Actor: Merry Birchfield

Biography: From Canada's idyllic Vancouver Island, Merry became a working actor at age four. Driven by her insatiable curiosity, as a toddler she wandered off to the woods, climbing trees and wading in creeks. At nightfall, her parents often had to send out a search party for her. Imagine their relief when a family friend put Merry in a professional children's theatre production -- at least now they knew where she was! Merry soon began starring in many such productions, often collaborating with the shows' writers to create new characters. As a teenager, she moved from stage to screen, with television and film work at home and abroad. She regularly appeared in drama series, many of which enjoyed worldwide syndication, most notably in British Commonwealth countries. Her abiding curiosity for the world's people and cultures led her, as an adult, to star in and produce travelogues for Australia, Hong Kong, England, India, Dubai, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. With her theatre roots, Merry especially loves performing in live television specials; the moment-to-moment engagement with the audience feels electrifying to her. Merry's fond fascination with people fuels her continued passion for the performing arts.