Table of Biography
Meredith Baxter is a famous and renowned American actress and producer. Meredith Baxter is well-known for her work on the ABC drama series Family, the NBC sitcom Family Ties, and the CBS comedy Bridget Loves Bernie.
Early Life and Childhood
Meredith Baxter was born Meredith Ann Baxter on June 21, 1947, in South Pasadena, California, U.S. Her age is currently 76 years old. She was born to her parents Tom Baxter (father), and Whitney Blake (mother). Her father is a professional radio announcer and her mother is a popular actress, director, and producer.
Likewise, she has two siblings brothers named Richard Baxter (born 1944) and Brian Baxter (born 1946). After their parents’ separation, she along with her two brothers was raised by their mother in Pasadena. Later, her mother married Allan Manings who was a situation comedy writer.
Likewise, she holds American nationality and was born under the sun sign Cancer. However, her ethnicity and religion are not available at the moment.
Education
Talking about her educational background, she is a graduate student. She studied at James Monroe High School for her schooling. And later she completed her graduation from Hollywood High School in 1965.
Career and Professional Life
Meredith is a professional American actress and producer. She is well-known for her work on the ABC drama series Family, the NBC sitcom Family Ties, and the CBS comedy Bridget Loves Bernie.
Early Career
In 1970, Baxter made her debut on television in a second-season episode of The Partridge Family. She later made an appearance in the situation comedy Bridget Loves Bernie on the CBS television network in 1972 as one of the stars. The first season of the show was canceled. In 1974, her co-star David Birney became her second spouse. She was given credit as “Meredith Baxter Birney” up to their divorce in 1989.
It was Family in 1976 that made her famous under this moniker. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Best Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Nancy Lawrence Maitland (1977 and 1978). In the 1976 film All the President’s Men, she portrayed the wife of White House adviser Hugh W. Sloan Jr.
Caption: Meredith Baxter was captured in one of her early movie scenes
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1980s and 1990s
After Family concluded, she co-starred in Vanities (1981), a television remake of the comedy-drama stage play about the lives, loves, and friendships of three Texas cheerleaders from high school to post-college graduation. It aired as part of Standing Room Only, a series on the premium television network HBO.
She featured in other TV movies during the following years, including “The Family Man” (1979), “Take Your Best Shot” (1982), “Kate’s Secret” (1986), “Burning Bridges” (1990), and “Bump in the Night” (1991). She also played the principal character in the situational comedy series “Family Ties” from 1982 until 1989. The program was a hit and garnered numerous awards.
In two episodes of Spin City in 1997, Baxter came back as the mother of a character played by Michael J. Fox (who played her son, Alex P. Keaton, on Family Ties).
Since 2000
She started making appearances in Garden State Life Insurance Company television commercials in 2005. She briefly shared the hosting duties of the NBC morning news and chat show Today with Matt Lauer in 2006. Baxter had an appearance in the ABC drama series What About Brian in 2007.
Likewise, she also made multiple appearances on the CBS police drama series Cold Case that same year as Detective Lilly Rush’s dying mother. Meredith Baxter Easy Works, a skincare brand that Baxter developed recently, helps to support the company’s foundation for breast cancer research.
Baxter’s autobiography, titled Untied, was released on March 1st, 2011. Her early years, unhappy and even abusive marriages, battles with and recovery from alcoholism, and coming to terms with her lesbian identity are all discussed in the book. As a result, the book was a New York Times bestseller.
On August 4, 2014, it was revealed by the show’s creators that Baxter would be joining as Maureen, Nikki Newman’s new drinking companion. Maureen is described as a “charming, intelligent, middle-class woman who has always aspired to a more privileged life than she has had,” according to the creators. On September 8, Baxter first appeared on the show. In addition, she portrayed Kelly Andrews and “Stich” Raybourne’s mother.
Achievements
In 1977 and 1978, Meredith Baxter received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance in the television drama series “Family.” She was nominated for an Emmy for the third time for her performance in the television film “A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story.” For her performance in the “CBS Schoolbreak Special,” she received her next Emmy nomination in 1994. For her 2015 guest appearance in the television show “The Young and the Restless,” she received her most recent nomination for the same prize.
Meredith Baxter – Net Worth 2024
This professional American actress and producer have earned a hefty amount of money throughout her successful career. She has a net worth of $7 million as of 2024. However, she hasn’t mentioned the details of her salary and other asset values.
Personal Life and Marriages
Her sexual orientation is lesbian. She came out as a lesbian on December 2, 2009, while appearing on the Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius-XM OutQ 102 and speaking with Matt Lauer on Today. She was able to partially explain why her past relationships with men had failed after accepting her sexual orientation.
Meredith Baxter has three unsuccessful marriages to men. Lewis Bush was her first husband whom she married in 1966. They have two kids. She married David Birney from 1974 to 1989 after their divorce in 1971. Three kids were born to them. Then, in 1995, she wed actor and screenwriter Michael Blodgett; nevertheless, the marriage ended in divorce in 2000.
Caption: Meredith Baxter with her ex-husband and kids
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More about her married life
On March 1, 2011, Baxter claimed that her ex-husband David Birney had physically and emotionally harassed her while promoting a memoir. Birney rejected the charges. According to ABC News,
In her latest book, Untied, Meredith Baxter claims that she experienced both emotional and physical violence.
The actress Baxter, best known for portraying hippy mother Elyse Keaton in the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, said that her former husband David Birney was the abuser; he denied the claims.
Baxter claims in her account that Birney attacked her more than once. She writes, “I couldn’t even tell you which hand hit me or how hard because it was so quick and unexpected.” ‘I’d better not get up because he’s going to hit me again,’ I do recall thinking.
She claims that she used to drink heavily to deal with domestic abuse, but she has been healthy since 1990. (the year after she and Birney divorced).
According to an article by ABC News, Baxter and Birney were married for the entire seven seasons that she appeared on Family Ties.
Baxter claimed that she did not reveal her personal history to others since she found comfort in her profession. On NBC, she stated, “You learn to compartmentalize. “I didn’t have a home life when I arrived at the [television] studio. Nobody was informed. I was socially inactive. Following completion of my duties, I returned home.”
Health Issues
In 1999, Baxter suffered a breast cancer diagnosis. She received treatment, and she recovered completely.
Social Media
Reflecting on her social media presence, she is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Her Facebook account ‘Meredith Baxter’ has more than 14K followers. Likewise, there are over 400 followers on her Instagram account ‘@baxter_meredith’. She joined Twitter in September 2010 and has more than 1.3K followers on her account ‘@MeredithBaxter’.
Meredith Baxter – Body Measurements
Coming to her physical stats, she has a very attractive and fit body shape. She decided to go vegetarian to maintain her fitness. She stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches and a weight of 59kg. Likewise, her body measurements are 33-25-32 inches(chest-waist-hip). Her breast size is 33 inches and wears a bra of 32B size.
Similarly, her shoe size is 8 US and her dress size is 6 US. She impresses in all of her performances because of her slim, healthy figure. Meredith, who is now in her 70s, uses Pilates as her go-to workout to be healthy and exercise her muscles. She has a pair of blue eyes with blonde hair.
Caption: Meredith Baxter posing for a photo
Source: Celebrity Bio