Barbara Niven
Biography
Barbara Niven is an American actress, writer, and producer who became known for Lifetime and Hallmark movies. Her television work includes the drama Pensacola: Wings of Gold and the soap operas One Life to Live and The Bold and the Beautiful. Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1953, she first worked in news reporting at KGW in Portland before turning to acting. She studied for twelve years at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas. She appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film Promise (1986), and she took the part of Marilyn Monroe in the HBO movie The Rat Pack (1998). She took the lead in the independent film A Perfect Ending (2012) and had a role in Suburban Gothic (2014), a horror comedy. Other films include Redline (2007), Summer's Blood (2009), and Tiger Cruise (2004). She has also acted in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchises such as the Crossword Mysteries and Murder, She Baked films.
73years old
Turns 74 on February 26in 137 days
- Born Portland
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
- Also credited as Barbara Alexander
Movie Career
- Films
- 38
- Career span
- 29 years1996 to 2025
Genres
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A role that slipped away
In the early 1980s, One Life to Live held a nationwide search for a new Tina Lord. Niven taped a monologue at a Seattle audition after driving there in freezing rain from Portland, then went home without telling anyone.
A role that slipped away
In New York, Mari Lyn Henry, who was ABC's casting director at the time, told Niven she had no star quality and that her voice would only get her victims' roles.
First role
Niven was cast in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Promise, which was filmed in Oregon, and she received her SAG card on that movie.
Early training
For twelve years, Niven was a student in the master classes taught by Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.
A change of course
Niven worked as hostess and announcer on Straight to the Heart, a syndicated game show, alongside host Michael Burger, from 20 March to 8 September 1989.
Barbara Niven movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery2015 Crime, Mystery, Romanceas Delores Swensen
IMDb rating 6.73.0K votes
- Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery2015 Crime, Mystery, Romanceas Delores Swensen
IMDb rating 6.82.2K votes
Most often with
Kristoffer Tabori directed four of these films, Sean McNamara two and Steven R. Monroe two. Alison Sweeney appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Alison Sweeney's page
Gabriel Hogan's page
Cameron Mathison's page
Juliana Wimbles's page
Brennan Elliott's page
Lisa Durupt's page
All films by Kristoffer Tabori
All films by Sean McNamara
Steven R. MonroeDirector, 2 films, 2019 to 2020
All films by Steven R. Monroe
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.