Morgan Fairchild

Last updated
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild 2012.jpg
Fairchild in 2012
Born
Patsy Ann McClenny

(1950-02-03) February 3, 1950 (age 75)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1967–present
Spouse
(m. 1967;div. 1973)
Website morganfairchild.com

Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) [1] is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since then.

Contents

Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow as Jennifer Pace from 1973 to 1977. In 1978, she appeared on the primetime soap opera Dallas as the first actress to portray Jenna Wade, before taking a lead role on the NBC series Flamingo Road in 1980 (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama). In 1984, she co-starred on ABC's short-lived television drama Paper Dolls , and then appeared on Falcon Crest as attorney Jordan Roberts from 1985 to 1986. Fairchild has also performed in theater and played guest roles on television comedies, including Murphy Brown (for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series), Two and a Half Men , Roseanne , Cybill and Friends . She is a board member of SAG-AFTRA.

Early life

Fairchild was born Patsy Ann McClenny in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Martha Jane (Hartt), a high school English teacher who taught at Richardson High School (in Richardson, Texas), and Edward Milton McClenny. [1] Fairchild has a younger sister, Cathryn Hartt, who is also an actress. [2] As a younger child, she was seen on WFAA's Mr. Peppermint Show with host Jerry Haynes. In her teens, she was in the audience on WFAA's Sump'n Else bandstand show. She auditioned three times to be in The Little Group, which was the show's dance group. Also during this time, she appeared in several locally broadcast commercials on Dallas-Fort Worth television stations.

Career

Fairchild's first acting job was as a double for Faye Dunaway during filming for the film Bonnie and Clyde (1967), particularly in scenes where Bonnie is driving a car because Dunaway could not drive a stick shift. [3] [1] She took her new first name, Morgan, from the David Warner film Morgan - A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966). Fairchild then moved to New York City, where she secured her first credited onscreen role as the maniacal Jennifer Pace in the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1973 until 1977. From the mid-1970s, she began to make various appearances on episodic primetime television series such as Kojak , Happy Days , Police Woman , The Bob Newhart Show , and a few episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater .

Fairchild played Jenna Wade in the soap opera Dallas for one episode in 1978. [1] The same year, Fairchild made the television film The Initiation of Sarah and also had a recurring role on the sitcom Mork & Mindy . In 1980, she scored her first regular primetime role as Constance Weldon Carlyle on the soap opera Flamingo Road . [4] Though the series had an impressive beginning, the ratings soon dropped and it was canceled after two seasons. Fairchild was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role. [5] After the cancellation of Flamingo Road, Fairchild continued to make guest appearances in a variety of episodic television series such as Hotel ; Simon & Simon ; Magnum, P.I. ; and The Love Boat . She also starred in the theatrical film The Seduction (1982). In 1984, along with Joan Collins, she co-hosted the ABC-TV special Blondes vs. Brunettes , a one-hour variety show that gently poked fun at popular culture's blonde vs. brunette rivalry. [6] In that same year, she also co-starred in another primetime soap opera Paper Dolls playing modeling agency owner Racine. The series was cancelled halfway through its first season, but by this time, Fairchild was established as a television actress. In 1985, she joined the cast of the soap opera Falcon Crest , playing the glamorous lawyer Jordan Roberts for a season. She also appeared in the miniseries North and South (1985), and its sequel (1986).

In 1985, Jon Lovitz on Saturday Night Live created the "Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar" character who claimed outlandish achievements for himself, culminating in the grand illusion that his wife was Morgan Fairchild. The obvious remoteness of such a possibility, and its mainstream comic appeal, was testimonial to Fairchild's broad popularity and desirability.

Fairchild in 1999 Morgan Fairchild 1999.jpg
Fairchild in 1999

Fairchild continued to make appearances in films and television series throughout the 1980s and garnered an Emmy Award nomination for her guest appearance in a 1989 episode of Murphy Brown . [1] In the early 1990s, she was cast in a recurring role in Roseanne , as Sandra Bernhard's bisexual girlfriend Marla. In 1994, Fairchild appeared in an unexpectedly campy advertisement campaign for clothing retailer Old Navy, with Joan Collins and other formerly familiar faces on television. Her reprised role as the over-the-top glamour vixen was so successful that the company created numerous sequels around her persona. She played herself in the comedy films Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), Holy Man (1998) and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).

In 1995, Fairchild returned to daytime soap operas as the catty Sydney Chase on The City . [7] She played the role for a year, after which she went on to appear in General Hospital . She also made guest appearances on the hit sitcom Friends (as Chandler Bing's mother, Nora) and was a recurring guest star on the sitcom Cybill as Andrea, a rival of Cybill Shepherd's character.

Through the years, Fairchild has also appeared in various theater productions. More recently, she starred in the role of Mrs. Robinson in the stage adaptation of the film The Graduate . She also fronted an international advertising campaign for the consumer tooth whitening product Dental White. [8] In 2005, Fairchild appeared in the competition reality show But Can They Sing? on VH1.

Fairchild in 2007 MorganFairchild07.jpg
Fairchild in 2007

In 2006, she was cast in yet another of her "rich bitch" roles in the MyNetworkTV series Fashion House , playing Sophia Blakely, a rival to Bo Derek's character, Maria Gianni. [9] She has also appeared on the television series Chuck as Dr. Honey Woodcomb, the mother of Captain Awesome. In 2007 she appeared on Two and a Half Men where she was cast as a cougar who propositions Charlie Harper with the line "What has multiple orgasms and hums?" She made another return to soap operas in 2009 when she had a guest role in the daytime series The Bold and the Beautiful . [10] In recent years, she guest-starred in Bones , Revenge and Hot in Cleveland . [11] [12]

In 2014, Fairchild was named spokesperson for a website that was created to help consumers make burial preplanning choices. [13] It was previously known as BurialPlanning.com but is now known as MemorialPlanning.com. In that capacity, she appeared in television commercials [14] and in a direct mail campaign.

Fairchild has appeared in some independent movies in the 2000s and 2010s. In 2017, she returned to daytime for a limited run in Days of Our Lives playing Anjelica Deveraux, a role previously played by soap actress Judith Chapman. [15] Fairchild received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series nomination for her performance. [16] In 2022, she guest-starred in the two episodes of ABC soap opera General Hospital playing Haven de Havilland. [17]

On 3 October 2023, it was announced that Fairchild would feature in the Lifetime film, Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas . According to the official synopsis, the movie follows five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of the true Christmas spirit. The ensemble cast is made up of Fairchild, Loni Anderson, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan. [18]

Personal life

Fairchild at the Desert AIDS Project in 2009 At the Desert AIDS Project 29.jpg
Fairchild at the Desert AIDS Project in 2009

Fairchild was married to Jack Calmes from 1967 to 1973. [19]

For many years, she has been an activist for social causes including AIDS and environmentalism. [1]

In 1987, she was involved in a long-term relationship with Mark Seiler. [19] Fairchild reported on her Twitter account that Seiler died on July 7, 2023. [20]

She stated that she was twice kidnapped in the early 1970s. [21] [22]

In addition to her work as an actress, Fairchild has long maintained a strong role within the Screen Actors Guild, now SAG-AFTRA. Fairchild was a three-year board member of the Guild and has served on several committees, including co-chair Legislative Committee, National Executive Committee, SAG-AFTRA Relations Committee, Commercials Contracts Committee, Honors and Tributes Committee (HATS), and Guild Governance and Rules Committee.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 Bonnie and Clyde Faye Dunaway's DoubleUncredited
1970A Bullet for Pretty BoySmall roleUncredited
1978 The Initiation of Sarah Jennifer LawrenceTelevision film
1979Murder in Music CityDana MorganTelevision film
1980 The Memory of Eva Ryker Lisa EddingtonTelevision film
1980Challenge of the TigerCelebrity
1981The Girl, the Gold Watch & DynamiteStella WalkerTelevision film
1982 The Seduction Jamie Douglas
1982HoneyboyJudy WellmanTelevision film
1984 Time Bomb Renee DeSallesTelevision film
1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood Lady MarianTelevision film
1984 Terror in the Aisles Jaime DouglasArchival footage
1985 Pee-wee's Big Adventure Agent Dottie
1985Rodney Dangerfield's Guide to Auto RepairAngry Customer
1986 Red Headed Stranger Raysha Shay
1987 Campus Man Katherine Van Buren
1987 Sleeping Beauty Queen
1987 Deadly Illusion Jane Mallory / Sharon Burton
1988 Street of Dreams Laura Cassidy / Eva BombergTelevision film
1988 Midnight Cop Lisa
1989 Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Mayor Karen Wilton
1989The Haunting of Sarah HardyLucyTelevision film
1990 How to Murder a Millionaire LorettaTelevision film
1990 Mob Boss Gina
1990Menu for MurderPaula PrestonTelevision film
1991Even Angels FallLeslie
1991Writer's BlockMagenta HartTelevision film
1991 Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady Irene Frances Adler Television film
1992Just DesertsCatherine HarcourtTelevision film
1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal Alana WestbrookTelevision film
1993 Das Paradies am Ende der Berge  [ de ]Irmgard Hoelzl
1993FreakedHerself
1993Based on an Untrue StorySatin Chow
1994Point of Seduction: Body Chemistry IIIBeth Chaney
1994Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000Camella Swales
1994 Naked Gun 33+13: The Final Insult Herself
1995Criminal HeartsDistrict Attorney
1995 Venus Rising Peyton
1995GospaSister Fabijana Zovko
1996 Dead Man's Island Valerie St. Vincent
1996 Star Command Commander Sigrid IvorstetterTelevision film (UPN)
1997Moment of Truth: Into the Arms of DangerDiana AstinTelevision film
1998Shattered IllusionsAngie
1998 Holy Man Herself
1999 Nice Guys Sleep Alone Lorraine
2000UnshackledMrs. Rebecca Miller
2000 Held for Ransom Mrs. Kirkland
2001PerilTerry
2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic Courtney Vandermint
2002 I Was a Teenage Faust BabyloniaTelevision film
2004Knuckle SandwichMrs. Simms
2004 Arizona Summer Debbie
2006 Shock to the System Phyllis Hale
2006 The Initiation of Sarah Trina GoodwinTelevision film
2007 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Herself
2008The Sno Cone Stand IncCathy Wanton
2009 The Slammin' Salmon Herself
2010Life's a BeachFelicia Wald
2010The SteamroomSheila
2011Boy ToyBarbara
2011 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Herself
2011 eCupid Venus
2012American Horror HouseMiss Margot / RosemaryTelevision film
2012Spring Break '83Mouth's MotherUnreleased
2012 A Perfect Ending Valentina
2013Fighting BackCheryl
2013Wiener Dog NationalsMs. Merryweather
2013Dark PowerElizabeth Archer
2014Perfect On Paper [23] Beverly WilcoxTelevision film
2014Bikini Model AcademyHerself
2014 Beethoven's Treasure Tail CharleneVideo
2014SamLulu
2014 Christian Mingle Lacie Wood
2016 Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House LuluDirect-to-video
2016A Christmas in VermontJoanne Davis
2017Scales: Mermaids Are RealPrincipal
2017You're Gonna Miss Me Audrey Lake
2018All Good Things Gramma
2018My Perfect RomanceMs. RobinsonTelevision film
2019A Date Before Christmas EveMrs. KringleTelevision film
2021 Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story Morgan
2023 The Nana Project Francesca
2023 Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas Margaux RobertsTelevision film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973–1977 Search for Tomorrow Jennifer Pace
1976 Kojak AllisonEpisode: "A Hair-Trigger Away"
1977 Rafferty Lisa FarrellEpisode: "A Point of View"
Switch Shelley BloomEpisode: "Downshift"
Rosetti and RyanClaire BlakeEpisode: "The Ten-Second Client"
Happy Days Cynthia HolmesEpisode: "My Fair Fonzie"
The Bob Newhart Show Bianca / LindaEpisode: "Grand Delusion"
1978 Police Woman CherylEpisode: "Murder with Pretty People"
The Amazing Spider-Man Lisa BensonEpisode: "Night of the Clones"
Barnaby Jones Felice Winters and Scotty MacKay respectivelyEpisodes: "Daughter of Evil" and "A Dangerous Affair"
Dallas Jenna Wade Episode: "Old Acquaintance"
1978EscapadeSuzyTV pilot
1978–1979 Mork & Mindy Susan Taylor3 episodes
1979 Concrete Cowboys Carla / KateEpisode: "Concrete Cowboys"
A Man Called Sloane Melissa NelsonEpisode: "The Venus Microbe"
1980 The Dream Merchants Dulcie WarrenTV Miniseries, 2 episodes
1980 Young Maverick SeleneEpisode: "Makin' Tracks"
1981Women Who Rate a "10"HerselfGuest host with Erik Estrada and Howard Hessemen
The Love Boat Jenny Boyer2 episodes
1980-82 Flamingo Road Constance Weldon Carlyle38 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (1982)
1982 Magnum, P.I. Alex Houston / Catherine HaileyEpisode: "Ki'is Don't Lie"
Simon & Simon Alex Houston / Catherine HaileyEpisode: "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend"
1983 Hotel CarolEpisode: "Hotel"
1984 Paper Dolls Racine13 episodes
1984 Blondes vs. Brunettes HerselfABC TV Special
1985 North and South Burdetta HalloranTV miniseries
1986 North and South, Book II Burdetta HalloranTV miniseries
1985–86 Falcon Crest Jordan Roberts29 episodes
Nominated—Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial (1986)
1989 My Two Dads Diana ThackeryEpisode: "Macho, Stupid Guy Time"
Murphy Brown Julia St. MartinEpisode: "TV or not TV"
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (1990)
1992 Roseanne Marla3 episodes
1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman MirandaEpisode: "Pheromone, My Lovely"
Murder, She Wrote Iris NovaroEpisode: "Murder at a Discount"
1994 Burke's Law June WardEpisode: "Who Killed Romeo?"
Empty Nest ZoeEpisode: "Best Friends"
Diagnosis: Murder Pamela DornEpisode: "My Four Husbands"
1995-96 The City Sydney Chase
1996 General Hospital Sydney Chase
1995–97 Cybill Andrea Thorpe4 episodes
1997 Head over Heels Mona DuBoisEpisode: "Gigolo Guy"
Touched by an Angel Jackie SykesEpisode: "My Dinner with Andrew"
The Naked Truth HerselfEpisode: "Bridesface Revisited"
1998 Home Improvement HerselfEpisode: "Mr. Likeable"
V.I.P. HerselfEpisode: "Three Days to a Kill"
The Angry Beavers Muffy SnootwellEpisode: "Open Wide for Zombies/Dumbwaiters" (voice)
1999 The New Addams Family Lady PretensiaEpisode: "Thing's Romance"
1995–2001 Friends Nora Tyler Bing 5 episodes
2001 Dharma & Greg JackieEpisode: "Dharma Does Dallas"
7th Heaven Merle 'Bird'Episode: Teased
2002 Roswell Meris Wheeler2 episodes
Providence Gwendolynne GoldEpisode: "Limbo"
Maybe It's Me Kimberly 'Big Kimberly'Episode: "The Quahog Festival Episode"
That '80s Show Cossima BlairEpisode: "Beach Party"
2003 Just Shoot Me! Lily BartonEpisode: "Pictures of Lily"
2004 That '70s Show CarolynEpisode: "Going Mobile"
He's a Lady HerselfPanel judge
2006 Fashion House Sophia Blakely35 episodes
2007 Two and a Half Men DonnaEpisode: "Young People Have Phlegm Too"
2008 Men in Trees HerselfEpisode: "Get a Life"
2009 Nip/Tuck HerselfEpisode: "Manny Skerritt"
My Name Is Earl CarolEpisode: "Friends with Benefits"
The Bold and the Beautiful Dorothy4 episodes
Celebrity Ghost Stories Herself1 episode
2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Claire LocktonEpisode: "Bedtime"
2008–10 Chuck Dr. Honey Woodcomb3 episodes
2011 Bones Bianca ChivertonEpisode: "The Prince in the Plastic"
2011 Chemistry Michael's MotherEpisode: "In or Out, Part 2"
2012 Happily Divorced JillEpisode: "The Reunion"
2014 Revenge Teresa (cameo)Episode: "Addiction"
Hot in Cleveland Claudia / Fake ElkaEpisode: "Playmates"
2017 Days of Our Lives Anjelica Deveraux 17 episodes
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series
2019 Worst Cooks in America Herself
2019 Too Old to Die Young Mrs. WatsonEpisode: "Volume 6: The High Priestess"
2020 The Simpsons Vivienne St. CharmaineEpisode: "Podcast News" (voice)
2022–23 General Hospital Haven de HavillandGuest role over two stints

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995 Multimedia Celebrity Poker Herself [24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Morgan Fairchild Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story". Biography . 1950-02-03. Archived from the original on 2013-05-04. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  2. Pylant, James (August 15, 1987). "The Family Tree of Morgan Fairchild". Genealogy Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  3. Jones, Malcolm (October 8, 2017). "'Bonnie and Clyde' Turns 50 and Still Packs a Bloody Punch". The Daily Beast . Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  4. Eastman, Janet (January 1981). "Morgan". Orange Coast . 7 (1): 19.
  5. "Morgan Fairchild Biography". TV Guide . 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  6. Terrace, Vincent. Encyclopedia of Television: Series, Pilots, and Specials 1974–1984. New York: BASELine Publications, page 50
  7. Rorke, Robert (November 5, 1995). "'The City' Is A Killer: Morgan Fairchild Takes 'Loving' From Small-Town Corinth To Downtown Manhattan". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  8. Dental White on YouTube
  9. "Morgan Fairchild to Join Cast of 'Fashion House'". Fox News. Associated Press. July 1, 2006. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  10. Richenthal, Matt (June 18, 2009). "Morgan Fairchild: Coming to The Bold and the Beautiful". TV Fanatic. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  11. "Scoop: REVENGE on ABC – Sunday, March 30, 2014". Broadway World. March 11, 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  12. Potts, Kimberly (January 27, 2014). "Casting Scoop: Morgan Fairchild and Nora Dunn Stop by 'Hot in Cleveland' [Exclusive Photo]". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  13. "Morgan Fairchild is Burialplanning.com's Spokesperson". Memorial Planning. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  14. Morgan Fairchild Discusses Burial Planning Arrangements, 20 May 2014, retrieved 2023-06-22
  15. "Morgan Fairchild To DAYS! | Soap Opera Digest". May 12, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12.
  16. Daniel Montgomery, Paul Sheehan (2018-03-21). "2018 Daytime Emmys Nominations: Full List of Daytime Emmy Nominees". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  17. Thomas, Michael. "Morgan Fairchild Returns to General Hospital After 25 Years!".
  18. "Legendary Actresses Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan Join Together for "Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas" for Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime Holiday Slate". The Futon Critic. October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Braum, Kelly (June 1, 2020). "Morgan Fairchild Praises Longtime Partner Mark Seiler for Being 'Such a Wonderful Guy'". Closer Weekly . Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  20. @morgfair (July 14, 2023). "#SadNews I'm so sorry to let you know that my life partner (36 years together) & fiancé, Mark Seiler, passed away last Friday night" (Tweet) via Twitter.[ user-generated source ]
  21. "Bobby Brown, Jewel, Morgan Fairchild, Elliott Yamin." Celebrity Close Calls. The Biography Channel. 25 June 2011.
  22. "Scott Baio, Pam Grier, Morgan Fairchild, Greg Louganis." Celebrity Close Calls. Dir. Jared Burke, Seth Jarrett, Timothy F. Smith, and Kathi Watson. The Biography Channel. 13 August 2011.
  23. Petersen, Tyler (March 13, 2014). "Hallmark Channel Sets 2014 Original Movie Schedule". Broadway World TV.
  24. Oller, Jacob (March 23, 2017). "10 Crazy Full-Motion Video Game Performances By Well-Respected Actors". Film School Rejects .