Susan Howard
| Susan Howard | |
|---|---|
 Susan Howard in 1975 | |
| Born |
Jeri Lynn Mooney January 28, 1944 Marshall, Texas |
| Occupation | Actress, activist, writer |
| Spouse(s) |
Charles Howerton (m. 1962–64) Calvin Chrane (m. 1974) |
| Children | 1 |
Jeri Lynn Mooney (born January 28, 1944), better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist. She is perhaps best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the primetime soap opera Dallas (1979–87), and as a co-star of the series Petrocelli (1974–76). She is also a screenwriter and member of the Writers Guild of America.
Biography
Howard was born and raised in the town of Marshall, Texas, where she was recognized for acting talent. She won a UIL award for Best Actress while in high school. Upon graduating from Marshall High School, she attended the University of Texas[1] for two years, where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, before leaving for Los Angeles to become an acting student at the Los Angeles Repertory Company.
Television
Howard had a number of notable guest appearances on major television shows during the 1960s and early 1970s:[1]
- The Flying Nun (1967)
- I Dream of Jeannie (1968)
- Star Trek (1968), in which she carried the distinction of playing the first female Klingon ("Mara") on the original series (and the only one to ever speak)
- Bonanza (1969)
- Mission: Impossible (1972)
In 1973, she appeared as Evan Sands on Lorne Greene's ABC crime drama Griff in the episode "Who Framed Billy the Kid?", with Nick Nolte as Billy Randolph, a football player accused of murder.
In 1974, Howard was cast as the co-star of the NBC series Petrocelli. Her performance was subsequently nominated for both the Golden Globe and Emmy awards.[2][3] Despite critical acclaim for Howard, the series was canceled in 1976.
In 1978, Howard played a key role as Professor Kingsfield's daughter Susan in series one, episode ten of The Paper Chase. In 1979, she appeared on Dallas as Donna Culver. The producers of the show liked her performance so much that her guest spot was expanded to an eight-year stint; she has the distinction of being the only Dallas cast member to have also written for the series ("Sitting Ducks" and "The Ten Percent Solution"). In 1987, the show decided to not renew her contract.[1] She has blamed this decision on her opposition to what she saw as proabortion storylines involving her character.[4]
Politics
After leaving television, Howard has become an increasingly active supporter of conservative causes, especially for gun rights. She has been active in the leadership of both the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Texas Republican Party. Howard has served as a commissioner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is currently a commissioner of the Texas Commission on the Arts. She became involved in the NRA after meeting Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans.[5]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Love on a Rooftop | Dorothy | Episode: "Homecoming" |
| 1967 | The Monkees | Bride | Episode: "Monkees Manhattan Style" |
| 1967 | The Iron Horse | Bess Hennings / Sara Collins | "The Return of Hode Avery" / "Appointment with an Epitaph" |
| 1967 1968 |
The Flying Nun | Sister Susan Sister Teresa |
"Old Cars for New" "Hot Spell" |
| 1968 | The Second Hundred Years | Sonny | Episode: "Dude Hand Luke" |
| 1968 | Tarzan | Jeff | Episode: "Trina" |
| 1968 | Star Trek | Mara | Episode: "Day of the Dove" |
| 1968 1969 |
I Dream of Jeannie | Miss Temple Salesgirl |
"Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?: Part 2" "The Biggest Star in Hollywood" |
| 1969 | Here Come the Brides | Alexander | Episode: "Wives for Wakando" |
| 1969 | The Outcasts | Julie Mason | Episode: "The Candidates" |
| 1969 | Ironside | Jo Lyons | Episode: "A Matter of Love and Death" |
| 1969 | The Virginian | Rebecca Teague | Episode: "Halfway back from Hell" |
| 1969 | Bonanza | Laurie Nagel | Episode: "The Medal" |
| 1969 | Land of the Giants | Mrs. Garak | Episode: "Collector's Item" |
| 1969/71 | Mannix | Christina Preston / Amanda Hewitt | "Who Killed Me?" / "Round Trip to Nowhere" |
| 1970 | The Silent Gun | Lorisa Cole | TV movie |
| 1970 | The New People | Fern | Episode: "The Siege of Fern's Castle" |
| 1970 | Quarantined | Dr. Margaret Bedford | TV movie |
| 1970 | The Immortal | Annie Williams | Episode: "The Legacy" |
| 1971 | The F.B.I. | Yvonne Shelby | Episode: "Center of Peril" |
| 1971 | The Mod Squad | Gillian | Episode: "Cricket" |
| 1971 1972 |
Love, American Style | Libby Susan Parkins |
"Love and the Topless Policy" "Love and the Baker's Half Dozen" |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Nora Dawson | Episode: "Committed" |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | Needa | Episode: "The Man who Died at Three and Nine" |
| 1972 | Medical Center | Linda Crown | Episode: "Deadlock" |
| 1972 | Columbo | Shirley Wagner | Episode: "The Most Crucial Game" |
| 1973 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Dr. Claudia Schaeffer | Episode: "A Terminal Career" |
| 1973 | Savage | Lee Raynolds | TV movie |
| 1973 | Griff | Evan Sands | Episode: "The Framing of Billy the Kid" |
| 1973 | The New Adventures of Perry Mason | Ellen | Episode: "The Case of the Jailed Justice" |
| 1973 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Dr. Barbara Kerr / Greta Francis | "A Necessary End" / "The Tall Tree" |
| 1973/77 | Barnaby Jones | Frances Dunslay / Sandra Harris | "Death Leap" / "Yesterday's Terror" |
| 1974 | Indict and Convict | Joanna Garrett | TV movie |
| 1974 | Night Games | Maggie Petrocelli | TV movie |
| 1974–1976 | Petrocelli | Maggie Petroceli | Series regular; 44 episodes |
| 1976 | The Rockford Files | Sandy Blaylock | Episode: Feeding Frenzy |
| 1977 | The Oregon Trail | Episode: "The Gold Dust Queen" | |
| 1977 | Most Wanted | Episode: "Ms. Murder" | |
| 1977 | The Fantastic Journey | Eve Castigan | Episode: "Vortex" |
| 1977 | Moonshine County Express | Dot Hammer | |
| 1977 | Sidewinder 1 | Chris Gentry | |
| 1977 | Killer on Board | Julie Clayton | TV movie |
| 1978 | Superdome | Nancy Walecki | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Busters | Joanna Bailey | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Paper Chase | Susan Fields | Episode: "Kingsfield's Daughter" |
| 1979 | The Power Within | Dr. Joanne Miller | TV movie |
| 1979 | Vega$ | Laurie Turner | Episode: "Classic Connection" |
| 1979–87 | Dallas | Donna Culver Krebbs | Series regular; 198 episodes |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Cynthia Bowden | Episode: "Tell Her She's Great/Matchmaker, Matchmaker Times Two/The Baby Alarm" |
| 1987–88 | The 700 Club | Herself/co-host | |
| 1993 | Come the Morning | Constance Gibson | TV movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Petrocelli | Nominated |
| 1975 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Petrocelli | Nominated |
| 1986 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role | Dallas | Won |
| 1988 | Dallas | Nominated |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Susan Howard:Biography – MSN Movies
- ↑ "Primetime Emmy® Award Database". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
- ↑ "Susan Howard". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
- ↑ Dallas Exclusive Interviews
- ↑ "NRA Board Spotlight: Susan Howard". America's 1st Freedom. December 2008. p. 55.