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| Karen Austin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karen Brammer October 24, 1955 |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kris Slava (m. 1975; div. 1982) |
Karen Austin (born October 24, 1955) is an American actress.[citation needed] She played Lana Wagner on the sitcom Night Court in 1984. Her film appearances include Summer Rental (1985), Jagged Edge (1985), and The Ladies Club (1986).
Career[edit]
Austin first gained notability in the late 1970s with a string of television guest appearances on highly rated programs such as Happy Days, The Rockford Files, and Dallas. In the 1980s, she was a regular on the first season of the successful NBC comedy series Night Court, where she played court clerk Lana Wagner for 10 episodes before leaving the series;[1] her character was replaced by Mac Robinson (Charles Robinson) for the remaining eight seasons. She had a lead role as the wife of John Candy's character in Summer Rental (1985).
Personal life[edit]
Austin was married to Kris Slava at age 19; the couple divorced seven years later.[2][3][4]
Filmography and TV credits[edit]
| Year | TV/Film Credit | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Ottawa Valley | Lena | TV short film |
| 1978 | Happy Days | Peggy Clark | Episode: "Kid Stuff" |
| The Rockford Files | Veronica Teasedale | Episode: "White on White and Nearly Perfect" | |
| The American Girls | Episode: "Little Girl Lost" | ||
| Dallas | Dailey | Episode: "Survival" | |
| 1979 | Fish Hawk | Mrs. Gideon | Feature film |
| The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Lily | Episode: "Dean Martin and the Moonshiners" | |
| Hart to Hart | Karen Shields | Episode: "A New Kind of High" | |
| Soap | Chester's Woman | Episode #3.10 | |
| 1980 | Family | Emily | 2 episodes |
| 1980-1982 | Three's Company | Jennifer / Denise | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | West Virginia | 3 episodes |
| CHiPs | Woman with Rabbit | Episode: "A Simple Operation" | |
| S.O.B. | Piano Girl | Feature film (Uncredited role) | |
| 1982 | The Quest | Carrie Welby | Main role (9 episodes) |
| A Piano for Mrs. Cimino | Alice Cimino | TV movie | |
| Quincy, M.E. | Rachael Kane | Episode: "The Shadow of Death" | |
| 1983 | The Taming of the Shrew | Katherina | Feature film |
| Trauma Center | Julie | Episode: "Trauma Center (Pilot)" | |
| 1984 | Celebrity | Ceil Shannon | TV miniseries |
| Night Court | Lana Wagner | Main role (10 episodes) | |
| London and Davis in New York | Adrienne Crow | Television pilot | |
| 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Mary Woodley | 5 episodes |
| Summer Rental | Sandy Chester | Feature film | |
| Jagged Edge | Julie Jensen | Feature film | |
| Our Family Honor | Detective Sgt. Sharon Howland | Episode: "End of the Line" | |
| A Letter to Three Wives | Kate | TV movie | |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | June Wright | Segment: "A Matter of Minutes" |
| L.A. Law | Hillary Mishkin | 3 episodes | |
| The Ladies Club | Joan Taylor | Feature film | |
| Penalty Phase | Julie | Feature film | |
| 1987 | Jake and the Fatman | Rebecca Warfield | Episode: "Fatal Attraction" |
| 1988 | Laura Lansing Slept Here | Melody Gomphers | TV movie |
| 1989 | Columbo | Dr. Paula Hall | Episode: "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" |
| Dolphin Cove | Lisa Ruddick | Episode: "The Initiation of Lisa Ruddick" | |
| The Case of the Hillside Stranglers | J.D. Jackson | TV movie | |
| Far from Home | Louise | Feature film | |
| 1990 | Hunter | Lt. Megan Malone | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| A Girl to Kill For | Karen / Shopper | Feature film | |
| 1991 | Midnight Caller | Jenna Holloway | Episode: "Her Dirty Little Secret" |
| 1991-1992 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Sheila Crane / Suzanne | 6 episodes |
| 1992-1994 | The Commish | Linda Scott | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Moment of Truth: Murder or Memory? | Connie Frawley | TV movie |
| Lightning Jack | Mama Wheeler | Feature film (Uncredited role) | |
| 1995 | Live Shot | Helen Forbes | 8 episodes |
| The Marshal | Ellen Christopher | Episode: "Time Off for Clever Behavior" | |
| 1995-1999 | Sliders | Amanda Starr / Lydia the Secretary | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Haley Rodgers Johnson | Episode: "The Big Easy Episode" |
| NYPD Blue | Jessica Herman | Episode: "The Nutty Confessor" | |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Dr. Kalandra | Episode: "...Nor the Battle to the Strong" | |
| Lazarus | Anne | Feature film | |
| 1997 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Cimmarron Kilkenny (voice) | Episode: "Showdown/Internal Affairs" |
| Breast Men | Dr. Tammy | TV movie (Uncredited role) | |
| House of Frankenstein | Irene Lassiter | TV miniseries | |
| Murder One | Lynette Parker | 4 episodes | |
| Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer | Lynette Parker Banks | TV miniseries | |
| Step by Step | Patti Roberts | Episode: "Just Say Maybe" | |
| 1998 | Best Friends for Life | Violet Evans | TV movie |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Anita | Episode: "Auto Eurodicka" | |
| JAG | Dr. Inge | Episode: "The Martin Baker Fan Club" | |
| Martial Law | Elaine Caranza | Episode: "How Sammo Got His Groove Back" | |
| The Battery | Sandy | Short film | |
| Touched by an Angel | Candace | Episode: "Last Dance" | |
| 1999 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Bobbi Kincaid | 2 episodes |
| Profiler | Candice Harding | Episode: "Original Sin" | |
| Rescue 77 | Ruth Caraway | Episode: "The Wedding" | |
| Star Trek: Voyager | Miral, B'Elanna Torres' Mother | Episode: "Barge of the Dead" | |
| 2000 | Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel | Pierrepont Summers | Feature film |
| 2001 | The Division | Helen | Episode: "Redemption" |
| 2002 | ER | Mrs. Carlson | Episode: "Bygones" |
| Taken | Nun #2 | TV miniseries | |
| 2002-2004 | Girlfriends | Sandy Bickie | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Terri Maxwell | Episode: "Volunteers" |
| Kingdom Hospital | Mrs. Powell | Episode: "Black Noise" | |
| 2004-2008 | Rodney | Patsy | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Freddie | Mrs. Reyerson | Episode: "I'll Be Homeless for Christmas" |
| Wanted | Taffy Dibortello | Episode: "Sex Pistols" | |
| Without a Trace | Hilda | Episode: "Second Sight" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Lois McDaniel | Episode: "Your Fault" | |
| 2006 | Amber's Story | Glenda Whitson | TV movie |
| The Evidence | Mrs. Vicarrio | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2007 | Crossing Jordan | Sarah Fulton | Episode: "Falling From Grace" |
| 2008 | Battlestar Galactica | Lilly | Episode: "Escape Velocity" |
| Palisades Pool Party | Desiree | TV movie | |
| 2009 | Bitch Slap | Narrator | Feature film |
| CSI: Miami | Judge Gloria Stets | Episode: "Dissolved" | |
| Sink or Swim | Judge Stets | Feature film | |
| Big Days Ahead | Carol Glass | Short film | |
| 2010 | Better People | Jacquie | TV movie |
| Order of Chaos | Sherri | Feature film | |
| 2011-2012 | Fresh Hell | Valerie | 4 episodes |
| 2011-2015 | Whole Day Down | DeWitt | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | The Rum Diary | Mrs. Zimburger | Feature film |
| 2013 | Sweet Talk | Newsvendor / Nurse | Feature film |
| 2014 | Infamous Second Son | Betty (voice) | Video game |
| 2015 | The Wicked Within | Jean | Feature film |
References[edit]
- ^ "The Five Best NIGHT COURT Episodes of Season One". Jacksonupperco.ccom. Retrieved April 25, 2018. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Boca Raton News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
External links[edit]
- Karen Austin at IMDb
- Karen Austin at AllMovie