Kristy McNichol | |
|---|---|
.jpg) McNichol at age 29 in 1991 | |
| Born | Christina Ann McNichol (1962-09-11)September 11, 1962 (age 63) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1970–2001 |
| Known for | |
| Partner | Martie Allen |
| Relatives | Jimmy McNichol (brother) Kellee Maize (niece) |
Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American former actress. Beginning her career as a child actress, she rose to fame in 1976 with her role as the teenage daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV dramaFamily for which she won twoEmmy Awards. Subsequent roles included Angel in the filmLittle Darlings, Polly inOnly When I Laugh, and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcomEmpty Nest.[1] McNichol retired from acting in 2001.
McNichol appeared with her brotherJimmy McNichol in commercials and later, on her own, in guest appearances on such other series asStarsky & Hutch,The Bionic Woman,CHiPs,Love, American Style, andThe Love Boat, thanks to family friendDesi Arnaz. Her first stint as a series regular came in the role of Patricia Apple in the short-lived television seriesApple's Way (1974).
In 1976, McNichol was cast as Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the television drama seriesFamily (1976–80). She was nominated for theEmmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series three years in a row (1977–79), winning in 1977 and 1979.[2][3][4] In 1980, she was nominated for theEmmy Award forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series forFamily.
In 1977, McNichol appeared in the TV specialThe Carpenters at Christmas, performing several musical numbers with the duo. In 1978, she and Jimmy made their foray into music, recording the albumKristy and Jimmy McNichol forRCA Records (AFL1-2875). Produced byPhil Margo andMitch Margo, it included the singles "He's So Fine" (a cover ofThe Chiffons' 1963 hit), which peaked at number 70 on theBillboard chart and "Page by Page". The McNichols promoted the album at New York'sStudio 54 discothèque with other celebrities. In 1978, McNichol performed with Jimmy in a second Carpenters' holiday special, titledThe Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait.[5]
McNichol was one of the bigger teen stars of that era. She appeared on talk shows such asThe Mike Douglas Show andDinah!, and made several appearances onBattle of the Network Stars and other celebrity-based sports shows. In 1978, she starred in the acclaimed TV movieSummer of My German Soldier.[6]
McNichol began her film career in 1977 inBlack Sunday, but her scenes were cut. In 1978, she starred withBurt Reynolds andSally Field in theblack comedyThe End.[7]
In 1980, McNichol played one of the leading roles in the hit coming-of-age movieLittle Darlings, which also starredTatum O'Neal, withMatt Dillon andCynthia Nixon in supporting roles. Her performance was acclaimed by many reviewers, including those who disliked the film.[8] Later in 1980, she appeared withDennis Quaid andMark Hamill in the filmThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia. In 1981, she co-starred inNeil Simon'sOnly When I Laugh and was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.[9]
McNichol was nominated for aGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for her performance in the 1982 filmThe Pirate Movie.[10] The same year, she suffered an emotional breakdown while playing the lead role in the comedy-dramaJust the Way You Are that was being filmed in France. She later toldPeople magazine that she could not sleep and she cried the entire time she was in France. She had nightmares when she did sleep and she cried on set. She did not return to the production after Christmas to finish the movie; filming had to be interrupted for a year while McNichol recovered. She later said that the breakdown had been caused by the pressures of her career,[11] as well as the pressure to hide her sexuality from the public.[citation needed]
In 1986, McNichol appeared inWomen of Valor, a TV movie about American nurses in a World War II Japanese POW camp. She made two theatrical films in 1988:You Can't Hurry Love; andTwo Moon Junction.
In the same year, McNichol began the role of Barbara Weston on the television sitcomEmpty Nest, a spin-off ofThe Golden Girls. The show ran for seven seasons but McNichol left the series in 1992, midway through season five, after being diagnosed withbipolar disorder. She returned for the show's final episode in 1995. It was her last on-screen performance. However, she later voiced characters in the animated TV seriesExtreme Ghostbusters (1997) andInvasion America (1998).[citation needed]
In June 2001, McNichol announced that she had retired from acting. Her publicist released this statement:
A lot of people have wondered what I've been up to. I retired from my career after 24 years. My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part – myself! I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. So many fans are disappointed that I'm not currently acting; however, some may not realize that the process I'm in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being.[12]
McNichol was born on September 11, 1962, inLos Angeles,California,[13] the daughter of James and Carolyn McNichol. Her father was a carpenter and her mother worked as a registered nurse to support her family. McNichol has Scottish/Irish ancestry on her father's side and her mother is ofLebanese Christian descent.[14]After her retirement, McNichol taught acting at a private school in Los Angeles and devoted much of her time to charity work.[15]
In 2012, McNichol ended years of speculation when she revealed that she is a lesbian and has lived with her partner Martie Allen since the early 1990s. She made the statement in hopes that her openness would help young people who are bullied because of their sexual orientation. In the same statement, McNichol made it clear that she had no plans to return to acting.[16]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The End | Julie Lawson | |
| Like Mom, Like Me | Jennifer Gruen | Television movie | |
| Summer of My German Soldier | Patty Bergen | ||
| 1979 | My Old Man | Jo Butler | |
| 1980 | Little Darlings | Angel Bright | |
| Blinded by the Light | Janet Bowers | Television movie | |
| 1981 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | Amanda Child | |
| Only When I Laugh | Polly | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | |
| 1982 | White Dog | Julie Sawyer | Unreleased in the United States |
| The Pirate Movie | Mabel Stanley | ||
| Aladdin and the Magic Lamp | The Princess | Voice | |
| 1984 | Just the Way You Are | Susan Berlanger | |
| 1985 | Love, Mary | Mary Groda-Lewis | Television movie |
| 1986 | Dream Lover | Kathy Gardner | |
| Women of Valor | T.J. Nolan | Television movie | |
| 1988 | You Can't Hurry Love | Rhonda | |
| Two Moon Junction | Patti Jean | ||
| 1989 | The Forgotten One | Barbara Stupple | |
| 1990 | Children of the Bride | Mary | Television movie |
| 1991 | Baby of the Bride | ||
| 1993 | Mother of the Bride |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Steffi | Episode: "Love and the Unsteady Steady" |
| 1974–1975 | Apple's Way | Patricia Apple | 15 episodes |
| 1975 | ABC Afterschool Special | Jenna McPhail | Episode: "Fawn Story" |
| 1976 | Nina Beckwith | Episode: "Me & Dad's New Wife" | |
| Sara | Unknown | Episode: "Grandpa's Girl" | |
| The Bionic Woman | Amanda Cory | Episode: "The Ghost Hunter" | |
| Starsky & Hutch | Meg | Episode: "The Hostages" | |
| Molly Edwards | Episode: "Little Girl Lost" | ||
| 1976–1980 | Family | Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence | 86 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series(1977, 1979) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Linda Morley | Pilot |
| Kelly | Episode: "Graham and Kelly" | ||
| ABC Afterschool Special | Carlie Higgins | Episode: "The Pinballs" | |
| 1978 | Starsky & Hutch | Joey Carston | Episode: "The Trap" |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Jill Morton | Episode: "Showdown in Saskatchewan" |
| 1988–1992, 1995 | Empty Nest | Barbara Weston | 100 episodes |
| 1991–1992 | The Golden Girls | Episodes: "Witness", "A Midwinter Night's Dream" | |
| 1997 | Extreme Ghostbusters | Girl in Sub | Voice; episode: "Dry Spell" |
| 1998 | Invasion America | Sgt. Angela "Angie" Romar | 13 episodes |
Wins[edit]
| Nominations[edit]
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