Karen Valentine


Karen Valentine is an American actress. She is best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series Room 222 from 1969 to 1974, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1970, and received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1971. She later went to star in her own short-lived sitcom Karen, and played leading roles in the Disney films Hot Lead and Cold Feet and The North Avenue Irregulars.

Early life

Valentine was born in Sebastopol, California, on May 25, 1947. She is of Portuguese heritage, and her grandfather changed the family name to Valentin before her birth. She attended Birmingham High School and Analy High School, graduating with the class of 1965. Valentine was crowned 1964 Miss Sonoma County.

Career

Valentine performed "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 10, 1963. This lip sync performance to Eydie Gormé's hit song was a reprise of her talent performance from the Miss Teenage America pageant.
In 1966–1967, she started her television career as "The Resident Dream Girl" on Chuck Barriss The Dream Girl of 1967, replacing Beverly Adams from the first weekday broadcast opposite hosts Dick Stewart and Wink Martindale, and during that time, she appeared on another Chuck Barris show, The Dating Game.
In 1969, Valentine played Gidget in the 1969 film Gidget Grows Up. In 1969, Valentine won her breakthrough role as a student teacher and then a new teacher on the ABC television series Room 222 with Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and Michael Constantine. She was discovered by Gene Reynolds, the director of Room 222, who saw her fumbling in her audition and realized she was funny. She was nominated twice for an Emmy and once for a Golden Globe, winning an Emmy in 1970 for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role.
In 1974, an unsold sitcom pilot, The Karen Valentine Program never aired. In 1975, Valentine starred in her own television series, Karen. She played the title role in the critically acclaimed true story Muggable Mary, Street Cop. Valentine appeared in many other movies for television including The Daughters of Joshua Cabe ; Coffee, Tea or Me? ; The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped ; Murder at the World Series ; Go West, Young Girl ; Money on the Side and Skeezer. Valentine was a semi-regular on The Hollywood Squares from 1971 to 1977 on both NBC-TV and in syndication, often trading quips with Paul Lynde. She guest-starred on many series, including Starsky & Hutch; Baretta; Cybill; and Murder, She Wrote; as well as multiple episodes of The Love Boat and Love, American Style. She had a starring role in the 25th episode of the third season of the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone, entitled "Many, Many Monkeys".
Her feature films include Forever Young, Forever Free ; Hot Lead and Cold Feet ; The North Avenue Irregulars; and The Power Within. She also has had many leading roles in made-for-television movies.
Valentine has continued to work in television and on stage. She co-starred with John Larroquette in a 2004 Hallmark Channel TV movie, Wedding Daze. She has starred on stage in many productions, including Romantic Comedy on Broadway and National Tour, Breaking Legs Off-Broadway and National Tour, and the Los Angeles production of Steel Magnolias.

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
1975Forever Young, Forever FreeCarol AnneAlternate Release Title: e'Lollipop
1978Hot Lead and Cold FeetJennyDisney Film
1979The North Avenue IrregularsJaneDisney Film
1995The Power WithinClyda DryerAlternate Release Title: Los Annilos del Poder
Alternate Release Title: Le Pouvoir de vaincre

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1966-1967Dream Girl of '67Self - Hostess
170 episodes
1969My Friend TonyEpisode: The Shortest Courtship
1969Gidget Grows UpGidget LawrenceABC Movie of the Week
197022nd Primetime Emmy AwardsHerself - WinnerTV Special
Emmy Award Winner
1971The Bold Ones: The New DoctorsGayle RitterEpisode: Tender Predator
197123rd Primetime Emmy AwardsHerself - PresenterTV Special
1971Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InGuest PerformerEpisode: Karen Valentine
1970-1972Love, American StylePat Stark / Jane / Alice Graff / Marty FenimanEpisode:
Episode:
Episode:
Episode:
1972Owen Marshall, Counselor at LawDonna CohenEpisode: Murder in the Abstract
1972The Daughters of Joshua CabeCharityTV Movie
1973The Karen Valentine ShowKaren ScottTV Special
1973Coffee, Tea or Me?Carol Burnham / Carol ByrnesTV Movie
1969-1974Room 222Alice Johnson113 episodes
1974The Girl Who Came Gift-WrappedSandy Brown / Sandy BensonTV Movie
1975KarenKaren Angelo13 episodes
1971-1975The Mike Douglas ShowHerself10 episodes
1975BarettaHollyEpisode: A Bite in the Apple
1976The Love BoatEllen CarmichaelTV Movie
1976Having BabiesBeth PaternoTV Movie
1977McMillanSergeant Maureen RupertEpisode: Dark Sunrise
1970-1977The Hollywood SquaresSelf - Panelist263 episodes
1977The Sonny & Cher ShowGuest performerOne episode January 2, 1977
1977Murder at the World SeriesLois MarshallTV Movie
1975-1977Dinah!Herself7 episodes
1977Starsky & HutchDiana HarmonEpisode: Fatal Charm
1978Fantasy IslandJanet FlemingEpisode: Return to Fantasy Island
1978The Love BoatTaffy MartinoEpisode: The Eyes of Love / Masquerade / Hollywood Royalty / The Caper S1 E15
1979America 2100Dr. Karen HarlandTV Movie
1979EischiedMargaret ManningEpisode: Only the Pretty Girls Die: Part 1
Episode: Only the Pretty Girls Die: Part 2
1982Muggable Mary, Street CopMary GlatzleTV Movie
1982Goodbye Doesn't Mean ForeverPaula McFaddenTV Movie
1982Adams HouseChris BennettTV Movie
1982SkeezerCarrie JessupTV Movie
1982Money on the SideJanice VernonTV Movie
1983IllusionsLinda DobbinsTV Movie
1983Jane DoeVictoria SchafferTV Movie
1983A Girl's LifeGay BrooksTV Movie
1984Children in the CrossfirePam ChandlerTV Movie
1984He's Fired, She's HiredAnnabelle GrierTV Movie
1986The Disney Sunday MovieMeg TaylorEpisode: A Fighting Choice
1987The New Mike HammerSister AmeliaEpisode: Who Killed Sister Lorna
1987HotelRebecca LloydEpisode: Hotel Second Thoughts
1988She's the SheriffRosalindEpisode: Hair
1988Murder, She WroteEllen CosgroveEpisode: Murder Through the Looking Glass
1988Perfect PeopleMargoTV Movie
1989The Twilight ZoneClaire HendricksEpisode: Many, Many Monkeys
1990Hurricane SamJeanie KelvinTV Movie
1990MonstersVictoriaEpisode: The Young and the Headless
1991CBS Schoolbreak SpecialDonna SternEpisode: The Emancipation of Lizzie Stern
1994The UntouchablesPascualina PetucciEpisode: Til Death Do Us Part
1996CybillWandaEpisode: Three Women and a Dummy
2000Family LawKaren Anderson BellEpisode: Affairs of the State
2004Wedding DazeAudrey LandryTV Movie
2009GSN LiveSelf2 episodes
2009Whatever Happened To?SelfEpisode: Cutie Pies