Quinn Cummings

Last updated

Quinn Cummings
QC Green Sweater.jpg
Quinn Cummings in 2015
Born
Quinn L. Cummings

(1967-08-13) August 13, 1967 (age 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)Author, humorist, actress, inventor, entrepreneur
Years active1975–1992
PartnerDon DiPietro
Children1

Quinn L. Cummings (born August 13, 1967) is an American entrepreneur, author, humorist, inventor and former actress.

Contents

Cummings came to prominence as a child actor, playing Lucy McFadden in Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, one of the youngest people to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. She was also known for her recurring role as Annie Cooper on the television series Family . Since quitting acting, Cummings has become an entrepreneur, and has authored several books.

Early life

Cummings was born in Los Angeles. [1] Her father, Sumner, was a businessman who died when she was still a child. Her mother, Jan, was a bookkeeper.

Career

Film and television

Cummings began her career after being discovered by cinematographer James Wong Howe. She soon began landing roles in numerous television commercials, eventually winning the role of Marsha Mason's daughter, Lucy McFadden, in the 1977 film The Goodbye Girl. [2] Cummings' performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. [3]

In 1978, Cummings had a recurring role on the drama series Family . In 1985, Cummings appeared in the short-lived ABC sitcom Hail to the Chief as the daughter of the first female president of the United States, played by Patty Duke. [2] During the late 1980s, Cummings acted occasionally and worked as a casting agent. She attended UCLA for two years and had a stint recruiting writers to publish short stories online. [2] Her last acting role was a 1992 episode of Evening Shade .

Other ventures

Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Cummings created the HipHugger, a sling-type device for carrying a baby. [2] She was the president of the HipHugger company before selling it in 2006.

In February 2005, Cummings started a blog, The QC Report, which discussed the ironies of modern life from the point of view of a career mother in her 30s. [4]

Books and essays

Cummings' first book, Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life, was published in July 2009. [5] Her second book, The Year of Learning Dangerously, which explores the current state of home schooling in America, was published by Perigee Books in August 2012. [6] Pet Sounds, a collection of humorous stories relating to animals and pet ownership was released in the summer of 2013.[ citation needed ] In 2019, she launched a podcast: "Quinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice [7] " in which she responds to listener questions on any advice topic, highlighting the fact that she has no particular knowledge or expertise in the subject being raised.

In 2021, Cummings self-published a book, Modest Blessings for Modern Times. The book is a humorous collection of scenarios where the reader might feel "modestly" grateful if such a scenario happened. (Example: "You shower after a teenage boy, and yet there is still hot water.") Cummings has donated a portion of proceeds from the book to various non-profit organizations. [8]

In the wake of the MeToo scandal, Cummings made several statements and wrote an essay in 2017 about sexual harassment abuse in Hollywood, particularly abuse of children in the industry. [9] [10]

Personal life

In 2000, Cummings gave birth to a daughter, Anneke DiPietro, by her boyfriend Donald DiPietro. [2]

Filmography

Television

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

Academy Award
Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, The Goodbye Girl (1978)
Golden Globe
Nominated: Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role, The Goodbye Girl (1978)
Young Artist Award
Nominated: Best Juvenile Actress in a TV Series or Special, Family (1980) [11]
Won: Best Young Actress in a Television Series, Family (1981) [12]
Nominated: Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television, Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1984) [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Sue Anderson</span> American-Canadian actress (born 1962)

Melissa Sue Anderson is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress after appearing in several commercials in Los Angeles. Anderson is known for her role as Mary Ingalls in the NBC drama series Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Seymour (actress)</span> British actress (born 1951)

Jane Seymour is a British actress. After making her screen debut as an uncredited teenage extra in the 1969 musical comedy Oh! What a Lovely War, Seymour moved to roles in film and television, including a leading role in the television series The Onedin Line (1972–1973) and the role of psychic Bond girl Solitaire in the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973).

<i>The Goodbye Girl</i> 1977 film directed by Herbert Ross

The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Neil Simon and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings and Paul Benedict. The film, produced by Ray Stark, centers on an odd trio of characters: a struggling actor who has sublet a Manhattan apartment from a friend, the current occupant, and her precocious young daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristy McNichol</span> American actress (b. 1962)

Christina Ann McNichol is an American former actress. Beginning her career as a child actress, she rose to fame in 1976 with her portrayal of teenaged daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV drama Family for which she won two Emmy Awards. Subsequent roles included Angel in the film Little Darlings, Polly in Only When I Laugh, and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom Empty Nest. McNichol retired from acting in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Hackett</span> American actress (1934–1983)

Joan Ann Hackett was an American actress. She acted in film, television, and theatre. She played roles in The Group (1966), Will Penny (1968), Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), The Last of Sheila (1973), and The Terminal Man (1974). In 1982, Hackett was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress; she was also the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, for her performance as Toby Landau in the 1981 film Only When I Laugh. Hackett was also nominated during the course of her career for a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Laurel Award. She also starred as Christine Mannon in the 1978 PBS miniseries version of Mourning Becomes Electra.

Pauline Perpetua Sheen is an English actress. She began her career with roles on various television series, before fronting her own comedy sketch show, Pauline's Quirkes, in 1976. She later starred as Vicky Smith on the BBC drama series Angels (1982–1983), and achieved fame with her portrayal of Sharon Theodopolopodous on the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather, for which she won a British Comedy Award and was nominated on three occasions for a National Television Award. In 1997, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC miniseries The Sculptress. Between 2010 and 2012, Quirke played Hazel Rhodes on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.

Danielle Brisebois is an American producer, singer, songwriter and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Mills on the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, as well as playing Molly in the original Broadway production of the musical Annie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty McCormack</span> American actress (born 1945)

Patricia McCormack is an American actress with a career in theater, films, and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelley Fabares</span> American actress and singer (born 1944)

Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares is a retired American actress and singer. She is known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom Coach (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout and Clambake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Barrie</span> American actress and author

Barbara Barrie is an American actress and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Knight</span> American actress (1936–2020)

Shirley Knight Hopkins was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and character roles. She was a member of the Actors Studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Franklin</span> British actress (born 1950)

Pamela Franklin is a British former actress. She is best known for her role as Sandy in the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), for which she won a NBR Award and received a BAFTA Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Babcock</span> American actress (born 1937)

Barbara Babcock is an American actress. She began her career on television in mid-1950s with guest-starring appearances in more than 60 television series through her career. She made several appearances on Star Trek: The Original Series, Mannix and Murder, She Wrote and had a recurring role in the CBS prime time soap opera, Dallas from 1978 to 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Harnois</span> American actress

Elisabeth Harnois is an American actress. Her career started at the age of five, where she began appearing in a number of film and television roles. As a child, she starred as Alice in Disney's Adventures in Wonderland and as an adult, she starred as Morgan Brody in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation from 2011 to 2015.

Penelope Dale Milford is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for her role as Vi Munson in Coming Home (1978) for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also originated the role of Jenny Anderson in the Broadway musical Shenandoah, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Kurtzman</span> American actress

Katy Kurtzman is an American actress and modelist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Sommars</span> American actress (b. 1940)

Julie Sommars is an American actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in The Governor & J.J. in 1970, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for Matlock in 1990.

Judith Ann Morris is an Australian character actress, as well as a film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 58 different television shows and films, starting her career as a child actress and appearing on screen until 1999, since then she has worked on film writing and directing, most recently for co-writing and co-directing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest animated film project to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesca Fowler</span> British actress

Francesca Fowler is a British actress and screenwriter. She appeared in the 2007 thriller film Straightheads alongside Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer, and has also appeared in Rome HBO, and various BBC TV series. In 2019 she won BAFTA Rocliffe TV Comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Tanner</span> Fictional character from Full House

Michelle Elizabeth Tanner is a fictional character on the long-running ABC sitcom Full House, who was portrayed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She first appeared in the show's 1987 pilot, "Our Very First Show", and continued to appear up to the two-part series finale, "Michelle Rides Again", in 1995. The character of Michelle was the Olsen twins' first acting role; the two were nine months old when they started working on the series. Shortly after Full House ended, the sisters appeared in many films and TV shows up until their teenage years. Michelle Tanner does not appear in the 2016 Netflix sequel, Fuller House, as both Olsen twins declined to reprise the role.

References

  1. ↑ "Quinn Cummings". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Horsburgh, Susan (February 18, 2002). "Getting the Hang of It". People . Vol. 57, no. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Goodbye Girl (1977)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Blogwatch". Newsweek . May 15, 2005. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life". Publishers Weekly . June 29, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bad Advice". Quinn Cummings. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Home". modestblessings.com.
  9. ↑ "A Former Child Actress On Hollywood And Sexual Assault". Weekend Edition .
  10. ↑ Cummings, Quinn (October 27, 2017). "I Was a Child Actress in Hollywood. There Were Always Whispers". Esquire .
  11. ↑ "Second Annual Youth in Film Awards 1978–1979". Young Artist Award . Archived from the original on July 16, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Second Annual Youth in Film Awards 1979–1980". Young Artist Award . Archived from the original on September 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Fifth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1982–1983". Young Artist Award . Archived from the original on April 3, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.