Anne Archer
(Eleanor Hooks)

Dark-haired whispery-voiced Anne Archer landed her first big-screen lead in Lifeguard (1976), opposite Sam Elliott, and has built a career over several decades alternating between television and film projects. On the small screen, Archer began with a guest appearance on The Storefront Lawyers (CBS, 1970-71) and was cast as one of the title foursome in the short-lived sitcom version of Paul Mazursky's feature Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (ABC, 1973). She continued to add to a growing list of television and film credits over the years. After more than 15 years of work, Archer rejuvenated her career as the sexy and sympathetic wife of Michael Douglas in Adrian Lyne's Fatal Attraction (1987), a role that earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar® nomination. She also earned a Golden Globe for her performance in Robert Altman's critically acclaimed film, Short Cuts (1993). Archer subsequently began appearing -- usually as the steadfast spouse -- in big-budget high-profile Hollywood features that included Patriot Games (1992), Body of Evidence (1993) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). For a change of pace role she played Angelina Jolie's alluring mother in the independent feature Mojave Moon (1996). Her big-screen successes brought her better television roles. She appeared in several longforms inspired by true accounts, including Leap of Faith (CBS, 1988), as a woman coping with a fatal illness, Jane's House (CBS, 1994), as the new wife of a widower, and The Man in the Attic (Showtime, 1995), as a married woman who enslaves a young man in her home.

Archer was excited about her role in The Art of War commenting, "I think that Eleanor Hooks applies the whole strategy of the Art of War, sabotaging just enough to ensure that everything falls apart without the necessity of fighting a real war.... She has always worked behind the scenes in espionage with the CIA and National Security Agency. So, she knows it well and is not afraid to apply it. It's not a character you expect to see me playing, which makes it particularly interesting." Her most recent work includes appearances in Night of the Wolf (TV), Uncle Nino and The Gray Between (all 2002). Off screen Archer devotes some of her time to Applied Scholastics' World Literacy Crusade.