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Cindy Pickett

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cindy Pickett
Born (1947-04-18) April 18, 1947 (age 77)
OccupationActress
Years active1976–present
Spouse
(m. 1986; div. 1992)
Children2

Cindy Pickett (born April 18, 1947)[1] is an American actress. She is known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light and Dr. Carol Novino on the television drama St. Elsewhere in the 1980s.[2] Pickett, however, is best known to audiences for her lighter turn as Katie Bueller, Ferris Bueller's loving and unsuspecting mother, in the 1986 American comedy movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Other notable cinematic roles and performances include Valerie St. John, the leading role in Roger Vadim's 1980 film, Jeux de Nuit / Night Games, and the tough-as-nails and heroic Dr. Diane Norris in the 1989 sci-fi-horror film DeepStar Six.

Life and career

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Pickett was born in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, daughter of Cecil Pickett, a director and drama teacher at the University of Houston.[3]

Pickett made a major departure from her soap opera image when she played the central role in the 1980 erotic film Jeux de Nuit / Night Games, directed by Roger Vadim.[4] It was a sexually charged role involving numerous nude scenes, however the film went unnoticed and did not boost Pickett's career. In the 1981 mystery/crime drama Margin for Murder, Pickett played the role of Velda, Mike Hammer's (Kevin Dobson) loyal and devoted secretary. She played "Jackie Marler" on the soap opera The Guiding Light from 1976 to 1980,[5] "Vanessa Sarnac" on the ABC weekly TV series Call to Glory from 1984 to 1985,[6] and she appeared as Dr. Carol Novino on the hospital drama TV series St. Elsewhere from 1986 to 1988.[7]

Pickett had a supporting role in the 1987 mini-series Amerika, which she then considered to be her "best part and the best showcase" she ever had.[2] In 1991 she played the part of Addy Mathewson in the TV movie/pilot Plymouth, which at the time was considered to be one of the most expensive such movies ever made. Pickett portrayed the real-life Kay Stayner, the mother of a boy who was kidnapped for several years, in the dramatic TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. TV series she has guest-starred on include Riptide, Simon & Simon, Magnum, P.I., L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, The The Pretender, NYPD Blue, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Crossing Jordan and Burn Notice.

Personal life

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Pickett dated Roger Vadim, who directed her in Night Games. She met Lyman Ward when they played the parents of the teenaged protagonist in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. They married in real life, and had two children, divorcing shortly after playing the parents of the teenaged protagonist in the 1992 film Sleepwalkers.[8] Pickett is a collector of stereopticon cards.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Night Games Valerie St. John
1981 Circle of Power Lyn Nilsson
1983 Hysterical Kate
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off Katie Bueller
1986 The Men's Club Hannah
1988 Hot to Trot Victoria Peyton
1989 DeepStar Six Diane Norris
1991 Crooked Hearts Jill
1992 Original Intent Marguerite Video
1992 Sleepwalkers Helen Robertson
1993 Son in Law Connie Warner
1993 The Goodbye Bird Sharon Phillips
1995 Evolver Melanie Baxter
1996 Kid Cop Beverly Dwerkin Video
1996 Coyote Summer Maggie Foster
1997 Painted Hero Sadie
2000 The Stepdaughter Maggie Conner Video
2005 Hate Crime Barbara McCoy
2008 The Village Barbershop Josie
2010 Confession Greta
2011 Mother Country Pamela Dupree
2016 Chasing the Rain Bonnie
2016 Like a Butterfly Wendy Short
2016 White Wings Janice Short
2016 Confession Julie Warren Short
2016 Te Ata Miss Davis
2017 Opus of an Angel Sister Monica Post-production
20?? Rose Karen Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1976–80 Guiding Light Jackie Marler-Spaulding TV series
1980 The Ivory Ape Lil Tyler TV film
1981 Margin for Murder Velda TV film
1981 The Cherokee Trail Mary Breydon TV film
1982 Cry for the Strangers Elaine Russell TV film
1983 Cocaine and Blue Eyes Catherine Anatole TV film
1983 Bring 'Em Back Alive Laura Davies "Bones of Contention"
1984 Riptide Natalie Kramer "Somebody's Killing the Great Geeks of America"
1984 Simon & Simon Addie Becker "The Dillinger Print"
1984 Magnum, P.I. Karen Teal "Dream a Little Dream"
1984–85 Call to Glory Vanessa Sarnac Main role
1986 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Marcia Loomis "The Gloating Place"
1986–88 St. Elsewhere Dr. Carol Novino Main role
1987 Amerika Amanda Bradford TV miniseries
1987 Echoes in the Darkness Sue Myers TV film
1987 Into the Homeland Rye Swallow TV film
1989 I Know My First Name Is Steven Kay Stayner TV miniseries
1990 ABC Afterschool Special Joanne Kelly "A Question About Sex"
1991 Plymouth Addy Matthewson TV film
1991 Our Shining Moment Betty McGuire TV film
1992 Wild Card Dana TV film
1992 L.A. Law Lois Alner "Love on the Rox"
1994 Murder, She Wrote Joanna Sims "Wheel of Death"
1995 Sirens Pam Dunbridge "The Witness"
1995 Not Our Son Margaret Keller TV film
1995 Her Hidden Truth Laney Devereaux TV film
1996 The Making of a Hollywood Madam Elissa Fleiss TV film
1996 Time Well Spent Barbara Marks TV film
1997 The Pretender Dr. Shafton "Unhappy Landings"
1998 Atomic Dog Jennifer Yates TV film
1998–99 Hyperion Bay Marjorie Sweeney Main role
2001 The Huntress Gina Thorson "The Two Mrs. Thorsons: Part 1"
2004 Crossing Jordan Laura Corday "Dead in the Water"
2005 NYPD Blue Francine Beckett "La Bomba"
2005 CSI: Miami Miranda Lewis "Whacked"
2006 McBride: Fallen Idol Tracy Franks TV film
2006 Ghost Whisperer Marybeth Kaminsky "The Woman of His Dreams"
2007 Cold Case Sara Lowell / Johanna Kimball "Blood on the Tracks"
2007 Medium Tanya King "1-900-Lucky"
2008 Burn Notice Diane "Trust Me"
2010 Elf Sparkle and the Special Red Dress Snowball (voice) TV film
2013 My Synthesized Life Louise Bales "Meet the Parents"
2014 The Mentalist Rachel "Black Helicopters"
2014 Stranded in Paradise Mona Nelson TV film
2016 Outcast Lauren "Close to Home"
2017 Age of the Living Dead Amanda TV series
20?? Star Trek Equinox: The Night of Time Adm. Gray TV film, filming

References

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  1. ^ Kaplan, Mike, ed. (1985). Variety's Who's who in Show Business. R.R. Bowker. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-8352-2665-3.
  2. ^ a b Scott, Vernon (February 18, 1987). "Actress says 'Amerika' provides her best role". Sun-Sentinel. United Press International.
  3. ^ "Former UH students salute the late Cecil Pickett". 9 April 2012.
  4. ^ Maslin, Janet (April 11, 1980). "Screen: 'Night Games,' Roger Vadim's Bel Air: With Feathers". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Who's Who in Springfield: Jacqueline Marler". soapcentral.com.
  6. ^ Terrance, Vincent (2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (Second ed.). McFarland. p. 154. ISBN 9780786486410.
  7. ^ a b Hall, Ken (July 2011). "The Celebrity Collector: Cindy Pickett". go-star.com. Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine.
  8. ^ Coriaty, Spencer (March 28, 2016). "Where Are They Now? The Cast of Ferris Bueller's Day Off". screenrant.com.
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