Stephanie Zimbalist

Last updated
Stephanie Zimbalist
Born (1956-10-08) October 8, 1956 (age 67) [1]
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Juilliard School
Occupation Actress
Years active1977–present
Known for
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Parent
Relatives Efrem Zimbalist (paternal grandfather)
Alma Gluck (paternal grandmother)
Marcia Davenport (paternal aunt)

Stephanie Zimbalist (born October 8, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Holt in the NBC detective series Remington Steele .

Contents

Background

Stephanie Zimbalist was born in New York City, the daughter of Loranda Stephanie (née Spalding) and actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who starred in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The FBI as well as theatrical films. The family soon moved to Los Angeles, where Stephanie grew up. She was educated at the Marlborough School (Los Angeles) and graduated from Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia. She attended the Juilliard School before commencing her acting career. [2]

Zimbalist's paternal grandfather, Efrem Zimbalist, born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, was a symphony conductor, concert violinist and music teacher at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and composer. Her paternal grandmother, Alma Gluck, born in Romania, was a leading soprano of her day. [3] Zimbalist's aunt, Marcia Davenport, was a prominent author, music journalist and historian. [4]

Acting career

Television and film career

Zimbalist's early television and movie appearances include The Gathering (1977, with Edward Asner), In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (1977), Forever (1978), The Magic of Lassie (1978), Long Journey Back (TV, 1978), The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal (1979), The Awakening (1980, with Charlton Heston), The Golden Moment (1980), in which she played a Soviet Olympic gymnast, The Babysitter (1980) and Tomorrow's Child (TV, 1982). She co-starred with her father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., in the tragic 1979 TV movie The Best Place to Be .

Another early role for Zimbalist was that of Elly Zendt in the mini-series Centennial , based on James Michener's epic novel of the same name, which was first televised on NBC between October 1978 and February 1979. She also guest starred as Josephine "Josie" Collins in the television series Family episode "Ballerina" (1979).

In her TV work, Zimbalist is best known in the TV role of sleuth Laura Holt in the NBC series Remington Steele (1982–87) opposite Pierce Brosnan and Doris Roberts, on which her father also guest-starred.

Since then, Zimbalist has taken leading roles in several television movies such as The Man in the Brown Suit (1988), the Emmy Award winning Caroline? (1990), The Great Elephant Escape (1995), and some guest roles in television series such as Touched by an Angel and Diagnosis Murder .[ citation needed ]

Theater

In 1979, she appeared as Miranda in John Hirsch's production of The Tempest with Anthony Hopkins (as Prospero), Brent Carver, and Michael Bond at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Zimbalist played opposite Tommy Tune in the touring musical My One and Only , taking the featured role of "Edith Herbert". She has made several appearances with the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California, winning the local critics' "Robby Award" for Best Actress in a Drama in The Rainmaker , at the Rubicon community theatre in 2001. Throughout the 2000s, Zimbalist took roles in plays concerning nineteenth-century artists including Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Van Gogh.[ citation needed ]

She also played Christa McAuliffe in the play Defying Gravity in 2003, written by Jane Anderson. [5]

In 2009 she portrayed actress Katharine Hepburn in Tea at Five . [6]

Other work

Zimbalist has also released audiobooks, including The Girls, which won a Listen-Up award in 2006, [7] and Queen of the Underworld. [8]

She appeared in the 2006 documentary Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars. [9]

Personal life

In a 2016 interview she described attending a Billy Graham crusade over 15 years prior with Dean Butler, and both going down to "accept the Lord." She expressed, "I have a personal connection with my Savior... I feel very beholden to Him--for me it's a him--I feel He's there for me in my darkest moments." In the same interview she mentioned years ago moving out of an "inappropriate relationship" with a married man, though still remaining friends. [10]

Stage roles

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 The Magic of Lassie Kelly Mitchell
1980 The Awakening Margaret Corbeck
2000The Prophet's GameFrancis Aldobrandi
2001Borderline NormalVicky Walling
2001MalpracticeBeth Garrett
2006TruthMeredithVideo
2006Lucy's PianoAliceShort
2008The DeliveryThe Red QueenShort
2015Hamlet's GhostJustina Keller / Queen Gertrude
2016 His Neighbor Phil Mary
2023Lucky LouiePastor Mimi

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977Yesterday's ChildAnn TalbotTV film
1977 Lucan Tashi"Listen to the Heart Beat"
1977 In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan Mary Ellen QuinlanTV film
1977 The Gathering ToniTV film
1978 Forever Katherine DanzigerTV film
1978 The Love Boat Jenny Lang"The Caper: Parts 1 & 2"
1978 Long Journey Back Celia CasellaTV film
1978–79 Centennial Elly ZendtTV miniseries
1979 The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal ConnieTV film
1979 Family Josie"Ballerina"
1979 The Best Place to Be Maryanne CallahanTV film
1980 Hagen Linda"Hear No Evil"
1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love StoryAnya AndreyevTV film
1980 The Babysitter Joanna RedwineTV film
1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Linda ThompsonTV film
1982Tomorrow's ChildKay SpenceTV film
1982–1987 Remington Steele Laura HoltMain role
1985 Love on the Run Diana RocklandTV film
1985Greatest Adventure Stories from the BibleEve"The Creation"
1985 A Letter to Three Wives Debra BishopTV film
1987 Celebration Family Janet MarstonTV film
1989 The Man in the Brown Suit Anne BeddingfeldTV film
1989 The Hitchhiker Heather"Hootch"
1990PersonalsSarah MartinTV film
1990 Caroline? CarolineTV film
1991The Killing MindIsobel NeimanTV film
1991The Story LadyJulie PollardTV film
1992Breaking the SilenceJaney KirklandTV film
1992Sexual AdvancesPaula PrattTV film
1993 The Hidden Room Della"While She Was Out"
1993Jericho FeverBonnie WhitneyTV film
1994 Incident in a Small Town Lily Margaret BellTV film
1994 Batman: The Animated Series Janet Van Dorn (voice)"Trial"
1994Voices from WithinAnn ParkhurstTV film
1995The Great Elephant EscapeBeverly CunninghamTV film
1995 Whose Daughter Is She? CathyTV film
1996 Stop the World – I Want to Get Off EvieTV film
1996Dead AheadMaura LochTV film
1997 Touched by an Angel Dr. Kate Calder"My Dinner with Andrew"
1997 Prison of Secrets Lynn SchafferTV film
1999 Twice in a Lifetime Dana Hancock / Ann Rutherford"Ashes to Ashes"
1999 Diagnosis: Murder Vanessa Sellars"The Seven Deadly Sins"
1999 Chicken Soup for the Soul Mom"Simple Wooden Boxes"
2000 Family Law Elizabeth Lane"Second Chance"
2001 V.I.P. Bobbi Canary"Get Vallery"
2001 Nash Bridges Joy Larson"Kill Joy"
2001 Touched by an Angel Jessica Albright"Heaven's Portal"
2003 Crossing Jordan Mrs. Sullivan"Cruel & Unusual"
2003 Judging Amy Ms. Friedman"Marry, Marry Quite Contrary"

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
1981 8th Saturn Awards Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress The Awakening Nominated
1991 Golden Globe Award Caroline? Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film Nominated

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References

  1. https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/10/08/Famous-birthdays-for-Oct-8-Bella-Thorne-Chevy-Chase/4741665185464/ [ bare URL ]
  2. Stephanie Zimbalist official web site
  3. Efrem Zimbalist Jr., My Dinner of Herbs, Limelight Editions, 2004.
  4. Marcia Davenport, Too Strong for Fantasy, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1966.
  5. Brandes, Phillip. "Theater Review. On keeping dreams aloft" Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2003
  6. Donelan, Charles (December 2, 2009). "Tea at Five Tells Hepburn Story". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  7. Howell, Kevin; Maughan, Shannon (2007-01-01). "The 2006 Listen-Up Awards". PublishersWeekly. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  8. "Stephanie Zimbalist audiobooks". AudioFile Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  9. "Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  10. Credo in Hollywood | Stephanie Zimbalist , retrieved 2023-08-15