ABC has announced the profiles for both the family members and the staff of its upcoming new "The Family" reality series. The nine episode reality series will premiere Tuesday, March 4th at 10PM ET. In it ten related contestants will compete against each other for a one million dollar fortune. Family and staff profiles follow below:
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The ultimate patriarch, Uncle Mike is the leader of the family. Suave and in-control, Uncle Michael sees himself as the dominant player in this game and has never met a challenge he couldn't overcome. While all the young men of the family respect him, they are also out to get him.
AUNT DONNA (47, school bus driver, Manalapan, NJ)
Uncle Michael's wife, Donna, is a strong-willed woman who clearly likes things done her way and is not afraid to speak her mind. She'd like to see her husband win, but she'd like even better to win the million herself and gain bragging rights for a lifetime.
COUSIN ANTHONY (22, dance instructor, Manalapan, NJ)
The confident son of Uncle Michael and Aunt Donna, Anthony is definitely the playboy of the family. He's a dance instructor who knows how to put on the moves to impress the ladies, and is as competitive as his parents are when it comes to winning that million.
COUSIN ED (34, catering supervisor, Oceanside, NY)
Ed calls himself the "wise guy" of the family. From childhood, he was viewed as the low achiever of the family, and that experience motivates him to succeed. He makes no pretenses about his strategy to win the game, admitting that he will lie, steal and cheat to do so.
COUSIN MARIA (28, travel consultant, Boston, MA)
This classic beauty feels she's the gypsy of the family. A passionate traveler, Maria is often on the road, so she isn't as geographically close to the rest of the family and maintains an air of mystery. Her incentive to win the prize is to fund future expeditions.
COUSIN JILL (27, radio sales, Brooklyn, NY)
Always in everyone's business and the first to admit it, bubbly Jill is the gossip queen of the family. She was the person who notified her family members about the casting call for the show, and feels that it's only fitting that she win the million dollars.
COUSIN DAWN MARIE (29, housewife/mother, Staten Island, NY)
What you see is what you get with Dawn Marie. She tells it like it is and takes no prisoners. She feels her family doesn't think she has the intelligence to prevail, fueling her incentive to prove them wrong. Though her presence is sometimes larger than life, her mind is always focused on family, particularly her husband and two children back home.
COUSIN MICHAEL O. (26, warehouse foreman, Brooklyn, NY)
Related by blood only to his first cousin Jill, Mike is the outsider of the family. Though his shaved head and tattoos may seem disconcerting to strangers, his motivations are purely altruistic. If he wins, he will purchase a house for his mother and sister.
COUSIN ROBERT (29, public relations, Manhattan, NY)
Robert is confident that he has what it takes to win. He is fiercely competitive and proudly ruthless. He believes that money can get him further in life than family can, but he's grateful that his sister, Melinda, was chosen to be on the show because she might be his only ally.
COUSIN MELINDA (25, kindergarten teacher, Brooklyn, NY)
Robert's sister, Melinda, says that she is seen by her family as the "the good girl" who still lives at home with her parents. Her strategy is to use her non-threatening persona to win the million-dollar fortune.
THE STAFF PROFILES
ANDREW LOWREY, BUTLER (Born: Kent, England; resides in Baltimore, Maryland)
As a youngster, Andrew used to watch "Upstairs, Downstairs" and wanted to grow up to be the stately and unflappable Hudson, the butler. After completing his university degree in hotel management and the rigorous Ivor Spencer Butler school, Andrew spent a decade "in the service" - acting as butler to some of the world's elite, including a billionaire Saudi princess, several world-famous rock stars, a Baltimore real estate tycoon and the British royal family. During that time he oversaw everything, from a 325-ft Monte Carlo mega-yacht, with a staff of 45, to a 500-acre country estate. Of course he does it all with unshakable elan and an impeccable uniform.
RINGO ALLEN, SOCIAL SECRETARY (born and resides in Seattle, Washington)
Ringo is an excellent manager of what he delicately calls the "complicated lifestyles" of his high-powered employers, as well as their many friends and associates. From remembering birthdays to supervising the building of new residences and negotiating delicate schedules at home and away, Ringo ensures his clients live graciously and effortlessly. While he will go to any lengths to "make it happen" for his clients, the one thing he can't abide is bad manners. As he says, "You may not have a million dollars, but everyone can have million-dollar manners." Some of Ringo's high-profile clients include a nationally-known department store magnate and her diplomat husband, as well as luminaries such as President Bush, the Gates and several members of the Russian royal family.
LINDA LEVIS, HEAD HOUSEKEEPER (Born: Cleveland, Ohio; resides in West Palm Beach, Florida)
Linda realized early that she had a talent for organization, and that there were a lot of people who could use her help. She loved people, loved housework and loved the sun, and headed south from snowy Cleveland only to land in Florida's glamorous socialite epicenter - Palm Beach. In no time, single-mom Linda found herself in a world far from the one she grew up in, in the employ of some of Palm Beach's most elite families. In the interim decades, Linda has worked for international banking gurus, oil barons, real estate magnates, even publishing heiress Mrs. Scripps-Harvey. She believes firmly that good service is in the thoughtful details -- like when she remembers it's Madame's birthday, and remembers to buy a card and sign Madame's dog's name to it. "Everyone wants to feel like someone is paying attention to their lives, that someone cares."
FRANCK PORCHER, CHEF (Born: Bordeaux, France; resides in West Palm Beach, Florida)
A twenty-one year veteran of the kitchen, Franck trained in some of the world's finest kitchens while pursuing his vision of culinary excellence. From studying pastries at Paris' famed Maxim's to honing his repertoire at restaurants from Africa to trendy Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Franck has cooked for such luminaries as President Bush and brother Jeb, Celine Dion, Luciano Pavarotti, as well as some of the wealthiest and most prominent socialites in North America. His biggest reward, however, comes from an appreciative audience. "When you throw a big party, and the boss takes you out into the dining room and everyone claps, you know they see you put some effort into it."
JILL SWID, STYLIST (born and resides in Manhattan, New York)
Jill started working for style icon Donna Karan before she even got out of high school - and she's been on fashion's fast track ever since. After college she was recruited to be Spin Magazine's fashion director, and went on to helm the fashion and beauty departments as such magazines as Mirabella, Talk and now Radar. She's also been the personal stylist to such celebrities as Uma Thurman, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, the Hilton sisters -- even Rudy Giuliani. Jill's philosophy as a stylist is to make everyone look the best they can look, even when it means getting someone to take a risk on a look, cut or color they've never tried before. "Everyone should look good and feel great in their clothes."
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