Kim Lankford | |
|---|---|
 Lankford in Knots Landing (1979) | |
| Born | June 14, 1954 Montebello, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, former actress |
| Years active | 1976–2000, 2015 |
Kim Lankford (born June 14, 1954 [1] ) is an American businesswoman and retired actress, best known for her role as Ginger Ward on Knots Landing from 1979 to 1983.
Lankford was born in Montebello, California. [1] She made her screen debut in the 1976 movie Harry and Walter Go to New York , and later began her television career appearing in episodes of sitcoms such as Happy Days . In 1978, she was cast as the female lead opposite Joe Namath in the short-lived NBC sitcom The Waverly Wonders . Later that year, she played the leading role in the teen comedy film Malibu Beach .
In 1979, Lankford was cast as Ginger Ward, one of the original lead characters, in the CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing . She starred on the show during the first four seasons, before leaving in 1983. In 1980, she also had a role opposite Chuck Norris in the action film The Octagon , and in the following years co-starred with Don Meredith in the thriller Terror Among Us . After leaving Knots Landing, she guest-starred on Fantasy Island , The Love Boat , and Cheers . In 1988, she had a supporting role in the horror film Cameron's Closet , and was a regular cast member in the ABC detective drama Murphy's Law . [2]
Lankford spent the 1990s playing guest starring roles on television series such as In the Heat of the Night , Chicago Hope and Diagnosis: Murder , as well as appearing in the films Missing Pieces (1992) and Night of the Running Man (1995). In 1996, Lankford was a co-presenter on a cult public-access television cable TV series, "The Count Smokula Show". She reprised her Knots Landing character in Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac in 1997. After retiring from acting in 2000, Lankford created her own horse business in Colorado called Kim Lankford's Living Horsemanship. [3]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lankford lived with, and was romantically involved with, Warren Zevon. [4] Lankford was close friends with Susan Berman. [5] Lankford dated Robert Durst, who allegedly murdered Berman in 2000. [6] In 2015, Lankford appeared in the HBO documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst . [7]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Harry and Walter Go to New York | Young Girl | |
| 1978 | Convoy | Darlene | Cut in post-production |
| 1978 | Malibu Beach | Dina | |
| 1980 | The Octagon | Nancy | |
| 1981 | Terror Among Us | Vickie Stevens | |
| 1988 | Cameron's Closet | Dory Lansing | |
| 1992 | Missing Pieces | Sally | |
| 1995 | Night of the Running Man | Waitress | |
| 1996 | Street Corner Justice | Jenny Connor | |
| 1996 | For Goodness Sake II | Short film | |
| 1997 | Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story | Television film | |
| 1998 | Mixed Blessings | ||
| 2015 | Dead of Winter: The Donner Party | Tamsen Donner | Television film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Police Woman | Kate | Episodes: "Task Force: Cop Killer: Part 1" and "Task Force: Cop Killer: Part 2" |
| 1977 | Happy Days | Sheena | Episode: "A Shot in the Dark" |
| 1977 | Busting Loose | Sharon | Episodes: "The Decision: Part 1" and "The Decision: Part 2" |
| 1978 | The Waverly Wonders | Connie Rafkin | Series regular, 9 episodes |
| 1978 | Man from Atlantis | Episode: "The Siren" | |
| 1978 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Alice Smith | Episode: "Campus Terror" |
| 1979–1983 | Knots Landing | Ginger Ward | Series regular, 75 episodes |
| 1982, 84 | Fantasy Island | Fancy Summerfield / Sandy | Episodes: "Roller Derby Dolls/Thanks a Million" and "Lady's Choice/Skin Deep" |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves | Jeanine Prescott | Episode: "White Lies" |
| 1984 | Cheers | Maxine | Episode: "Sam Turns the Other Cheek" |
| 1978–1984 | The Love Boat | Carol Kelsey / Deanna Ellis / Anne Parker | S8 E13/ |
| 1985 | The Hitchhiker | Rae Bridgeman | Episode: "A Time for Rifles" |
| 1987 | Hunter | Charlene Lindquist | Episode: "The Cradle Will Rock" |
| 1987 | The Law & Harry McGraw | Karen Stillman | Episode: "Murder by Landslides" |
| 1988 | Jake and the Fatman | Cynthia Covington | Episode: "Rhapsody in Blue" |
| 1988–1989 | Murphy's Law | Marissa Danforth | Series regular, 12 episodes |
| 1990 | Dream On | Hannah Stone | Episode: "Premarital Ex" |
| 1991 | Paradise | Beckie | Episode: "A Bullet Through the Heart" |
| 1991 | In the Heat of the Night | Tamara Pollard | Episode: "Liar's Poker" |
| 1991 | Silk Stalkings | Muriel Hayes | Episode: "Hardcopy" |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence | Pam Charles | Episode: "The Cold Light of Day" |
| 1996 | Land's End | Jenny's Mother | Episode: "Jenny" |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Leslie Bowman | Episode: "Leggo My Ego" |
| 1997 | Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac | Ginger Ward | Miniseries |
| 1995, 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | Chelsea Drew / Lois Claire | Episodes: "Death in the Daytime" and "A Mime Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" |
| 2000 | Martial Law | Dr. Geller | Episodes: "Final Conflict: Part 1" and "Final Conflict: Part 2" |
| 2015 | The Jinx | Herself | Miniseries |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
