Christopher Norris (actress)

Last updated

Christopher Norris
Born (1953-10-07) October 7, 1953 (age 71)
Education Antioch University (BA)
Years active1964–1993 (as actress)
Spouse
Walter Danley
(m. 1980;div. 1998)

Christopher Norris (born October 7, 1953) [1] [2] is a former American Broadway, movie, and television actress. She began acting on Broadway [3] and is probably best known for her portrayal of nurse Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi in the television series Trapper John, M.D. . Early in pregnancy her parents picked the name "Christopher" and decided to name the baby that regardless of its sex. [4] She attended Los Angeles Valley College and, in the 1990s, she broke from acting and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and theater from Antioch University. [5]

Contents

Early notable roles include the wild girl Miriam in Summer of '42 (1971), [6] a heroic young flight attendant in the disaster film Airport 1975 (1974), and as a hot girl in Roger Corman's Eat My Dust! (1976). [7] Early in her career, Norris typically played wholesome, "girl next door" types, and, later in her career, she got more "vixen" type roles, including the role of loony Laura Simmons Asher on the daytime soap Santa Barbara . Her other daytime credits include Another World and Guiding Light .

In 1980, Norris married Walter Danley, a businessman and later mystery novelist. They divorced in 1998. [8]

Due to their physical resemblance, Norris is frequently mistaken for Melanie Griffith. Because of this, Griffith was mistakenly interviewed in the 1990s by the British media about acting in Airport 1975 . [5]

She designed the exterior and interior of her home, and Christopher Norris nurse uniforms were designed, sold, and proceeds used for nursing scholarships. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971Mr. and Mrs. BoJo JonesJulie Greher
1971 Summer of '42 Miriam
1971 Lady Liberty LydiaUncredited
1974 Airport 1975 Bette
1974Goodnight JackieDonna
1976 Eat My Dust! Darlene Kurtz

Television

1967Truman Capote's "The Thanksgiving Visitor"Annabelle Conklin
1968–1970 The Edge of Night Sarah Louise Capice
1975 The Secrets of Isis Dorothy BiederSeason 1, Episode 11: No Drums, No Trumpets
1976 Wonder Woman GloriaSeason 2, Episode 11: Wonder Woman in Hollywood
1978 Barnaby Jones JuneSeason 7, Episode 8: Stages of Fear
1979–1986 Trapper John, MD Gloria “Ripples” BrancusiNurse
1980 The Love Boat Gail PagettSeries 3, Episode 28: No girls for Doc/Marriage of convenience/The caller/The witness
1987 Matlock Judy BensonSeason 2, Episode 5: The Husband
1989–1993 Santa Barbara Laura Asher

Broadway

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964Roar Like a DoveJane
1965 - 1966The PlayroomEllen

Off Broadway

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Lorraine Serabian Peninnah [9]

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References

  1. "Biography Christopher Norris". angelfire.com. Angelfire.
  2. "Christopher Norris Actor Born October 7, 1953". watch.plex.tv. Plex Inc. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  3. "Christopher Norris Performer". playbill.com. Playbill . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Work's a Real Scream but Christopher just loves leaving her troubles at the set". angelfire.com. Angelfire. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Christopher Norris.Archived. June 24, 2024.
  6. Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide (NYC: Penguin, 2006), p.1254
  7. Craddock, Jim, editor. VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (Detroit, Michigan: Thomson Gale Group, 2007), p.277.
  8. "Interview with Walter Danley, & 5 books to give away!". July 3, 2014. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023.
  9. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Off Broadway 1964". masterworksbroadway.com. Sony Music . Retrieved October 24, 2024.