Marla Pennington

Last updated
Marla Pennington-Rowan
Born
Marla Lynn Pennington

(1954-03-05) March 5, 1954 (age 71)
OccupationActress
Years active1974–1989
Spouse
Thomas Patrick Rowan
(m. 1988;died 2021)
Children2

Marla Lynn Pennington (born March 5, 1954) is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Joan Anderson [1] Lawson on Small Wonder , her last acting role to date.

Contents

Her other television credits include Soap , Diff'rent Strokes , Magnum, P.I. , Charlie's Angels , Happy Days , The Incredible Hulk , and General Hospital . Pennington's film credits include National Lampoon's Class Reunion , and The Day of the Locust .

While Small Wonder was her last acting role, she appeared in a brief reunion with her co-stars on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet on January 14, 2009. She provided commentary to the Small Wonder season 1 DVD set, released in February 2010.[ citation needed ]

In 1988, Pennington married entertainment lawyer Tom Rowan, son of comedian Dan Rowan (of Rowan and Martin fame) with whom she had a son, Dan, and a daughter, Kat. Upon Small Wonder ending in 1989, she retired from acting to devote time to her family. [2] Rowan died in 2021, leaving Pennington a widow. [3]

Filmography

Film
YearFilmRoleNotes
1976 Jim the World's Greatest JanAlternative title: Story of a Teenager
1982 National Lampoon's Class Reunion Mary BethAlternative title: Class Reunion
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1974 Lucas Tanner Jane Benson1 episode
1976 Charlie's Angels Jenny WarrenEpisode: "Bullseye"
1976–1979 General Hospital Samantha Livingston Chandler #2Unknown episodes
1979 How the West Was Won BlossomEpisode: "Luke"
Buffalo SoldiersGirlTelevision movie
1979–1981 Soap Leslie Walker17 episodes
1980 The Incredible Hulk Miriam CharlesEpisode: "Deathmask"
1981 Magnum, P.I. Carol Ann LittleEpisode: "Billy Joe Bob"
1982 Happy Days Cynthia BranniganEpisodes: "A Touch of Classical"
"Hi Yo, Fonzie Away"
1983HerndonLauraTelevision movie
1984 Diff'rent Strokes Nurse Joan Fleming1 episode
1985–1989 Small Wonder Joan Lawson96 episodes

References

  1. Small Wonder : Season 2 Episode 21 , retrieved 2023-11-30
  2. "'Small Wonder': The Strange True Story Behind the Weirdest Sitcom of the '80s". 4 September 2015.
  3. "Thomas Rowan Obituary (2022) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com .