lucky I am," she said. "Nina is very close to who I am. In the past, I've played strong, tough women. But [producers] Greg Berlanti and Mickey Liddell saw that [Nina] is who I am. She says the right thing at the right time, unlike me. But she does have writers."

Stephanie is pleased with the response she receives from viewers. "A lot of moms stop and talk to me at the airport or on the street, and tell me that Everwood is the only show they can watch with their children, that can start conversations in their homes," she said. "That's because it does a really good job at giving different perspectives."

Stephanie resides in Los Angeles and spends July to April in Utah. As one of nine series regulars, the amount of time she needs to be on set varies week to week, which gives her time for other activities. "I've returned to my love of horseback riding, and I like to go hiking in the woods with my dog," she said. "There's a lot of beautiful things to see and do here. Utah reminds me of Maine, in terms of having seasons again. The snow, the shoveling, it brings back memories."

Stephanie has been working as an actress in California for [14] years, following her graduation magna cum laude in theater from Duke University in North Carolina with further study at the California Institute for the Arts. Her film credits include Kismet, Memorial Day, Star Trek IX and Dear God. In TV, she was a series regular on the syndicated series Guardian Angel and Vanishing Son and a guest star on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Profiler, JAG, Frasier and Diagnosis Murder.

Speaking of her current role in Everwood; "There's the chemistry of the cast and the quality of the writing," she said. "It's not soapy, and it appeals to both teens and adults. It doesn't just skim the surface of a topic; it goes a little deeper." (interview text coutesy Bangor Daily News)

It was a privilage teaching Stephanie Niznik among others at John Bapst Memorial High School in 1981 to '82. Following the birth of my second daughter Allyson and a brief visit with my family in England, I returned to America with an abundant supply of resources funded by my new employer. During that year, while I taught High School students some basic drawing and painting skills, I was also given the opportunity to impart my love of portraiture, in oils. Stephanie was quick to volenteer as a sitter, and it soon became apparent that she had a passion for the Arts and the kind of cruiosity and determination that was needed to become a Star. This page is dedicated to Stephanie and for more information about her career you may view imdb.com and thewb.warnerbros.com