Annette O'Toole

Annette O'Toole began her screen career with appearances on The Danny Kaye Show (1967) and guest roles in My Three Sons, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, and The Partridge Family. Her first major film role came in Smile (1975), followed by One on One (1977), Foolin' Around (1980), the HBO production of Vanities (1981), Stand By Your Man (1981), 48 Hrs. (1982), Cat People (1982), Superman III (1983), Copacabana (1985), Bridge to Terabithia (1985), Strong Medicine (1986), and Cross My Heart (1987).

In 1990, O'Toole starred in the miniseries It as Beverly Marsh and portrayed Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy in The Kennedys of Massachusetts, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She went on to appear in Jewels (1992), Desperate Justice (1993), Dead by Sunset (1995), Nash Bridges (1996), Keeping the Promise (1997), and starred in the television series The Huntress (2000).

In 2001, O'Toole joined the cast of Smallville as Martha Kent, remaining a series regular through the sixth season and returning as a guest star in the final two seasons, where she also portrayed the Red Queen. She later appeared in Lie to Me (2010), Grey's Anatomy (2013), Halt and Catch Fire (2014–2015), 11.22.63 (2016), We Go On (2016), and began portraying Hope McCrea in the Netflix series Virgin River in 2019.

In addition to acting, O'Toole has worked as a songwriter. She and her husband, Michael McKean, co-wrote three songs for A Mighty Wind (2003), including the Academy Award-nominated "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow." She also co-wrote and performed "What Could Be Better?" for the Disney album A World of Happiness (2004), performed a cabaret show at Feinstein's at the Regency (2005), appeared with Spinal Tap at Live Earth (2007) and on the band's Unwigged and Unplugged tour (2009), contributed lyrics to the group's album Back from the Dead (2009), and starred in the musical Southern Comfort (2011).