Kay Lenz

Last updated
Kay Lenz
Kay-lenz-trailer.jpg
Lenz in Breezy (1973)
Born
Kay Ann Lenz

(1953-03-04) March 4, 1953 (age 70) [1]
Other namesKay Ann Kemper
OccupationActress
Years active1964–present
Spouse
(m. 1977;div. 1983)

Kay Ann Lenz (born March 4, 1953) is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Daytime Emmy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Saturn Award.

Contents

Lenz is best known for her title role in the film Breezy (1973), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female. She is also known for her roles in the film House (1986), as well as the television series Midnight Caller (1988–1989) and Reasonable Doubts (1991–1993). For her role in the episode "After It Happened" of Midnight Caller, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She started her career with the stage name Kay Ann Kemper, switching to Kay Lenz after her third role, a brief appearance in American Graffiti (filmed in 1972).

Early years

Lenz was born in Los Angeles, California to Ted Lenz, an actor and producer, and Kay Miller Lenz, who worked as a radio engineer and professional model. Her television debut was as a baby, held by a guest on a program that her father produced. [2]

Career

Lenz began working as a child actress, beginning with appearances in three episodes of This Is the Life when she was 14. [2] She went on to appear in such television shows as The Andy Griffith Show (in the episode "Opie's Group" (1967) under the stage name Kay Ann Kemper) as well as in stage productions. She made a brief appearance billed as Kay Ann Kemper in American Graffiti (1973) as Jane, a girl at a dance. She achieved recognition for her title-role performance as the free spirit who captivates William Holden in Breezy (1973), directed by Clint Eastwood. [3] [4]

Lenz made guest appearances in The Streets of San Francisco , Gunsmoke , MacGyver , McCloud , Cannon , and Petrocelli , and played a lead role in the film White Line Fever (1975) before being cast in 1976 in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man , for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. [5] She reprised her role for the sequel, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (1977). Since the 1980s, she has played guest roles in numerous television series. [5] She appeared in Albert Brooks' short film for a Season 1 episode of Saturday Night Live .

In 1984, she appeared in Rod Stewart's music video for the song "Infatuation". She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1989 for Midnight Caller . [6] [7] She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as flinty lawyer Maggie Zombro in the police/legal drama Reasonable Doubts . [8] [5]

Personal life

Lenz was the first wife of singer-actor David Cassidy. Of their April 3, 1977, marriage, [6] [9] Lenz says:

I wasn’t used to that state-of-stardom lifestyle... When we eloped it was on the national news. All of a sudden I was getting mail from women telling me that they had three of his children. [6]

The threats from Cassidy's fans became so frequent, Lenz retained the services of celebrity bodyguard Tommy Peacock.[ citation needed ] The couple divorced on December 28, 1983. [10] She has no children.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973 American Graffiti Janeas Kay Ann Kemper
1973 Breezy Edith Alice BreezermanNominated — Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female [2]
1973Lisa, Bright and DarkLisa Schilling
1975 White Line Fever Jerri Kane Hummer
1976 Moving Violation [11] Cam Johnson
1976 The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday Thursday
1978 Mean Dog Blues Linda Ramsey
1979 The Passage Leah Bergson
1981 Swan Lake OdilleVoice role
1982 Fast-Walking 'Little' Moke
1983 Prisoners of the Lost Universe Carrie Madison
1983Trial by TerrorKaren Armstrong
1986 House Sandy SinclairNominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1987 Death Wish 4: The Crackdown Karen Sheldon
1987 Stripped to Kill Detective Cody Sheenan
1988FearSharon Haden
1989HeadhunterKatherine Hall
1989 Physical Evidence Deborah Quinn
1990 Streets Sargent
1991Shakespeare's Plan 12 from Outer SpaceSebastian
1992 Falling From Grace P.J. Parks
1994Trapped in SpaceGillings
1995 Gunfighter's Moon Linda Yarnell
1995Shame II: The SecretGinnyNominated — CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
1997A Gun, a Car, a BlondePeep/Madge
1998The Adventures of RagtimeDetective Hill
2003SouthsideClaire Coleman
2013 The Secret Lives of Dorks Mrs. Susie Gibson
2017The Downside of BlissMary

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 The Andy Griffith Show Phoebe but credited as Joy by mistakeEpisode: "Opie's Group" (as Kay Ann Kemper)
1967 The Monroes Maudie BuchnerEpisode: "Teaching The Tigers to Purr" (as Kay Ann Kemper)
1972 Ironside Stephanie TuckerEpisode: "Cold Hard Cash"
1972 The Weekend Nun Audree ABC Movie of the Week
1973 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law LucyEpisode: "A Girl Named Tham"
1973A Summer Without BoysRuth Hailey ABC Movie of the Week
1973 The Streets of San Francisco Sarah HoltEpisode: "Harem"
1974 Love Story SaraEpisode: "Time for Love"
1974 Gunsmoke LettieEpisode: "The Foundling"
1974 The ABC Afternoon Playbreak Dorie Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Special for episode: "Heart in Hiding"
1974Unwed FatherVicky Simmons ABC Movie of the Week
1974 Nakia BarbaraEpisode: "The Hostage"
1974 Kodiak Episode: "Death Chase "
1974 McCloud Eve RandallEpisode: "Barefoot Girls of Bleeker Street"
1974 Medical Center Kitty PalumboEpisode: "The Conspirators"
1974The Underground ManSue CrandellTV movie
1974The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number OneShirleyTV movie
1974 Cannon SallyEpisode: "The Avenger"
1974The OneShirleyTV movie
1975Journey from DarknessSherry WilliamsTV movie
1975 Petrocelli Janet / Mary WadeEpisode: "Face of Evil"
1976 Rich Man, Poor Man Kate JordacheNominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1976 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self1 episode
1976 Jigsaw John Miriam BuckleyEpisode: "Eclipse"
1977 Rich Man, Poor Man Book II Kate JordacheMiniseries
1978 How The West Was Won Doreen3 episodes
1978 The Initiation of Sarah Sarah GoodwinTV movie
1979 Good Morning America SelfEpisode dated 24 July 1979
1979The Seeding of Sarah BurnsSarah BurnsTV movie
1979Sanctuary Of FearCarol Bain TV pilot for unmade series, starring Barnard Hughes
1980EscapeBarbara ChilcoateTV movie
1980 The Hustler of Muscle Beach Jenny O’RourkeTV movie
1982 Insight L.J.Episode: "Matchpoint"
1984 Whiz Kids Helen LangtonEpisode: "Amen to Amen-Re"
1984 Hill Street Blues Whitney BarnesEpisode: "The Other Side of Oneness"
1984-1988 Simon & Simon Kris Caulfield/Lolita4 episodes
1984-1987 Hotel Gail Matthews/Mary Morowsky2 episodes
1984 Magnum P.I. Sally DeForestEpisode: "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime"
1984 The Fall Guy Kim DonnellyEpisodes: "Losers Weepers" (Pts 1 and 2)
1984 Cagney & Lacey Linda MackEpisode: "Victimless Crime"
1984 Matt Houston Cassie StanleyEpisode: "Stolen"
1985 Murder She Wrote Nurse Jennie WellsEpisode: "Armed Response"
1985 Finder of Lost Loves Ellen RossEpisode: "Last Wish"
1985 Riptide Brenda MalloyEpisode: "Still Goin' Steady"
1985 MacGyver Kelly NeilsonEpisode: "Last Stand"
1986 Heart of the City Kathy Priester2 episodes
1986 Hunter Alicia FioriEpisode: "Scrap Metal"
1987 Mr. Belvedere Sharon RogersSeason 3 Episode #18: "Kevin's Older Woman"
1987 Charles in Charge Joan RobinsonEpisode: "The Undergraduate"
1987 Houston Knights ElizabethEpisode: "Home Is Where the Heart Is"
1987 Starman Dr. Katherine BradfordEpisode: "The Probe"
1987 Moonlighting MelissaEpisode: "Come Back Little Shiksa"
1988 Midnight Caller Tina Cassidy3 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1989)
Nominated —Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1990)
1989 Hardball Connie VillanovaEpisode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
1989 ABC Afterschool Special Bonnie GreenEpisode: "Private Affairs"
1989 Murder by Night Karen HicksTV movie
1991 Reasonable Doubts Maggie ZombroRecurring role (season 1); main role (season 2); 32 episodes
Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series (1993)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1993)
1992-1993 Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa Cowlamity Kate CudsterVoice role
1993An Evening at the ImprovSelf-HostEpisode #12.8
1994 The Tick American MaidVoice role; 25 episodes
1995 Lois & Clark Constance HunterEpisode: "Whine Whine Whine"
1996 Touched by an Angel Rocky McCannEpisode: "The Journalist"
1997Journey of the Heart MarvelleTelevision film
1999 Mysteries and Scandals selfEpisode about William Holden
2000 ER Karen PalmieriEpisode: "Homecoming"
2000 The Magnificent Seven Ella GainesEpisode: "Obsession"
2000–2001 Cover Me Lisa Ramone2 episodes
2001 Once and Again Stephanie Arlen2 episodes
2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Linda CavanaughEpisode: "Guilt"
2003 The Agency Police InterrogatorEpisode: "Coventry"
2003 JAG Judge SmithEpisode: "A Merry Little Christmas"
2007 House Mrs BradberryEpisode: "Alone"
2008 NCIS Connie Quinn WheelerEpisode: "Silent Night"
2009 Cold Case Hillary RhodesEpisode: "November 22"
2010 The Closer Mrs TatemEpisode: "In Custody"
2011 Southland Naomi ChesterEpisode: "Fixing a Hole"
2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Laura SidleEpisode: "Forget Me Not"
2014 Bones Harriet WhiteEpisode: "Big in the Philippines"
2015 Adventure Time Bird Woman/GuntherVoice role; 1 episode

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References

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  3. "BREEZY (1974)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved 21 February 2019.
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  6. 1 2 3 Park, Jeannie; Alexander, Michael (November 20, 1989). "After Riding a Lifetime of Ups and Downs, Kay Lenz Hits Her Stride with a Role in Midnight Caller". People . Vol. 32, no. 21. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-11. ...David Cassidy when they married in 1977, just 2½ months after meeting on a blind date.
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