The best Lisa Ann Walter movies and TV shows are a range of comedic performances and releases with some of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers. Walter got her start as a stand-up comedian and did that for five years before she caught Hollywood’s attention. Her comedy allowed her to pitch and eventually star in her own TV series on Fox called My Wildest Dreams. This led to more roles, and soon, Walter found herself a movie and television star in demand, with some big names wanting to work with her.
Walter did what most comedians only dream of, and that is pitching and creating her own shows while also working with other big names to build up an impressive body of work. The first two television shows she starred in were shows that she created and executive produced. These efforts caught the attention of names like Steven Spielberg, Ryan Murphy, and more, allowing her to stretch her acting muscles with roles in dramas and sci-fi adventures, all while keeping her feet in the realm of comedy.
10 Drillbit Taylor (2008)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Dolores
Drillbit Taylor 0
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Drillbit Taylor is a 2008 comedy film starring Owen Wilson. It follows three high school freshmen who hire a homeless man posing as a bodyguard to protect them from a bully. Directed by Steven Brill, the story is influenced by an original idea from John Hughes. The film combines elements of adolescent challenges and comedic misadventures.
Director Steven Brill Release Date March 20, 2008 Cast Nate Hartley , Troy Gentile , Ian Roberts , Owen Wilson , Casey Boersma , Dylan Boersma Runtime 102 minutes
Drillbit Taylor was a coming-of-age comedy released in 2008 when Owen Wilson had a time when he was a marketable comedy leading man. The film was a Judd Apatow-produced movie based on a story by John Hughes (his last script before his death). Three high school students are getting harassed by violent bullies, so they hire a bodyguard to protect them. The bodyguard claims he is a former mercenary and martial arts expert but is actually a homeless man in need of money.
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Owen Wilson plays Drillbit Taylor, the bodyguard, but his attempts to help the boys end up doing more harm than good. Lisa Ann Walter plays Dolores, one of the boys’ mothers, in a small role in the film. The film was only a minor success, making just $49.7 million on a $40 million budget. It also only had a 27% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience Popcornmeter was higher, at 44% positive.
9 The Ice Cream Truck (2017)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Christina
The Ice Cream Truck 0
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HorrorComedyThriller Where to Watch
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Mary returns to her hometown, where the quiet suburban life quickly turns eerie. When neighbors start dying, she suspects a peculiar ice-cream truck driver.
Release Date January 1, 2017 Runtime 96 minutes Main Genre Horror
In 2017, Lisa Ann Walter starred in a little-seen horror comedy with an interesting pedigree. The movie’s director is Megan Elizabeth Freels Johnston, and her grandfather is crime writer Elmore Leonard (Out of Sight, Jackie Brown, Justified). Unlike her grandfather, who wrote crime novels and Westerns, Johnston set her sights on the horror-comedy genre with The Ice Cream Truck. The movie stars Deanna Russo as Mary, a woman who moves back to her hometown only to find her neighbors start dying.
it was still praised by critics, who awarded it a 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Mary then starts to suspect that the killer might be a man who drives a local ice cream truck around her town. While a low-budget release, it was still praised by critics, who awarded it a 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score was a much lower 35% rotten. The biggest praise went to Mary drifting through this bizarre horror comedy with an off-the-wall twist ending. Lisa Ann Walter stars as Christina, one of the neighbors.
8 Killers (2010)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Olivia Brooks
Killers 0
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PG-13Action
Killers is a romantic action-comedy directed by Robert Luketic and released in 2010. The film stars Ashton Kutcher as Spencer Aimes and Katherine Heigl as Jen Kornfeldt, who meet and quickly marry. Unbeknownst to Jen, Spencer is an undercover assassin, and their idyllic life is upended when they become the targets of a multi-million dollar hit. The story blends romance, humor, and action as the couple navigates their unexpected predicament.
Director Robert Luketic Release Date June 4, 2010 Cast Ashton Kutcher , Katherine Heigl , Tom Selleck Runtime 100 Minutes
In 2010, Killers paired up former TV stars Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl in a spy movie. The film saw Heigl star as Jen, a woman who meets someone she thinks might be the man of her dreams in Spencer (Kutcher). However, the problems come when it turns out that Spencer is an assassin by trade, and this obviously causes problems in their relationship. When Spencer quits his job as an assassin to marry her, things get bad when a hit is put out on him, and he and Jen go on the run.
Lisa Ann Walter plays Olivia Brooks, who was one of Spencer’s co-workers who turned out to be an assassin
The movie also has a great performance by Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods, Magnum P.I.) as Jen’s dad, who has a secret of his own. As for Lisa Ann Walter, she plays Olivia Brooks, who was one of Spencer’s co-workers who turned out to be an assassin as well and sets her sights on killing Spencer. The movie was a slight success, making $98.2 million, albeit with a higher $75 million budget. Critics hated the film, but the audience appreciated it a little more with a 41% approval rating.
7 The Exes (2013-2015)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Margo
In 2013, Lisa Ann Walter joined the cast of the sitcom The Exes. There was a lot of hope behind this sitcom, as it starred Kristen Johnson (3rd Rock From The Sun), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld), and Donald Faison (Scrubs). With stars of the three extremely popular sitcoms in the lead, the TV Land series looked to bring in viewers. It didn’t do badly, lasting four seasons and 64 episodes, but the fact that it was on TV Land lessened the impact of the show, which remains mostly forgotten today.
The show stars Johnston as a divorce attorney who introduces her new client to two other divorced men. The three become roommates, and Holly lives across the hall from their apartment, working to help them navigate single life. Lisa Ann Walter only appeared in three series episodes from 2013 to 2015 as Margo, Wayne Knight’s character’s often talked about but rarely seen wife. The series received only average reviews, but it did pick up two Emmy nominations.
6 Breaking News (2002)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Rachel Glass
In 2002, Lisa Ann Walter took on one of the main roles in the Bravo series Breaking News. The drama television series tried to do for cable newsrooms what The West Wing did for the White House by showing the lives of the people working behind the scenes rather than focusing too much on the actual jobs themselves. Tim Matheson had the lead role of Bill Dunne, an anchorman for the fictional 24-hour cable news TV network. Walter played Rachel Glass, the senior/executive producer for the news network.
The series lasted only one season on Bravo, with just 13 episodes. It was originally supposed to air on TNT, which paid to film the entire series, but the network dropped it without airing any episodes, leaving it to move to Bravo. Despite the struggle to find a home, critics still praised the show’s attempts to make journalism cool again by awarding it a 62% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
5 Life’s Work (1996-1997)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Lisa Ann Hunter
After getting her first break on television with My Wildest Dreams in 1995, Walter found more success with the follow-up series. My Wildest Dreams lasted just one season, and Life’s Work matched that total with a one-season run of 18 episodes on ABC. The series stars Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, an assistant district attorney in Baltimore. The series was a sitcom that focused on her family life, with basketball coach husband Kevin and two kids (one a toddler).
Lisa Ann Walter helped compose the theme for the show’s opening.
The show was a perfect follow-up to her stand-up comedy career. In her stand-up act, she mostly based her jokes on her life as a busy working mom. In Life’s Work, she played a hard-working feminist who would stand up to anyone. It was a critical success, with critics praising Walter’s performance as well as the unusual tactic to show her actually working, while many sitcoms never show that part of a woman’s life. Sadly, the show had its last three episodes delayed by four months and was canceled.
4 Bruce Almighty (2003)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Debbie
Bruce Almighty 0
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PG-13ComedyDramaFantasy Where to Watch
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Bruce Almighty is a 2003 comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, featuring Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a discontented television reporter who challenges God’s competence. Morgan Freeman portrays God, who endows Bruce with divine powers to teach him a lesson. Jennifer Aniston co-stars as Bruce’s girlfriend, Grace. The film explores themes of responsibility and human frailty through a humorous and fantastical narrative.
Director Tom Shadyac Release Date May 23, 2003 Cast Jim Carrey , Morgan Freeman , Jennifer Aniston , Philip Baker Hall , Catherine Bell , Lisa Ann Walter Runtime 101 minutes
Lisa Ann Walter got to appear in the biggest movie of her career in 2003 when she signed on to co-star in the Jim Carrey comedy Bruce Almighty. The film saw Bruce Nolan as a reporter who gets fired after he has an on-air outburst after a co-worker, Evan (Steve Carell), insults him. He then complains to God that life isn’t fair, and this leads to God (Morgan Freeman) inviting Bruce to take over his role so he can see how much better life would be if he did God’s job instead.
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Bruce then uses God’s powers to cause miraculous events to happen where he happens to be, allowing him to get back his job and become a huge success. However, as expected, this leads to bad things happening when he realizes he can’t always help everyone. Lisa Ann Walter stars as Debbie Connelly, the sister of Bruce’s girlfriend Grace (Jennifer Aniston). The film was a huge success, making $484.6 million on an $81 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
3 The Parent Trap (1998)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Chessy
The Parent Trap (1998) 0
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The Parent Trap is a family comedy about identical twin sisters, played by Lindsay Lohan, who are separated at birth and raised by their respective single parents. Meeting for the first time at a summer camp, the sisters switch places to reunite their estranged parents, leading to various comedic and heartfelt moments. Directed by Nancy Meyers, the film is a remake of the 1961 classic of the same name.
Director Nancy Meyers Release Date July 29, 1988 Cast Lindsay Lohan , Dennis Quaid , natasha richardson , Elaine Hendrix , Lisa Ann Walter , Simon Kunz , Maggie Wheeler , Polly Holliday Runtime 128 Minutes
Lisa Ann Walter’s first movie role was in 1996’s Eddie, starring Whoopi Goldberg. That movie received almost universally bad reviews, but Walter got a second chance two years later when she appeared in the Disney remake of The Parent Trap. This version of the film starred 12-year-old Lindsay Lohan in her big screen debut as identical twins Hallie and Annie. They don’t know the other exists, as their parents divorced after their birth, and each parent gained custody of one.
They then accidentally meet almost 12 years later at summer camp and decide to set up a plan to try to reunite their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson). Lisa Ann Walter stars as Chessy, Nick (Quaid)’s housekeeper and Hallie’s nanny. In the movie, she eventually falls in love with Martin (Simon Kunz), Liz (Richardson)’s butler. The movie remains popular all these years later with Walter’s Chessy a fan favorite.
2 War Of The Worlds (2005)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Sheryl
War of The Worlds (2005) 0
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PG-13ActionScience FictionThriller Where to Watch
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As extraterrestrial invaders ravage Earth, divorced father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) must protect his estranged children, Rachel and Robbie. Evading destruction and aliens, they encounter harrowing scenes of devastation in their desperate bid for survival. As the invaders’ weaknesses are revealed, Ray fights to reunite his family and find refuge amidst the crumbling world.
Director Steven Spielberg Release Date June 29, 2005 Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Cast Tom Cruise , Dakota Fanning , Miranda Otto , Tim Robbins , Justin Chatwin , Rick Gonzalez , Yul Vazquez , Lenny Venito Runtime 116 Minutes
In 2005, Lisa Ann Walter worked with the most successful director in her career to that point. She took on a role in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the sci-fi classic War of the Worlds. The film was originally a novel by H.G. Wells that was then turned into a successful radio broadcast by Orson Welles. That version caused a panic in 1938 by people who believed it was a real alien invasion of Earth. A movie was made in 1953, and the Spielberg remake 52 years later re-imagined the story for a new generation.
Spielberg’s movie follows a family separated during the invasion who fight to find their way back to each other. Tom Cruise is Ray, the father who sets out to find his daughter (Dakota Fanning) and son (Justin Chatwin). Lisa Ann Walter stars as Sheryl, Ray’s friend, who is stuck on a dock during an escape when a Tripod attacks. It’s a small role but still a massive movie for Walter. The film was a huge box office hit and picked up three Oscar nominations.
1 Abbott Elementary (2021-)
Lisa Ann Walter Plays Melissa Schemmenti
Abbott Elementary 2
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Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary is a workplace comedy/mockumentary that follows a group of passionate teachers working with – and against – a difficult principal in the Philadelphia public school system. From the bright-eyed idealists who desire to change to the battle-tested “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” classicalists, these teachers are Underfunded, outnumbered, and consistently facing new odds stacked against them daily. However, they will work together to provide the best educational experience for the children they teach. Along the way, they’ll navigate their own messy personal relationships and find benefits from the younger and older generations as they try to bridge the gaps left by a less-than-stellar school system.
Cast Quinta Brunson , Tyler James Williams , Janelle James , Lisa Ann Walter , Chris Perfetti , Sheryl Lee Ralph , William Stanford Davis Release Date December 7, 2021 Seasons 3 Showrunner Quinta Brunson
The most successful TV show Lisa Ann Walter has ever appeared on is Abbott Elementary on ABC. The series premiered in 2021 and follows the struggles of teachers at an underfunded, predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. Quinta Brunson is the main star, a second-grade teacher named Janine Teagues, who seeks to improve the kids’ lives in her class. The show’s basis is that a documentary filmmaker is covering the lives of the teachers of mismanaged schools.
Lisa Ann Walter has one of the main roles in the series as Melissa Schemmenti, another second-grade teacher with questionable connections with the Philly locals, which she uses to help the school. The series has lasted for three seasons, with a fourth coming in 2024. It has an almost perfect 99% Rotten Tomatoes score, with 100% in the second and third seasons. Abbott Elementary has also won four Emmy Awards out of 24 nominations and Walter is part of the group that won the SAG for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.