Kimberly Williams-Paisley Hosts NPT Documentary Series on Children`s Health in TN

Actress will introduce viewers to the challenges facing children’s health in NPT REPORTS: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CRISIS

Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who first lit up the screen as the radiant young bride in the comedy feature film series Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II, and more recently co-starred in the hit ABC TV sitcom According to Jim, will serve as host of the first two episodes of Nashville Public Television’s new documentary series, NPT REPORTS: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CRISIS.

The first episode of the seven-part series, produced by Mary Makley (The Carter Family) and premiering on NPT-Channel 8 on Thursday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m., will provide an overview of the challenges that children in Tennessee face in leading healthy lives, including a survey of the central problems: infant mortality, prenatal care, the obesity epidemic and mental wellness. Episode two, produced by Will Pedigo (Next Door Neighbors, Living On: Tennesseans Remembering the Holocaust) and premiering in June 2010, takes an in-depth look at the issues surrounding prenatal care, preterm birth and infant mortality in Tennessee.

“As a Tennessee resident and mother of two young children, with an impressive history of philanthropic and volunteer work, Kimberly is the perfect person to bring this important information to the people of Tennessee,” said Beth Curley, president and CEO of NPT. “The situation regarding children’s health in Tennessee has reached crisis proportions and something must be done now to turn that tide. We are ranked 48th in the general health of our children, and 41 percent of Tennessee children are overweight or at risk for being overweight. We are grateful for Kimberly’s volunteer participation in the project, and know that together, we can begin to create real change.”

NPT REPORTS: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CRISIS is a three-year initiative built around a series of seven documentaries on the state of children’s health in Middle Tennessee. Other elements of the project include follow-up programs, health-related spots and a project website.

“As a mother, the health and well being of my children is a top priority,” says Williams-Paisley, a Tennessee resident. “The state of children’s health in Tennessee is very concerning. We must work together in different ways as a community to fix this problem. Learning more about this issue through this effort is a first and important step.”

In addition to her work in the Father of the Bride films and According to Jim, Williams-Paisley starred in How to Eat Fried Worms, Eden Court, and as Matthew McConaughey’s wife in We Are Marshall. Behind the camera, Williams-Paisley wrote and directed the multi award-winning short film, Shade, in which she also starred, opposite Patrick Dempsey. The film picked up the Vision Award for Best Festival Short at the Heartland Film Festival.

Williams-Paisley’s other television credits include the ABC Family Network’s Lucky Seven, and the Lifetime Original feature Identity Theft, on both of which she also served as Co-Producer. She co-starred in The Christmas Shoes for The CBS Network, in ABC’s Relativity, in the NBC mini series The Tenth Kingdom and in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film, Follow the Stars Home.

Most recently, Williams-Paisley completed a starring role in the Lifetime Movie Network film Amish Grace, which airs in March. The movie is based on a true story about the aftermath that followed the schoolhouse shooting in a Pennsylvania Amish town, and examines one mother’s personal journey as she copes with the tragic loss of her daughter and struggles with her community’s teaching of the transcending power of forgiveness.

Williams-Paisley is actively involved with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research, St. Jude’s Hospital and the XP Foundation and is a member of the Entertainment Council for Feeding America.

NPT REPORTS: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CRISIS is made possible through major support by the Healthways Foundation, the Nashville Healthcare Council, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, with additional funding by the Orrin H. Ingram Fund. A multitude of community partnerships have provided invaluable support to the project, most notably Alignment Nashville, whose “5 Pillars of Children’s Health” provided the initial outline for the project.