Gail Edwards

Gail Edwards

Edwards in 2015
Born Gail June Edwards
(1952-09-27) September 27, 1952
Coral Gables, Florida
Residence Miami, Florida, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1973–1994
Website gailedwards.com

Gail June Edwards (born September 27, 1952) is a retired American actress. She is known for her roles as Dot Higgins in ABC's It's a Living, Sharon LeMeure in NBC's Blossom, and Vicky Larson in ABC's Full House.

Early life and career

Edwards, a native Floridian, was raised in Coral Gables and caught the performing bug early in life. She had her father hang the curtain and lights while she choreographed, costumed, and starred in her own neighborhood musicals. In the sixth grade, Edwards played Little Mary in The Women at the Coconut Grove Playhouse where famed theatre producer-playwright George Abbott came backstage to single out her performance.[1] This appearance became her launching pad for numerous industrial films and local television commercials in South Florida.

In 1975, after graduating from the University of Miami cum laude, Edwards wrote, produced, and starred in the off-Broadway musical Becoming.[2] It won the Miami Herald Critics’ Choice award three times before the musical debuted in New York. While in New York, Edwards signed with the LeMond/Zetter Management Group. Soon afterwards, she landed the role of Sandy opposite Peter Gallagher in Broadway's East Coast tour of Grease. After producing and starring in two additional productions, The Good One and Vanities, both earning her the Drama-Logue Critics' Award, Edwards turned her focus toward television.

Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1976, Edwards signed with the Ro Diamond Agency (later with the Gersh Agency) and immediately began landing guest-star roles on such television series as Happy Days, Lou Grant, M*A*S*H and Taxi.

In 1979, Edwards auditioned for a Witt/Thomas production, in which she landed the role of Dot Higgins on ABC's It’s a Living. The series ran on ABC from 1980 to 1982, and was revived in first-run syndication from 1985 to 1989. Edwards, along with Barrie Youngfellow, Paul Kreppel and the late Marian Mercer, were the only four members of the It's a Living cast who lasted during the network and syndicated runs. After ABC canceled the show in 1982, Edwards' management was informed by the producers of Happy Days that they were offering her the role of new character K.C. Cunningham, the niece of Howard and Marion Cunningham who was moving in with the family. Without informing Edwards of the offer, her management declined the opportunity, reportedly stating that they did not want Edwards "playing a new character on an old show". Crystal Bernard was then hired for the part. Edwards did not learn of the incident until many years later. In 1985, Edwards and Bernard wound up as co-stars on It's a Living, when the latter resumed production for first-run syndication.

Edwards also appeared in many movies-of-the-week during the 1980s, along with numerous other guest-star appearances in such series as Benson, Buffalo Bill, Doogie Howser, M.D., Knight Rider, Night Court and the premiere episode of Amazing Stories, directed by Steven Spielberg.

In 1990, Edwards was reunited with former Happy Days producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, when she was cast as divorced mother Hilary Kozak on their single-season CBS sitcom The Family Man. Upon the series' cancellation in the summer of 1991, Edwards was asked by Miller and Boyett to join the cast of their hit ABC series Full House. They felt Edwards was right for the role of Vicky Larson, a talk show host who strikes up a relationship with Danny Tanner. Edwards made her Full House debut late that year, when the Vicky character first appeared as a substitute host for Rebecca Donaldson, who was on maternity leave, on (the fictional) Wake Up, San Francisco. Vicky and Danny soon embark on a long-term relationship, and are engaged in the show's seventh season. Edwards' co-star on The Family Man, Scott Weinger, was transferred over to Full House along with her, playing Steve Hale, the high school boyfriend of D.J. Tanner.

During her tenure on Full House, Edwards also had the recurring guest role of Sharon LeMeure, the fast-talking mother of Six on NBC’s Blossom. Edwards' work on Blossom reunited her with former It's a Living producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who produced both series.[3]

Edwards concluded her roles on Full House (with Vicky Larson having a mutual breakup with Danny Tanner) and Blossom in the spring of 1994. She retired from show business at that time and moved to the Southwest.

Retirement

Romero Britto and Gail Edwards

Edwards has used her celebrity to support/participate in many charities - one of which is performing for the Veterans Administration playing her Ukulele that she learned just for this purpose. While in Miami, Edwards had an impromptu visit with Romero Britto who generously painted her beloved Ukulele.

Filmography

Television and film roles
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Lou Grant Karen Episode: "Hooker"
1978 Taxi Denise Episode: "Men Are Such Beasts"
1978 Danny Thomas: Young & Foolish Gail CBS movie
1979 Barnaby Jones Karen Webster Episode: "Girl on the Road"
1979 Starting Fresh Gale CBS movie
1979 The Last Resort Beverly Episode: "Here Comes the Bride"
1979 Working Stiffs Sandy Episode: "Looking for Mr. Goodwrench"
1980 When the Whistle Blows Jolene Jennings Episode: "Love Is a Four-Letter Word"
1980 Blinded by the Light Zora CBS movie
1980 Happy Days Loretta Episode: "A Potsie Is Born"
1980–82
1985–89		 It's a Living/
Making a Living		 Dot Higgins ABC/
Syndication
1980 Celebrity Family Feud Herself "It's a Living vs. Dallas"
1981 M*A*S*H Marina Ryan Episode: "That's Show Biz"
1983 Buffalo Bill Reporter Episode: "The Interview"
1983 Get Crazy Willy Loman Film
1983 Jennifer Slept Here Pam Wilson Episode: "The Tutor Who Came to Dinner"
1983 Knight Rider Flannery Roe Episode: "Nobody Does It Better"
1984 Benson Linda Episode: "Double Date"
1984 Brothers Liza Episode: "Liza"
1985 Three's a Crowd Dorothy Episode: "A Friend in Deed"
1985 Amazing Stories Joleen Episode: "Ghost Train"
1985 J.O.E. and the Colonel • Humanoid Defender Dr. Lena Gant ABC movie
1986 Tough Cookies Diane Taylor Episode: "Ships in the Night"
1986 You are the Jury Maggie Henshaw Episode: "The State of Arizona vs. Dr. Evan Blake"
1986 TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes Herself Guest Host
1986 New Love, American Style Lucy Episode: "Love and the End"
1987 In Self Defense Alice Miller NBC movie
1989 Night Court Tracy Knight Episode: "Attack of the Mac Snacks"
1989 Duet Dr. Dellerton Episode: "On the Nose"
1990 A Quiet Little Neighborhood, A Perfect Little Murder Judy Lipton ABC movie
1990–91 The Family Man Hilary Kozak 3 episodes
1991–93 Blossom Sharon Lemure 10 episodes
1991–94 Full House Vicky Larson 15 episodes
1992 Doogie Howser, M.D. Mrs. Fukes Episode: "The Big Sleep... Not!"
1994 Touched by an Angel Barbara Archibald Episode: "Manny"
2004 E! True Hollywood Story Herself Blossom Interview

Theatre roles

Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Women Little Mary[4] Coconut Grove Playhouse
1973 Cabaret Sally Bowles Gusman Center
1975 Jacques Brel Woman 1 Parker Playhouse
1975–76 Becoming Woman 1 Miami / Off-Broadway
1977 Grease Sandy East Coast Tour
1979 Vanities Joanne Drama-Logue Critic's Award
1983 The Wisdom of Eve Eve
1985 The Good One Tura Drama-Logue Critic's Award
1985 To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday Kevin West Coast Premiere
1996 Mame Mame Jerry Herman Ring Theatre (Christening)

Television commercials

Year Product Role Notes
1976 Johnson's Baby Shampoo[5] Teenager
1978 Bold Detergent[6] Mother
1984 Dr. Pepper[7] Esmeralda Clio Award
1984 Kodak[8] Pitchwoman with David Copperfield
1986 Sizzler[9] Secretary
1988 Canon Copiers Executive with Jack Klugman

Awards and honors

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gail Edwards: "The Women" w/ Audio Commentary".
  2. ↑ "Gail Edwards".
  3. ↑ "The New York Times". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Gail Edwards: "The Women" w/ Audio Commentary. 1 July 2011 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Gail Edwards appearing in Johnson's Baby Oil commercial. 16 June 2009 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ Bold 3 Detergent Commercial (Circa '80s). 6 May 2007 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ Gail Edwards appearing in Clio-Award-winning Dr. Pepper commercial. 14 June 2009 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Gail Edwards appearing in Kodak commercial. 21 June 2009 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Gail Edwards appearing in Sizzler commercial. 15 June 2009 – via YouTube.
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