Cristina Ferrare | |
|---|---|
 Ferrarec. 1971 | |
| Born | Cynthia Cristina Ferrare 1950 (age 74–75) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Danielle Bisutti (niece) |
Cynthia Cristina Ferrare (born 1950[a]) is an American fashion model, actress, author and talk-show host. She had lead roles in several films in the late-1960s and early-1970s, including the 1968 comedyThe Impossible Years and the 1972 Western filmJ. W. Coop, as well as portraying the titular character inJuan López Moctezuma's horror filmMary, Mary, Bloody Mary (also 1972).
In the 1980s, Ferrare transitioned from acting to hosting several television series, includingThe Home Show,Home & Family, andBig Bowl of Love on theOprah Winfrey Network. She has also authored several non-fiction cooking and self-help books.
Ferrare was born in 1950 inCleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Renata and Tavio Ferrare, a butcher.[3] Her family is of Italian descent.[4] She was 14 years old when her family moved toLos Angeles, California, where her beauty landed her a contract with Nina Blanchard's modeling agency. When she was 16, she signed with20th Century Fox film studios.[5]
Ferrare made her feature film debut inThe Impossible Years (1968) oppositeDavid Niven, playing the daughter of a university psychology professor. This was followed by a main role in the Western dramaJ. W. Coop (1972), directed by and starringCliff Robertson andGeraldine Page.[6] She subsequently starred as the titular character inJuan López Moctezuma's horror filmMary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975), portraying a vampire roving a Mexican village.
In 1975, Ferrare worked as the spokesperson forMax Factor.[7]
Ferrare was co-host ofA.M. Los Angeles onKABC-TV for several years during the late 1980s.[8][9] She also co-hosted theABC television seriesThe Home Show for several months in early 1989.[10] In 1990, Ferrare was featured in print advertising forUltra Slim-Fast.[11] She was also a substitute co-host onGood Morning America andLive! with Regis and Kathie Lee. In 1993, she was guest host for two episodes ofVicki!.
From November 1996 – August 1998, Ferrare co-hostedHome & Family on The Family Channel; the show ended on August 14, 1998, just one day before the channel becameFox Family Channel, which included a major restructuring of the network's programing. She later co-hosted a revived version of the show from 2012-2016 withMark Steines on its new networkHallmark Channel.
Ferrare's departure was abrupt and the audience was not given any explanation nor any notice prior to her departure. On June 21, 2016, Hallmark Channel confirmed that Ferrare would no longer co-host the show with Steines; former co-host ofThe ViewDebbie Matenopoulos was named as her replacement. In a statement viaFacebook, Ferrare addressed her exit: "It's really very simple,Home and Family will have a season 5 which I am so happy for and the Network decided that they want a new co-host and that will be Debbie. She will do a great job!"[12]
She and her mother created the Cristina Ferrare Collection, producing jewelry that, in 2002, was sold in sevenNeiman Marcus stores and was "beginning to pop up in specialty shops throughout the country."[13]
Ferrare premiered in her new showBig Bowl of Love onOprah Winfrey's network (OWN) on January 3, 2011 withIron ChefCat Cora as the show's first guest.[14][15]Big Bowl of Love follows Ferrare cooking recipes alongside her friends, family, and other guests.[16]
According to Ferrare, in her bookRealistically Ever After, she married a man in 1969 and annulled it six weeks later. In 1973, she married automobile executiveJohn DeLorean. He had earlier adopted a son Zachary while single, and she also adopted him. Later, they had a daughter, Kathryn. After DeLorean lost his fortune and was accused, then exonerated, of cocaine trafficking charges, Ferrare divorced him in 1985.[17] Two weeks later, on April 21, 1985, she married entertainment industry executiveAnthony Thomopoulos.[8]
Ferrare was portrayed by Isabel Arraiza in the 2018 filmDriven and byMorena Baccarin in the 2019 documentaryFraming John DeLorean.
Her niece (her sister's daughter) is actressDanielle Bisutti.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Impossible Years | Linda Kingsley | [18] | |
| 1972 | J. W. Coop | Bean | [18] | |
| 1975 | Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary | Mary | [18] | |
| 1993 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host | Judith Jansen | [18] | |
| 2005 | The Weather Man | Herself | [18] |
| International | |
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| National | |
