Barbara Lee Niven (née Bucholz; born 26 February 1953[1]) is an American actress, writer, and producer, best known for her performances in Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and for television roles in Pensacola: Wings of Gold, One Life to Live, Cedar Cove, and Chesapeake Shores.

She is also a motivational speaker, media trainer and animal rights activist, and a National Ambassador for American Humane.

[6] After high school, she attended college for six months,[7] worked as export coordinator for a foundry, a general contractor, sold commercial real estate, and modelled.

Her ten-year high school reunion committee mailed a questionnaire, with the final inquiry being, "have you achieved everything in your life that you thought you would by now?"

She was later hired as an intern, and her story about the White House Easter Egg Roll made the network news.

[4] She spent hours reading from the theater section of Powell's Books and memorized a monologue from Neil Simon's Chapter Two.

[10] In New York she was told by Mari Lyn Henry, then ABC casting director,[11] that she did not have star quality and her voice would only lead to victims' roles.

[19] From 20 March – 8 September 1989, she was hostess and announcer, with host Michael Burger, for the syndicated game show, Straight to the Heart.

Niven also has appeared in guest roles on numerous television series, including ER, Cold Case, Las Vegas, NCIS,[23] Charmed, Eli Stone, and Parks and Recreation.

She had the leading role in A Perfect Ending (2012)[26] and co-starred with Kat Dennings and Ray Wise in the horror comedy Suburban Gothic (2014).

[27] Niven has also appeared in over a dozen Lifetime movies, including Stranger in My Bed (2005), The Perfect Neighbor (2005), Double Cross (2006), Murder in My House (2006), The Rival (2006), A Valentine Carol (2007), Black Widow (2008), Dead at 17 (2008), Accused at 17 (2009), Heat Wave (2009), My Mother's Secret (2012), Home Invasion (2012),[24] The Wife He Met Online (2012), and Disney Channel's Tiger Cruise (2004).

In 2013, Niven was cast in Hallmark Channel's first original drama series Cedar Cove, opposite Andie MacDowell and Bruce Boxleitner.

Niven has a studio and developed workshops to educate people to make a positive impression with speaking, presentation, and media video.

[45] She has participated on an animal rescue team to save victims of a puppy mill,[46] and is a National Ambassador for American Humane.