Annette O'Toole Biography

Annette O’Toole was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother and aunt owned a dancing school, and when Annette was three years old, she began taking lessons.

Her family moved to Los Angeles when Annette was 13 and she started getting small parts on television shows such as My Three Sons (1967), The Mod Squad (1971), and Hawaii Five-O (1971). Her first major role was in 1975, when she played a young beauty pageant contestant in the satirical comedy Smile (1975).

Annette’s career blossomed in the 80s. She appeared in several more tv shows and larger films. She co-starred with Gary Busey in the comedy romance Foolin' Around (1980) and played Tammy Wynette in the TV movie Stand by Your Man (1981), a role that required her to sing.

She joined the world of DC Comics when she played Lana Lang, high school sweetheart to Christopher Reeve’s Superman in Superman III (1983). Annette even worked alongside Barry Manilow in Copacabana (1985) and Martin Short in Cross My Heart (1987). She portrayed grown-up Beverly Marsh in the miniseries IT (1990), an adaptation of the Stephen King novel.

Annette earned her first Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy in the miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990).

She returned to the DC Comics universe, this time playing Superman’s mother, Martha Kent, on the popular show Smallville (2001). She was a main cast member in the series' first six seasons.

Annette’s career continued to grow in the 2010s, when she took on more roles on TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy (2013), Battle Creek (2015), and The Punisher (2019). She was cast as Mayor Hope McCrea on Netflix’s Virgin River (2019), which became a success. For season three of the show, she was unable to film in person due to COVID-19 restrictions, but returned for the fourth season in 2022.

In addition to acting and dancing, Annette also has a background in music. She and her husband Michael McKean wrote a few songs for the A Mighty Wind (2003) soundtrack. One of the tracks, "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.

In 1983, Annette married fellow actor Bill Geisslinger. The couple had two children together, but divorced after 10 years of marriage. In 1999, Annette married actor Michael McKean. The two of them met while working together on the TV movie Final Justice (1998) and sparked a romance soon after.

Filmography:

Blow the Man Down (2019)
The Incoherents (2018)
A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)
Women Who Kill (2016)
We Go On (2016)
Beach Pillows (2014)
Stuff (2013)
Falling Up (2009)
Temptation (2003)
Here on Earth (2000)
Imaginary Crimes (1994)
On Hope (1994)
Andre (1994)
A Girl Of The Limberlost (1990)
Love at Large (1990)
Cross My Heart (1987)
Superman III (1983)
48 Hrs. (1982)
Cat People (1982)
Foolin' Around (1980)
King of the Gypsies (1978)
One on One (1977)
Smile (1975)
Little Big Man (1970)