Sunday, April 24, 2011

Linda Gray












































Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the television prime-time soap opera Dallas.

Career

Prior to acting, Gray began working as a model in the 1960s. The famous film poster for The Graduate (1967) showed Gray's legs, even though the actress in the filmed role was Anne Bancroft.[citation needed]
Gray began her professional acting career in the 1970s, with guest roles on series such as Marcus Welby, M.D. and McCloud. In 1978, she landed the role of Sue Ellen Ewing in the CBS series Dallas. Initially a recurring guest role for the five-episode first season, Gray became a series regular later in 1978 and remained with the show until 1989. She returned for the series finale in 1991 and also appeared in the Dallas reunion TV movies J.R. Returns (1996) and War of the Ewings (1998). Gray was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on Dallas in 1981.

After Dallas

After Dallas, Gray made guest appearances in other series, including the British drama Lovejoy (starring her co-star and love interest from her final season on Dallas, Ian McShane). She also starred in several made-for-TV movies, including 1991's The Entertainers (with Bob Newhart), Bonanza: The Return (1993), Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter (1993) and Accidental Meeting (1994). Also in 1994, she made several guest appearances on the Fox network primetime soap opera Melrose Place. She appeared in four episodes as businesswoman Hillary Michaels, the mother of Amanda Woodward (played by Heather Locklear), before her character spearheaded the spin-off series Models Inc., but this series only lasted a single season.
In 2001, Gray portrayed Mrs. Robinson in the West End theatre production of Charles Webb's The Graduate.
Gray returned to television soap operas in 2004, when she had a recurring role in the daytime series The Bold and the Beautiful, playing Priscilla Kelly.
In 2006, Gray co-starred in the short film Reflections of a Life, written, directed, and starring Kathi Carey. She portrayed the best friend of a woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She then toured the United Kingdom in a stage version of Terms of Endearment.
In 2008, Gray had a small role in The CW series 90210, which, like Melrose Place and Models Inc. before it, is a spin-off from the original Beverly Hills, 90210. Gray has now appeared in three of the five series in the franchise, though her role in 90210 was not Hillary Michaels, the character she played on Melrose Place (1992) and Models Inc.

Personal life

Gray was married to Ed Thrasher for 21 years. The marriage resulted in two children: Jeff Thrasher and Kehly Sloane (who played Gray's secretary in episodes of Dallas in 1988). Gray also has two grandsons, Ryder and Jack Sloane. Her younger sister, Betty, died in 1989 from breast cancer.
According to her website, Gray recently traveled to Nicaragua to film a documentary on the health issues of women and children as part of her work as a United Nations goodwill ambassador.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1963 Palm Springs Weekend Girl at Pool with Yellow Swimsuit uncredited
1976 Dogs Miss Engle a.k.a. Slaughter`
1991 Oscar Roxanne
1998 Star of Jaipur Linda Trask a.k.a. Eve of Destruction
a.k.a. Moments of Danger
2006 Reflections of a Life Linda Short film
2010 Expecting Mary Darnella
The Flight of the Swan Alexi's mother Completed
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Patsy Grey 1 episode
1975 The Big Rip-Off
TV movie
1976 McCloud Cindy Yates/Kate O'Hannah 2 episodes
1977 Switch Alison 1 episode
All That Glitters Linda Murkland Unknown episodes
Murder in Peyton Place Carla Cord TV movie
Big Hawaii Annie Quinlan 1 episode
1976-78 Emergency! Evelyn Davis/Judy 2 episodes
1978 The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank Leslie Corliss TV movie
1979 The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan Elizabeth Harrington TV movie
1980 Haywire Nan TV movie
The Wild and the Free Linda TV movie
1982 Not in Front of the Children Nancy Carruthers TV movie
1987 Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues Mary Collins TV movie
a.k.a. The Gambler III: The Legend Continues
1978-91 Dallas Sue Ellen Ewing 308 episodes
1991 Lovejoy Cassandra Lynch 2 episodes
The Entertainers Laura TV movie
1992 Highway Heartbreaker Catherine TV movie
1993 Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter? Gayle Moffitt TV movie
Bonanza: The Return Abigail 'Laredo' Stimmons TV movie
1994 To My Daughter with Love Eleanor Monroe TV movie
Accidental Meeting Jennifer Parris TV movie
Moment of Truth: Broken Pledges Eileen Stevens TV movie
Melrose Place Hillary Michaels 4 episodes
Mighty Max Kali (voice) 1 episode
1994-95 Models Inc. Hillary Michaels 29 episodes
1996 Touched by an Angel Marian Campbell 1 episode
Dallas: J.R. Returns Sue Ellen Shepard Ewing Lockwood TV movie
1997 When the Cradle Falls
TV movie
1998 Dallas: War of the Ewings Sue Ellen Shepard Ewing Lockwood TV movie
2004-05 The Bold and the Beautiful Priscilla Kelly 5 episodes
2005 McBride: It's Murder, Madam Victoria Sawyer TV movie
2006 Pepper Dennis Barbara Meryl 1 episode
2008 90210 Victoria Brewer 1 episode
2011 Dallas (2011 TV series) Sue Ellen Ewing

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