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Learn more about the main characters and all the other people responsible for Ghost Whisperer in the People section. These list are based on the credit lists furnished by CBS in its promotional releases and various internet sources. Ideally they should reflect all the credits at the beginning and end of each episode.
Descriptions of the main characters on Ghost Whisperer and a short biography of the actors playing them. A main character is one played by an actor included in the opening credits. Main cast members no longer with the show are listed at the end.
An alphabetical list of recurring character names with the name of the actor (or sometimes actors) who played them. Only two characters have been “officially” designated as recurring (both in season two): Rick Payne and Ned Banks. We have broadened the definition to include any guest character who appears in more than two episodes. The list is split into two parts: part 1 are those recurring characters who have appeared in the current season and part 2 is those who haven’t. Character descriptions and actor biographies are included for the more prominent recurring characters.
An alphabetical list of credited Ghost Whisperer guest cast arranged by actor’s name. The name of the character played and the episode or episodes in which they appeared are included. (Main cast and recurring cast members are not included in this list.)
An alphabetical list of credited Ghost Whisperer guest cast arranged by character’s name. The name of the actor (or actors) who played the character and the episode or episodes in which the character appeared are included. (Main cast and recurring cast members are not included in this list.)
Two alphabetical lists: one of writers and one of directors. The first lists writers with links to the specific episodes they wrote, the director for that episode, and any co-writers. The second lists directors with links to the specific episodes they directed and writer or writers for it. Writers and directors who are also part of the production crew are identified.
A list of the people receiving production credit for Ghost Whisperer by title. (This list is incomplete because the sources for this information are not as good as the creative credits. The list is probably fairly accurate for season one but is up-to-date for changes since then.)
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| Jennifer Love Hewitt as Melinda Gordon |
David Conrad as Jim Clancy |
Camryn Manheim as Delia Banks |
Jamie Kennedy as Eli James |
Cristoph Sanders as Ned Banks |
At the beginning, there were three main characters in Ghost Whisperer: Melinda Gordon, the ghost whisperer, her faithful husband Jim Clancy and her best friend, Andrea, who helps her run the antique store. When Andrea dies at the end of season one, real estate agent Delia Banks becomes Melinda’s new helper and best friend starting with episode two of season two. The regular recurring character Professor Rick Payne is introduced at the beginning of season two. He starts as a skeptic of Melinda’s abilities but slowly becomes her friend and tutor on the more obscure details of the spirit world. He becomes a main cast member in season three but departs Grandview on a sabbatical leave in the first episode of season four. In the same episode, Melinda meets a new main character Eli James, a clinical psychologist, who can hear spirits after having a near death experience. Also in season four, Delia Banks’ son Ned becomes a main cast member who helps Melinda with spirits who are adolecents or computer related.
Melinda Gordon is a young woman with the unique ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died – and who seek her help. Melinda uses her gift to relay significant messages and important information to the living, but sometimes the messages she receives are intense and confusing. As a result, she is often met with questions and skepticism by the survivors. But when Melinda is able to help both the lost souls who contact her and those who are still alive, she knows that her unique talent is an asset and not a liability. Although Melinda embraces her unique “abilities” as a blessing and sometimes a curse, she always helps her clients – alive or dead – find emotional closure.
Jennifer Love Hewitt became known to television audiences in the award-winning series Party of Five. She has also appeared in the television movie The Audrey Hepburn Story. Her feature film credits include Heartbreakers, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Can’t Hardly Wait, Garfield, The Tuxedo and Sister Act 2. She recently completed production on two independent feature films, The Truth About Love and If Only, which she also produced. Ms Hewitt won the Saturn Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic TV Show in 2007, and 2008 (was also nominated for it in 2006 and 2009) and won the Family Television Best Actress award for Ghost Whisperer in November 2006. She was named by TV Guide as “The Sexiest Woman On Television” in the May 5, 2008 issue.
Born in Waco, Texas, USA, 21 February 1979
Jim Clancy, a paramedic, is Melinda’s husband. They got married on the first episode and theirs is one of the most loving and stable marriages on TV. As one of the few people close to her, Jim is often frustrated by Melinda’s talent when ghosts interfere with their martial bliss. But Jim is also a solid supporter of what she does because he appreciates how much the “gift” means to Melinda. Strange things happen to Jim in season 4 and it is unclear at this point what lies in store for him.
David Conrad’s television credits include starring roles on Relativity and Miss Match. His feature film credits include Men of Honor, Return to Paradise, The Weekend and Anything Else. He has appeared on Broadway in The Deep Blue Sea and Indian Ink, as well as off-Broadway in Troilus and Cressida and Richard II. He has also appeared in Arcadia and Three Days of Rain.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 17 August 1967
Delia Banks makes her debut as a real estate agent whom Melinda befriends in “Love Still Won’t Die,” the second episode of season 2. Unlike Melinda’s previous friend and partner, Delia is a somewhat older, middle aged widow with an adolescent old son who lost her husband 3 years earlier. They meet by chance when Melinda catches Ned, Delia’s son, stealing some classic rock concert tickets from the antique store. Ned is supposed to “pay” for the tickets by working on weekends but Delia has to take his place which begins the start of a wonderful friendship.
Camryn Manheim is well-known to television audiences for her role as Ellenor Frutt on the drama series The Practice for which she won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as Gladys Presley in the mini-series Elvis, on the Network. Her other television credits include the series How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Chicago Hope, also on the Network, The L Word, Will & Grace, Ally McBeal and Gideon’s Crossing. Her feature film credits include Dark Water, Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, Scary Movie 3, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion and The Road to Wellville.
Born in Caldwell, New Jersey, USA, 8 March 1961
Eli James makes his debut as a psychology professor and therapist in “Firestarter,” the first episode of season 4. He has a near death experience when trapped in a fire at Rockland University and when he awakens in the hospital, Melinda is surprised to find him talking to (but not seeing) ghosts. Eli considers his new ability a curse which he wants to get rid of but Melinda works hard to convince him it is a gift which he can use to help others. Eli agrees to let her help him but his outrageous manner is sometimes frustrating to Melinda. Gradually she learns to deal with him (much like she did with Rick Payne) and because of his gift he becomes a big help when things get dark later in season four.
Jamie Kennedy is an actor, producer, and standup comedian. He became interested in acting at the age of 15, and appeared in a movie for the first time at age 19, as an extra in Dead Poets Society. His first role in a movie was as Brad in the film Road to Flin Flon, which was filmed in the early 1990s but was not released until spring 2000. He is most popular for playing the role of the movie buff, geeky Randy Meeks, in Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3. In 1998, he won a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actor in a horror movie for his role as Randy Meeks in Scream 2. He is probably best known to television viewers as the creator and star of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment in which hidden cameras recorded people’s reaction to the various characters he played.
Born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA, 25 May 1970
Ned Banks, the son of Melinda’s friend Delia Banks makes his debut as a recurring character in “Love Still Won’t Die,” the second episode of season 2. We first see the 12 year old Ned when Melinda catches him trying to steal Grateful Dead concert tickets from her antique store. Melinda determines Ned is acting under the influence of a ghost and decides to give Ned the tickets in return for working in her store. Ned lost his father three years earlier in an ATM mugging. He is basically a good kid but has a lot of unresolved grief issues with his mother over the brutal death of his father. While working in the store, Ned discovers Melinda’s gift by accident and becomes a sometimes helper with spirits. In season 3, he becomes a full fledged helper to Melinda and a main cast member in season four. Ned is especially helpful with spirits who are adolescents. (Ned was played by Tyler Patrick Jones in season 2.)
Christoph Sanders started out acting on the stage when he was nine. He had parts in Bye Bye Birdie, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and A Christmas Carol twice. Before going to California, he worked in restaurants. He got lucky landing a TV pilot within three months of coming to Hollywood, but then waited nine months to get a small part in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. He followed that with Hound Dog which took two years to get into theaters. Christoph joined the Ghost Whisperer cast in the fall of 2007 as a somewhat older and sexier Ned Banks. He first appeared in episode 11 of season 3, “Slam.”
Born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA, April 7, 1988
Andrea Moreno, Melinda’s friend and business partner in the antique store, is fascinated by her talent. Andrea is a very tall single woman just a few years older than Melinda, who came to Grandview to escape the pressures of a big city law career. Because Melinda is always running off to help a troubled spirit, Andrea is essential to keeping the store running. And because she knows of Melinda’s “gift,” Andrea often helps her work through difficult cross overs thus taking some of the load off Jim. (Andrea died at the end of the first season and the character left the show after the first episode of season two.)
Aisha Tyler’s television credits include the television movie For One Night, and the series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami, on CBS, Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 24, Nip/Tuck and Talk Soup. Her feature film credits include .45 and the independent short film The Whipper, which she also wrote, produced and directed. She is the recipient of an NAACP Theater Image Award for her role in Moose Mating. Additionally, she is the author of Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Post-Modern Girl.
Born in San Francisco, California, USA, 18 September 1970
Professor Rick Payne started out as a recurring character who makes his debut in “Love Never Dies,” the first episode of season two who becomes a regular character in season three. Their first meeting occurs when Melinda finds him teaching a class on the myths of the paranormal and the occult at Rockland University. At first the professor, a professional skeptic, dismisses Melinda as just another crank. But slowly her unusually specific knowledge of the spirit world and her undeniable charm intrigue the professor to the point where he starts helping Melinda with difficult spirit problems. This led to a strong if somewhat problem plagued friendship between them.
Jay Mohr stars in the CBS television series Gary Unmarried. He also starred in the television series Action and co-created, executive produced and hosted the reality show Last Comic Standing. He was also a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. He often serves as host on Jim Rome Show, a syndicated sports radio show. His feature film credits include Jerry Maguire, Picture Perfect, Go, Pay It Forward, Suicide Kings, Kings Ransom, The Groomsmen and the upcoming Jump Shot.
Born in Verona, New Jersey, USA, 23 August 1970
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