Wealthy business woman and overseer of the busy industrial town of Marysville, Amelia Thomas is the quintessence of deportment. She is also “hard-as-nails”. Strong-willed and unskilled at listening to others has made her superb at holding onto the reins of a seemingly prosperous but turbulent company town. As owner of the Thomas Lumber Mill, Amelia finds herself embroiled in a battle with a difficult bank and unhappy mill workers. She tries to retain the air of a concerned grandmother when she takes in her daughter-in-law Louisa and her three grand-children who have fled their home. Although reluctant at first to accept the young ‘heathen’ Anne Shirley, she slowly develops a close relationship with the girl. The attachment is jeopardized when Anne’s father intervenes, threatening Amelia’s very existence. Anne is forced to choose between loyalty to a father she neither knows nor respects, and the “kindred spirit” in Amelia whom Anne perceives as her one chance at true happiness.

Born April 24th, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia, Shirley MacLean Beaty, was born into an acting family. Her mother, Kathlyn, originally from Canada, was a drama teacher who instilled a love for the craft in her children, Shirley and older brother, Warren. Her father, Ira Owens Beaty, was an educator who influenced her greatly with his knowledge of psychology and philosophy. Upon graduating from Washington-Lee High School, she headed to New York to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

She made her acting debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, in 1955, which won her the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actress. Her expansive film repertoire includes working with some of Hollywood’s biggest talent including Dean Martin, Meryl Streep, John Forsythe, Jack Nicholson, Jerry Lewis, Julia Roberts and Sally Field.

In 1983, she won her first Oscar for TERMS OF ENDEARMENT after being nominated five times previously for her respective roles in SOME CAME RUNNING (1959), THE APARTMENT (1961),IRMA LA DOUCE (1964), THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY (1976), THE TURNING POINT (1978) and STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989). Her long list of achievements throughout her years in the industry includes one Emmy Award and four nominations and seven Golden Globe Awards and thirteen nominations (including the Cecil B. Demille award for outstanding contribution to the entertainment field in 1998). She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Some of MacLaine’s recent films include RUMOUR HAS IT (2005) with Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner and Mark Ruffalo; IN HER SHOES (2005) with Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette; BEWITCHED (2005)with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell; and COCO CHANNEL (2008), a movie about one of the most famous and influential designers of the 20th Century.

MacLaine is not only an accomplished actress; she has penned several books throughout the years.  In the 1980s, she became known for her faith in reincarnation, angels, the power of crystals and other unorthodox "New Age" beliefs addressing these topics at length in her books Out On a Limb (1983) and Dancing in the Light (1986). Her most recent book, Sage-ing while Age-ing, looks back on her remarkable professional and personal milestones in which she has experienced so far.

With a commanding on-screen presence, the acclaimed actress lends her talents to the new Anne prequel, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES – A NEW BEGINNING.Portraying strong-minded businesswoman, Amelia Thomas, MacLaine's legendary acting skills are on display, bringing both comedy and pathos to the Anne’s life when Anne becomes caught in the coils of this aristocratic woman’s downfall.

Kevin Sullivan, the executive producer/director/writer of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES – A NEW BEGINNING, said when announcing that she had joined the cast: "Shirley MacLaine is a screen legend. To be able to cast her unique personality in the role of Amelia Thomas promises to bring ‘a performance’ in the grand style that only a movie star of her stature can elicit." In a recent interview regarding the film, MacLaine recounted both Sullivan’s tragic-comic screenplay and the fact that her mother being Canadian from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, were both determining factors in her decision to accept the role. MacLaine spent childhood summers in Nova Scotia and had fond memories of the original Anne novel.

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