Christopher Norris (born October 7, 1953)[1][2] is a former American Broadway, movie, and television actress. She began acting on Broadway[3] and is probably best known for her portrayal of nurse Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi in the television series Trapper John, M.D.. Early in pregnancy her parents picked the name "Christopher" and decided to name the baby that regardless of its sex.[4] She attended Los Angeles Valley College and, in the 1990s, she broke from acting and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and theater from Antioch University.[5]
Christopher Norris | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1953 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Antioch University (BA) |
| Years active | 1964–1993 (as actress) |
| Spouse |
Walter Danley
(m. 1980; div. 1998) |
Early notable roles include the wild girl Miriam in Summer of '42 (1971),[6] a heroic young flight attendant in the disaster film Airport 1975 (1974), and as a hot girl in Roger Corman's Eat My Dust! (1976).[7] Early in her career, Norris typically played wholesome, "girl next door" types, and, later in her career, she got more "vixen" type roles, including the role of loony Laura Simmons Asher on the daytime soap Santa Barbara. Her other daytime credits include Another World and Guiding Light.
In 1980, Norris married Walter Danley, a businessman and later mystery novelist. They divorced in 1998.[8]
Due to their physical resemblance, Norris is frequently mistaken for Melanie Griffith. Because of this, Griffith was mistakenly interviewed in the 1990s by the British media about acting in Airport 1975.[5]
She designed the exterior and interior of her home, and Christopher Norris nurse uniforms were designed, sold, and proceeds used for nursing scholarships.[4]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Mr. and Mrs. BoJo Jones | Julie Greher | |
| 1971 | Summer of '42 | Miriam | |
| 1971 | Lady Liberty | Lydia | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Airport 1975 | Bette | |
| 1974 | Goodnight Jackie | Donna | |
| 1976 | Eat My Dust! | Darlene Kurtz |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1970 | The Edge of Night | Sarah Louise Capice | |
| 1979–1986 | Trapper John, MD | Gloria “Ripples” Brancusi | Nurse |
| 1976 | Wonder Woman | Gloria | Season 2, Episode 11: Wonder Woman in Hollywood |
| 1978 | Barnaby Jones | June | Season 7, Episode 8: Stages of Fear |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Gail Pagett | Series 3, Episode 28: No girls for Doc/Marriage of convenience/The caller/The witness |
| 1987 | Matlock | Judy Benson | Season 2, Episode 5: The Husband |
| 1989–1993 | Santa Barbara | Laura Asher |
Broadway
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Roar Like a Dove | Jane | |
| 1965 - 1966 | The Playroom | Ellen |
Off Broadway
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty | Lorraine Serabian Peninnah | [9] |
References
edit- ^ "Biography Christopher Norris". angelfire.com. Angelfire.
- ^ "Christopher Norris Actor Born October 7, 1953". watch.plex.tv. Plex Inc. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ "Christopher Norris Performer". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Work's a Real Scream but Christopher just loves leaving her troubles at the set". angelfire.com. Angelfire. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Christopher Norris.Archived. June 24, 2024.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide (NYC: Penguin, 2006), p.1254
- ^ Craddock, Jim, editor. VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (Detroit, Michigan: Thomson Gale Group, 2007), p.277.
- ^ "Interview with Walter Danley, & 5 books to give away!". July 3, 2014. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023.
- ^ "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Off Broadway 1964". masterworksbroadway.com. Sony Music. Retrieved October 24, 2024.