"Life in Pieces" Shorts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest has had roles in several iconic movies, including "Footloose" (1984) and "The Birdcage" (1996), however, she starred on television as Nora Lewin, New York County District Attorney, in "Law and Order" from 2000-2002. She actually won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress, for "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) and "Bullets over Broadway" (1994). It is difficult to imagine, considering her success in movies and television, that Wiest originally wanted to be a ballet dancer!

Watching Wiest play Dr. Joan Short in "Life in Pieces" is a total hoot! She is the family matriarch, a therapist whose entire family needs therapy - but they don't know it! First aired in 2014, each episode of the series features four "short" stories about the daily lives of the members of the Short Family.

Answer: James Brolin

Who could ever forget the handsome James Brolin as Dr. Steven Kiley on "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969-1976)? In 1970 he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Early in his life, Brolin aspired to be an actor, however, he was plagued with shyness. He met Ryan O'Neal during an audition, and the two eventually attended University High School, located in Los Angeles, together. Apparently O'Neal's success was inspiring, and helped Brolin become more outgoing.

John Short, Brolin's character in "Life in Pieces" is anything but shy! He is a former airline pilot, but is so obtuse that one wonders how he managed to make that his career. Now retired, he hangs around the house with his Yorkie, Tank.

Answer: Colin Hanks

"Orange County" (2002) was a film that featured Colin Hanks as Shaun Brumder, and Jack Black as his brother. In the story, Shaun tries to change his lifestyle after the death of a friend, and aspires to attend Stanford University to become a writer. In real life, Colin Dillingham was born in 1977. The son of Susan Dillingham and Tom Hanks, his name was changed a year later when they married. An avid sports fan, Hanks was the official correspondent for the "Kevin and Bean" radio show in Los Angeles for the LA Kings during season playoffs in 2012 and 2013.

Greg Short, very obviously the baby of the Short family, is portrayed as a bit of a clue-less gadget genius who marries a really smart wife. The antics of the couples' young daughter, Lark, are hilarious and their solutions to problems - like how to lose the pacifier and potty training - are unique.

Answer: Betsy Brandt

Betsy Brandt appeared as Marie Schrader in "Breaking Bad" (2008). A Michigan native, Brandt was chosen in 2010 as an outstanding alumnus at Bay City Western High School in Auburn. After graduating from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she continued her studies at Harvard and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Heather Short Hughes, the only daughter of Joan and John, is the mother of three children who she frequently embarrasses, seeming to specialize in awkward situations. Heather is madly in love with her husband, Tim, but isn't very good at being discrete in their relationship - even after all the years they have been married.

Answer: Thomas Sadoski

Thomas Sadoski plaed the role of Don Keefer in "The Newsroom" (2012-2014). His theater resume is impressive; he has been working on and off Broadway since his professional debut in 1998. In 2008 he received a Best Actor in a Play Tony Award nomination for his work in "reasons to be pretty", and won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his work in "Other Desert Cities" (2011).

As Matthew Short, Sadoski plays the underachieving oldest son and middle child of the Short family. When the show debuted in 2015, a newly divorced Matt was living at home with his parents. Since then he has found love, eventually marrying his boss from work.

Answer: Zoe Lister-Jones

Zoe Lister-Jones portrayed Lily Dixon for two seasons in "Whitney" (2011-2013). She is also a member of The Ladybug Transistor, an indiepop band, and has released a solo CD called "Skip the Kiss". A talented musician, she wrote the lyrics and performed the songs in "Breaking Upwards" (2009).

Cast as Jennifer Short in "Life in Pieces", Lister-Jones plays the wife of Greg Short. She is a lawyer, and is always ready to point out the idiosyncrasies of the Short family; the bottom line, however, is always that she loves them in spite of their faults. Lister-Jones' musical talents were highlighted in Season 3's episode, "Goose Friends Auction Fog", when she sang with her nephew Tyler's band.

Answer: Dan Bakkedahl

Dan Bakkedahl has a recurring role on "Veep" (first airing in 2012), playing Congressman Roger Furlong. After graduating from Florida State University, Bakkedahl toured with the Repertory Theater of America. He also presented an improv show called "ZUMPF" with one of his teachers, and performed on Second City.

Dr. Tim Hughes is an otorhinolaryngologist, but he definitely seems to be the type of doctor that one would not want to visit. It appears that he and his wife, Heather, are constantly letting their kids down in some way. What type of dad allows the kids at his young daughter's birthday party to watch the R-rated "Alien"? Or switches the letters on the school sign around, getting his son in trouble?

Answer: Angelique Cabral

Angelique Cabral played the role of Angela Rayes on "The Perfect Family" (2011). After majoring in French and Musical Theater at Indiana University, Cabral studied in London and Paris before pursuing her desire to be an actress. A certified Teaching Artist under The American Place Theater, she has worked in public schools teaching at-risk students. In addition, Cabral is a certified Kundalini yoga teacher.

When Colleen planned to marry Matthew Short, she thought she would have the wedding of her dreams in Mexico. They, along with most of the Shorts, missed all the flights to Mexico, and married instead at the layover hotel (Season 2, Episode 22). It was romantic enough until the balcony of their room collapsed; luckily, Colleen fell into the swimming pool below. Was there a huge settlement? No, the hotel announced it was filing for bankruptcy.

Answer: Hunter King

Hunter King has played Summer Newman on "The Young and the Restless" since 2012. In both 2014 and 2015 she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. In 2015 she began appearing on "Life in Pieces" as Clementine Hughes.

In Season 1 of "Life in Pieces" King had a recurring role as Tyler's girlfriend, and they suddenly married at the end of the season; in Season 2 she became a cast member. Although the family is a bit concerned about Tyler's sudden marriage, the newlyweds live in Tyler's old room until they buy a tiny house and move to the back yard. Many of the "shorts" feature the new couple as they attempt to define what they want in a marriage. Of course, the quirky family can offer advice, but in the end Clementine and Tyler must find their own way.

Answer: Niall Cunningham

Although Niall Cunningham had a small role as LeRoy on "Awkward" (2015), his debut role on television was on "Life in Pieces". Born in Brooklyn, New York, Cunningham is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School School of Music. Together with some of his classmates he has co-founded G45 Productions. Named after one of the classrooms at the school, the group encourages the support of young artists from the school; it is planned that at some point the group will also include others. Cunningham is also an avid Boston Red Sox fan and supports an impressive list of charities.

It should not be surprising, given the background of the actor, that Tyler Hughes is an aspiring musician. The problem is, however, that Tyler doesn't seem to be particularly talented. He lives in a tiny house in his parents' back yard and struggles to understand a rather complicated relationship with his pretty wife.