Biography for
Megan Follows More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

14 March 1968, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Birth Name

Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows

Mini Biography

Megan (pronounced Mee-gan) has two children, a boy and a girl. Megan comes from a showbiz family: father Ted Follows, mother Dawn Greenhalgh, and sister Samantha Follows are all actors; her other sister, Edwina Follows, is a producer and writer; and her brother Laurence Follows is a producer. Has done many commercials, the first of which was at the age of 9. Has appeared in many theatrical productions, including "Romeo and Juliet", "The Effects Of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds", and "Seven Lears: The Pursuit Of The Good." Won two Gemini awards for her performances in Anne of Green Gables (1985) (TV) and Anne of Avonlea (1987) (TV). Megan met her husband, Christopher Porter, while filming Deep Sleep (1990), where he was a gaffer.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Mini Biography

Megan Elizabeth Follows was the last child born to parents, Ted Follows and Dawn Greenhalgh in Ontario, Canada. Her parents were part of the founding members of Canada's summer theatre culture and Megan began acting as a toddler with her siblings Edwina Follows, Laurence Follows, and Samantha Follows.

After her parents' divorce at the age of 11, Megan moved to Los Angeles to attend school and act. She got a break on the hit television show, "The Facts of Life" (1979), and quickly became recognized after her performance in the internationally renowned Anne of Green Gables (1985) (TV) for which she won the 1986 Gemini Award for best actress.

After working on some other feature films for television, Megan returned once again to portray Anne Shirley in Anne of Avonlea (1987) (TV), for which she won the 1987 Ace award for best actress and the 1988 Gemini Award for best actress. She took a break from the spotlight and decided to focus on studying theatre. She first debuted on stage in 1988 in a production of The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds also starring her mother Dawn and sister Samantha.

During the 90s Megan focused on Shakespeare and raising a family. In 1991, Megan married Christopher Porter whom she had met on the set of Deep Sleep (1990). In 1992, news spread across Canada celebrating the birth of her first child, Lyla Ann. While Lyla was still an infant, Megan got the role of a lifetime to star as Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (1993) (TV) at Canada's Stratford Festival. After the birth of their second child, Russel, Megan and Christopher divorced.

Megan's portrayl of an autistic savant in Under the Piano (1996) (TV) gained her more recognition and respect in the acting world; although unfortunately, she never received a nomination for her work. In 2000, Megan returned to the third installment of the Anne series to once again portray Anne Shirley. Only this time she became Anne Shirley Blythe in Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000) (TV). The film took a turn from the original books on which it was based. Fans across the world and even Megan had mixed emotions about the storyline of the film. However her return to the character earned her a nomination for the 2000 Gemini Award for best actress. Currently Megan keeps a good balance of working on stage and on camera in both tv guest appearances and lead roles in feature films; as well as raising her two children with partner Stuart Hughes.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Christopher Porter

(27 April 1991 - 18 January 1996) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

Became a U.S. citizen.

Met future ex-husband Christopher Porter of Chester, Nova Scotia, on the set of Deep Sleep (1990), where he worked as a a gaffer.

Only had three weeks to prepare for her role in Under the Piano (1996) (TV).

Has dual Canadian/American citizenship.

Her mother Dawn Greenhalgh starred with her in Anne of Green Gables (1985) (TV) as Mrs. Cadbury, the stern headmistress of the orphanage where Anne is brought to at the beginning of the film.

Has 2 children: Lyla Anne Porter (born 1991) and Russell Porter (born 1994), with ex-husband, Christopher Porter.

Aunt of Mckayla and Rowan O'Bryan.

Sister-in-law of Sean O'Bryan.

Lately has been appearing with the Soulpepper Theatre Company in Canada in such productions as "Fool for Love" (alongside previously real-life partner Stuart Hughes who is a founding member of the Company), "The Real Thing," "Top Girls," "'night, Mother" (opposite real-life mother Dawn Greenhalgh and "Cloud 9".

Personal Quotes

You see the allure of theatre. You see the jealousy. You see the frustration. All of it. My parents lived, breathed, ate and slept theatre. Emotions were right on the surface. Growing up, the unreal had as much importance as the real. - MF, 2005 interview

I do experience more scrutiny because of [Anne of Green Gables], but I have come to the conclusion, for my own sanity, that I can only choose things according to my own barometer of what I'm trying to achieve or how I'm stretching and reaching. That's all I really have in my control. - MF, 2005 interview