Weston, Riley 1966-

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Weston, Riley 1966-

PERSONAL:

Born 1966, in Poughkeepsie, NY.

ADDRESSES:

CAREER:

Actress in films, including Delta Fever, 1987, The American Scream, 1988, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, 1993, and as actress and producer of Dancing in the Shadows, 1999; actress in television programs, including Growing Pains, 1988, Don't Touch My Daughter, 1991, Eerie, Indiana, 1992, Who's the Boss?, 1992, 3rd Rock from the Sun, 1996, (and writer) Felicity, 1998, What about Your Friends: Weekend Getaway, 2002, (and writer) Christmas at Water's Edge, 2004, and Cutting Room, 2006; also appeared in the musical 2nd Wind. Worked briefly as a staff writer for the television series Felicity, Los Angeles, CA, 1998.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Before I Go was a 2006 Book Sense Pick; "IPPY" Independent Publisher Book Award for Storyteller of the Year, 2007; New York Book Festival Grand Prize Winner, 2007, for Before I Go.

WRITINGS:

"Drawing the Line, Part 2," Felicity, Warner Brothers Television Network (WB), 1998.

Christmas at Water's Edge (teleplay), 2004.

Before I Go (novel), Campfire Press (Los Angeles, CA), 2006.

The Black Widow (teleplay), Lifetime 2007.

Author of several other scripts currently in development; maintains a blog at her home page.

SIDELIGHTS:

Actress and writer Riley Weston is known for having lied about her age while working on the Warner Brothers Television Network (WB) series Felicity in the late 1990s. Accustomed to giving a false age on her résumé in order to play teenage roles as an actress—a typical Hollywood trick—Weston found herself caught in her lie while working as a staff writer on the show. The producers found the misinformation inappropriate for that side of the business, and Weston was released from her contract and subsequently lost out on a major development deal with Touchstone Pictures. In an interview on the Love to Know Web site, Weston explained her dilemma: "I hid my age to get in the door as an actor. Suddenly I was thrown on the hottest show of the season as a writer, having never written on a show before. I was not going to stop acting and I couldn't say I was one age as an actor and another, older age, as a writer."

Despite the scandal, Weston has continued to work in Hollywood, both as an actress and as a writer, and is now authoring books as well. Her first novel, Before I Go, has received favorable reviews. It tells the story of Maddie and Jack, who meet early in childhood and become longtime friends. Jack supports Maddie through her attempts to become an Olympic ice skater; meanwhile, Weston also delves into the relationship between Maddie and her mother and coach, Annie. Cherie Fisher, writing for Reader Views, called Weston's debut effort "a beautifully written book about love, courage and relationships." In a review for Curled Up Kids, Regan Windsor remarked: "A tale of shattered dreams, boundless devotion, and intense love, it will leave the reader reeling in emotions. An amazing debut from a new young author!" Teen Reads critic Chris Shanley-Dillman asserted that "Riley Weston is no novice at writing, and she proves it again and again with this amazing debut novel."