Biographie
Emmy and Murrow-award-winning reporter, anchor, and actress Annette Lawless hails from Kansas, the Sunflower State.
Born in Wellington, Kansas, Annette began storytelling at a very young age. She often captivated her elementary school friends with elaborate tales during lunch. However, one day she talked too much and was punished by losing recess for the entire day—a heartbreaking consequence for any 7-year-old. She still holds a little grudge over it.
Despite that, she never stopped talking. Her talent blossomed into a distinguished public speaking career in high school, where she earned over 75 awards in speech, debate, and acting.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top public speakers, she soon moved to the vibrant city of Manhattan, Kansas.
Annette graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in broadcasting, print journalism, and public relations. Her career includes work at ESPN and TV stations in Topeka, Wichita, and Cleveland. She has won numerous accolades for producing, reporting, and photography from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, the National Press Photographers Association, the Ohio News Photographers Association, and the Emmys.
In August 2013, she began anchoring and reporting at KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kansas. She also hosts DISH-TV and the REEL-TV Network’s On Set with Annette, offering behind-the-scenes looks at independent films. While continuing her acting career, Annette is increasingly focusing on documentary-style projects and her popular TV podcast, Hottie and the Jerk, co-hosted with web personality Vaughn Fry.
A true geek at heart, Annette is also a daredevil.
She has rappelled down 500-foot cliffs and climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. She enjoys photography, website building, playing Nintendo, and tweeting. Passionate about acting, she has appeared in over 20 films, including The Avengers, Fun Size, and Draft Day.
Some of her favorite TV shows include American Horror Story, House, M.D., Gilmore Girls, The Vampire Diaries, The Wonder Years, and Sex and the City.
Cooking is another of Annette’s great passions. Her husband especially praises her cheese bierocks and German apple cake. But above all, Annette’s true love remains storytelling—through acting and reporting—where she gets to meet fascinating people and talk all day long, with as much recess as she desires.
