Lesley-Anne Down as Olivia Richards

Acclaimed actress Lesley-Anne Down plays Olivia Richards, the "trophy wife" of Gregory Richards. Driven by social power and status, she heads the local radio station and virtually runs the town of Sunset Beach. Down's versatility as an actress has earned her accolades for performances in such classic feature films as "Brannigan" with John Wayne and Richard Attenborough, "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" with Peter Sellers, "A Little Night Music" with Elizabeth Taylor, "The Great Train Robbery" with Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland, "Rough Cut" with Burt Reynolds and David Niven, "Hanover Street" with Harrison Ford, and John McTiernan's "Nomads" with Pierce Brosnan.

She recently completed filming on her own screenplay, "Saving Grace," which was directed by her husband, Don FauntLeRoy, and was released in August 1998. Down's television credits include a vast array of both American and British programs. In the United States, she starred in the epic miniseries "North and South"; "North and South, Book II" (earning a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress); "North and South, Book III (Heaven and Hell)"; and "The Last Days of Pompeii." Her television-movie credits include "Ladykillers," "Nightwalk," "Indiscreet," "Arch of Triumph" and the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" with Anthony Hopkins.

Among her series credits are guest-starring roles on "Dallas," "Diagnosis Murder" and "The Nanny." In the U.K., Down is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Lady Georgina Wolsey in the classic series "Upstairs, Downstairs," which has been broadcast in the United States and still airs on PBS's Masterpiece Theater. Her other British credits include the BBC productions of "Unity Mitford," "Heartbreak House," "The One and Only Phyliss Dixie," "The Snow Queen" and "Hamlet."

Down spends her free time reading. She lives in Malibu, California, with her husband and three children. Down's birthday is March 17.

Above information was originally found on NBC Online.