Why Ginny Marshall From Dog Gone Looks So Familiar
Hiking the Appalachian Trail in hopes of bringing a four-legged family member home. It's the journey at the center of the Netflix film "Dog Gone," which is based on a true story. The movie focuses on the distant relationship between John Marshall (Rob Lowe) and his son Fielding (Johnny Berchtold). But when Fielding's dog Gonker goes missing, John vows to bring Fielding's best friend home. The father-son-duo set out on an adventure that has them racing against time. And as they get closer to finding Gonker, their relationship mends, strengthening their bond. As they hike the Appalachian Trail, John's wife Ginny (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) holds down the fort at home and discovers that their story is getting international attention. People from across the world are cheering them on, with some pitching in to help John and Fielding find Gonker. Williams-Paisley told news station KTLA, "If you are not a dog lover, you will be after this movie."
And while many recognize Lowe for his long list of credits, including "The Outsiders," "St. Elmo's Fire," and "Parks and Recreation," there is another familiar face that has been bringing heartwarming stories to the big and small screens for decades. Here's why Ginny Marshall looks so familiar.
Williams-Paisley started making waves on the big screen in the 1990s
Before playing the matriarch of the Marshall family in "Dog Gone," Kimberly Williams-Paisely has been a constant presence in feel-good movies and TV shows centered around family and love. She would gain attention on the big screen in the 1991 adaptation of "Father of the Bride," starring alongside Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, BD Wong, and Martin Short. Williams-Paisley played Annie Banks, who returns home after graduating from college, and has a big surprise: she's engaged. The sudden announcement sparks excitement and rage amongst the family, and hilarity ensues. The family comedy would spark a sequel in 1995 called "Father of the Bride Part II." The cast would reunite once more in 2020 for "Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)," a short film that helped to raise money for World Central Kitchen (via Entertainment Tonight).
The first two films would spark a real-life romance for Williams-Paisley. In an interview with Good Housekeeping, her husband, country superstar Brad Paisley, said that he became obsessed with his future wife before they met, watching her on the big screen in "Father of the Bride Part II." "I thought she seems like a great girl, smart and funny and all those things that are so hard to find," he said. The two would end up working together five years later, appearing in the music video for Brad's song "I'm Gonna Miss Her." And the rest is history.
Williams-Paisley has also made a name for herself on the small screen
While Kimberly Williams-Paisley's career has a big-screen beginning, she also has plenty of notable TV credits. From 2001 to 2009, she played Dana, Jim's (Jim Belushi) sister-in-law, on the hit family sitcom "According to Jim." The show follows Jim and his wife Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith) as they work to raise their three kids while getting some help from Cheryl's sister Dana and brother Andy (Larry Joe Campbell), who live close by.
Her next big TV role would find her in the land of country music, playing Peggy Kenter during the first two seasons of the hit drama "Nashville," which follows the triumphs and heartbreaks of musicians in the Nashville music scene. She would return to sitcoms again in 2014, playing Alan Harper's (Jon Cryer) girlfriend Gretchen on "Two and a Half Men," appearing during a portion of Season 11. She would then enter the world of superheroes in 2019, playing Metahuman Renee Adler during Season 5 of "The Flash."
Williams-Paisley has brought yuletide cheer to plenty of holiday films
Kimberly Williams-Paisley's career has made her a familiar face in heartwarming films and laugh-out-loud comedies, and she is no stranger to holiday films. "The Christmas Shoes" would be her first foray into the holiday space. The 2002 film based on the song of the same name finds her starring alongside her "Dog Gone" co-star Rob Lowe. She plays Maggie Andrews, a mom who is dying of cancer.
Since then, she has continued her reign in the holiday space, starring as Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy's (Judah Lewis) mom Claire in Netflix's "The Christmas Chronicles" and "The Christmas Chronicles: Part 2." She has also become a recurring face on the Hallmark Channel with roles in movies like "A Nashville Christmas Carol" and the "Sister Swap" films, which find her starring alongside her real-life sister Ashley Williams. Both sisters told People that they loved working together. "We had the best time. It was really fun because we both got to work together for a long period. A lot of times [with] the Hallmark movies, you're in and out in three weeks, and this was a six-week shoot, which was really cool," said Ashley.