Wendy Kilbourne

Kilbourne was only eighteen when she appeared in television for the first time. It was March 1983, when she guest appeared in one of the Matt Houston (1982) episodes. She reprised that role once again, next year. In the same year she played in the TV movie Calendar Girl Murders (1984). But her most popular role was her her next, which was Constance Flynn-Hazard from the "North and South" trilogy. In 1985, she met her future husband James Read. It was on the set of North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). They played a married couple.

They continued their affair during making North & South: Book 2, Love & War (1986) and finally got married two years later. They live in Santa Barbara, California and have two children son Jackson (born 1990) and daughter Sydney (born 1995). They also had a stillborn daughter Willa who died in 1994. They remain in touch with other co-stars from "North and South" - Genie Francis and Jonathan Frakes (also married).

Since "North and South", Kilbourne has played in plenty of TV movies and a couple of TV series. While working as an actress, she has volunteered to work with a 6-year-old foster child. Over the next 12 years, she watched as he was moved 27 times. His experience ultimately inspired her to quit acting and pursue a career as an advocate for foster youth.

Building on her undergraduate degree in early childhood education, Wendy completed law school and is a licensed attorney in Santa Barbara, California, with over twenty years of experience in foster care, education, and non-profit law, as well as organizational and management consulting. Her daughter Sydney followed in her footsteps by becoming an attorney in Seattle, Washington. Her son Jackson also lives in Seattle and is a doctor. He has a child of his own, making Wendy a grandmother.