Cherry Jones
Cherry Jones is a two-time Tony award winner and one of the grande dames of the Broadway stage.
She has also appeared in supporting roles in several notable films, including The Horse Whisperer, Ocean's Twelve, Signs, and The Cradle Will Rock, among others.
However, her most extensive and impressive body of work is on the Broadway stage. Her list of theatre credits include Angels in America, The Heiress (for which she won a Tony award) and Doubt (ditto). She is, with very good reason, renowned as one of the country's greatest theatre talents.
Recently she has risen to prominence in the role of the staunch, idealistic President Allison Taylor on the hit television series Twenty Four, beginning with the show's seventh season, and she is currently in the process of proving that a 24 President doesn't have to be named David Palmer to be awesome. It's clearly working, as she won an Emmy for the role.
She currently stars as Dr. Judith Evans on NBC drama Awake.
She also narrated the audiobooks for Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series.
She is a Tennessee native and a graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon School of Drama.
She also caused quite a stir by removing her name from Emmy contention in 2010. She claims it has nothing to do with the change in character of Allison Taylor during season 8.