Stephanie Dunnam | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1959-03-28)March 28, 1959 (age 65)[1] Oak Harbor, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1981–present |
Stephanie Dunnam (March 28, 1959) is an American actress.
Dunnam was born inOak Harbor, Washington[1] and moved to Dallas, Texas when she was four years old after her parents divorced.[2] Her father was a weapons officer on theUSS Midway on an American air base in Japan and she went to live with him there at the age of 13. It was there that she was introduced to acting and theatre through the community theatre group on the base. She returned to the United States during high school and attended Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas where she studied with Barney Hammond and gives him credit for teaching her a professional ethic and instilling in her the drive to excel artistically.[2] In 1982, Dunnam made her big screen debut appearing in the action filmSilent Rage and later was featured in the made-for-television movieMiss All-American Beauty. She appeared in the 1983 horror film,Play Dead oppositeYvonne De Carlo. Later in 1983, she was cast as one of lead characters in the CBS prime time soap opera,Emerald Point N.A.S. as Kay Mallory Matthews. The series was canceled after 22 episodes in 1984.[3][4] Later in 1984, Dunnam starred oppositeStefanie Powers in the eight-hour CBS miniseries,Mistral's Daughter based onJudith Krantz's 1982 novel of the same name, as Theodora 'Teddy' Lunel, the daughter of Powers' character.[5]
Dunnam made guest appearances in a number of television series, includingMagnum, P.I.,Scarecrow and Mrs. King,Moonlighting,Frasier,Home Improvement,Murder, She Wrote,Chicago Hope,ER,The Practice andBoston Public.[6] From 1987 to 1988 she played Karen Atkinson in the ABC prime time soap opera,Dynasty appearing in ten episodes.
Dunnam performed on Broadway tours ofThe Heidi Chronicles andThe Sisters Rosensweig.[7] She also performed in other stage productions, off-Broadway and regional theater, includeThe School for Scandal,The Master Builder,The Lady's Not for Burning,The Rivals,The Importance of Being Earnest,Lost Highway,Cat's Cradle,An American Daughter,The Grapes of Wrath,Happy Days andThe Lion in Winter.[8][4]