Early life

Todd was born in Los Angeles, California, the second child and middle daughter of actress Ann Morgan Guilbert and writer/producer George Eckstein. Her older sister, Nora Eckstein, was an actress and talent agent and coach. She has a younger sister, Jennifer. Todd attended Palisades Charter High School and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Career

She played a homeless character, “The Kid,” on a Christmas episode of Growing Pains. She played Penny Waters, the daughter of fictional former football player Joe Waters on the Showtime comedy series Brothers, which is her longest lasting role. In 1990, a year after Brothers left the air, Todd moved into her next sitcom role as spunky writer-and-aspiring-comedian Kate Griffin on Going Places.

Later roles include Lal, Data's "daughter" on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Offspring;" Blanche's niece, Lucy, on the The Golden Girls episode "Nice and Easy;" the mother in the Disney Channel original movie The Ultimate Christmas Present; Hilda's and Zelda’s cousin Marigold, Amanda's mother, on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; and as Lizzie's mother, Jo McGuire, on Lizzie McGuire.

She appeared in seven episodes of Murder, She Wrote, all but one as "Rhoda Markowitz", assistant to Keith Michell's suave sleuth, Dennis Stanton. Todd starred in the feature film The Mooring, which she co-wrote with her husband and daughter. The film was released on DVD, digital download and Video on Demand on February 19, 2013. Todd is the co-founder of the film production company In House Media and also teaches acting classes and privately coaches.

In 2016, Todd can be seen starring in Universal's American Girl: Lea to the Rescue.

Todd has also been cast in The Last Champion, which is currently in pre-production at In House Media Film Partners. She will executive produce and perform in the film, a coming-of-age, inspirational family sports drama. Her husband, Glenn Withrow, is set to direct the project. Withrow and Todd co-wrote the screenplay along with their daughter, Ivy Withrow, who also serves as VP of Development for the company. In House Media Film Partners was born when Todd and Withrow were inspired to create a family production company after Withrow's experiences working with Francis Ford Coppola on five films, starting with The Outsiders.

Personal life

Todd is married to director/producer Glenn Withrow, whom she wed in 1991. The couple have a daughter, Ivy.

Filmography

Films

• Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
• Sam's Son (1984)
• The Check Is in the Mail... (1986)
• The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
• The Mooring (2012)
• Lea to the Rescue (2016)
• The Last Champion (2017)

Television

• Family (1 episode, 1980)
• ABC Afterschool Special (1 episode, 1983)
• Who Will Love My Children? (1983) (TV movie)
• Brothers (Main role, 115 episodes, 1984-89)
• Highway to Heaven (1 episode, 1985)
• The Golden Girls (1 episode, 1986)
• Growing Pains (1 episode, 1986)
• HeartBeat (1 episode, 1988)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode, 1990)
• Going Places (Main role, 19 episodes, 1990-91)
• Murder, She Wrote (7 episodes, 1989-91)
• Laurie Hill (1 episode, 1992)
• Brooklyn Bridge (1 episode, 1992)
• Murder One (1 episode, 1996)
• Diagnosis: Murder (1 episode, 1996)
• Life with Roger (Main role, 20 episodes, 1996-97)
• Two of a Kind (1 episode, 1998)
• Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1 episode, 1999)
• The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000) (TV movie)
• Kim Possible (1 episode, 2003)
• Malcolm in the Middle (1 episode, 2004)
• Lizzie McGuire (Main role, 65 episodes, 2001-04)
• Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (1 episode, 2005)

Books

In between her acting roles, Todd wrote two books, Being Young Actors and Parenting The Young Actor.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]