Charlene Tilton
| Charlene Tilton | |
|---|---|
|
Tilton in 2010 | |
| Born |
Charlene L. Tilton December 1, 1958 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Johnny Lee (1982-1984) Domenick Allen (1985-1992) |
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer.[1][2] She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing, the saucy niece of J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman), in the 1980s television series Dallas.
Career
Tilton had early roles in television series such as Happy Days and Eight Is Enough. She made her first film appearance alongside Jodie Foster in Freaky Friday. In 1978, Tilton made a cameo appearance in the John Milius film Big Wednesday. A year later, she made her big break by landing the role of Lucy Ewing, the sly, vixenish, frequently frustrated granddaughter of Jock and Ellie Ewing in the popular television series Dallas, opposite legendary television actors Jim Davis, Barbara Bel Geddes and Larry Hagman, from 1978 to 1985 and from 1988 to 1990. She also appeared on one episode of the show's spin-off series Knots Landing in 1980. After Dallas fame, she received $50,000 salary per episode, appeared on 500 magazine covers and drew 65 million viewers for her 1981 TV wedding.[3]
Tilton is also a singer; her own vocals were heard on a 1978 episode of Dallas" entitled "Runaway" In 1984, she released a dance-pop single, "C'est La Vie", which became a hit in several countries in Europe. She appeared on Circus of the Stars in 1979 and 1991, on one occasion acting as a knife thrower's target girl in a gold bikini. Tilton also did her time doing game shows as well, by becoming a panelist on the 1979-1982 syndicated version of Match Game. She also hosted the pilot for a potential revival of the show in syndication as Match Game 2/MG2 in 1996.
Tilton was the guest host on Saturday Night Live on February 21, 1981. The episode in question featured a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas. In the episode, cast member Charles Rocket was shot in the chest by a sniper while doing a sketch about a sexy couple (with Gail Matthius as his partner) bathing a dog and spouting innuendo. At the end of the show, as cast members traditionally gathered around the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, a wheelchair-using Rocket improvised, "Oh, man, it’s the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who the fuck did it."[4]
Tilton did a number of commercials in the 1990s for the Abdominizer workout equipment. She appeared as herself in an episode of Married... with Children where her involvement with the "Abdominizer" was spoofed. In addition, she has appeared in several spoof movies, such as The Silence of the Hams (1994), Superhero Movie (2008) and Paranormal Calamity (2010). In 2005, she appeared in the British reality television show The Farm.
In 2001, Tilton was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Lucy Ewing on the original Dallas television series.[5] In January 2012, Tilton was a contestant on the British ice-skating show Dancing on Ice in its seventh season. She was paired with American figure skater, Matthew Gonzalez, who has previously worked with British actress Danniella Westbrook. Tilton was voted out in week five of a twelve-week run.[6]
In 2012, Tilton joined the cast of TNT's Dallas revival series, and reprised her role as Lucy Ewing in multiple episodes.[7][8]
Personal life
Tilton was born in San Diego, California, in 1958, the daughter of Katherine Thacker, a secretary.[9] Tilton is 4'11" (1.50 m) tall. Tilton was married to country singer Johnny Lee from 1982 to 1984 and to Domenick Allen from 1985 to 1992. She has one daughter, Cherish Lee Dunn, born in 1982. In 2009, after 8 years together, Tilton's fiance, Cheddy Hart, died suddenly from heart failure at the age of 54.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Freaky Friday | Bambi | |
| 1978 | Sweater Girls | Candy | |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday | Party Girl | |
| 1980 | Pale Horse Pale Rider | Miranda | Short film |
| 1990 | Law at Randado | Edith Hanasain | |
| 1991 | Problem Child 2 | Debbie Claukinski | |
| 1991 | Ragin' Cajun | Ali Webster | |
| 1991 | For Parents Only | Mrs. Farell | |
| 1992 | Deadly Bet | Isabella | |
| 1992 | Center of the Web | Kathryn Lockwood | |
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams | Jane Wine | |
| 1998 | Detonator | Gail Davies | |
| 2000 | Guido Takes a Hike | Bartender | Short film |
| 2001 | Totally Blonde | Blonde School Director | |
| 2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Charlene Tilton | |
| 2005 | A Distant Thunder | Susan | Short film |
| 2006 | Getting It Straight | Cynthia Rosenburg | Short film |
| 2008 | Tell Veronica | Veronica Star | |
| 2008 | Superhero Movie | Jill's Mother | |
| 2009 | The Fish | Charlene Tilton | |
| 2009 | Sarah's Choice | Michelle Biden | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Paranormal Calamity | Jacquiline | |
| 2010 | #1 Cheerleader Camp | Charlene Tilton | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Mean Parents Suck | Jean Farell | |
| 2011 | Doctor Spine | Aunt Sally | |
| 2012 | Edge of Salvation | Sarah Malone | |
| 2012 | Hemingway | Mrs. Hemingway | |
| 2013 | Buttwhistle | Mrs. Podgorney | |
| 2013 | Lucky Dog | Jeanie | |
| 2014 | Not Another Celebrity Movie | Chef |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Happy Days | Jill Higgins | Episode: "They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?" |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough | Wendy Springer | Episode: "Women, Ducks and the Domino Theory" |
| 1978–85 1988–90 1991 |
Dallas | Lucy Ewing Cooper | Series regular, 246 episodes Young Artist Award for Best Juvenile Actress in a TV Series or Special (1979) Young Artist Award Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award (2001) TV Land Pop Culture Award (2006) |
| 1979 | Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker | Julie | TV Movie |
| 1979 | The Fall of the House of Usher | Jennifer Cresswell | TV Movie |
| 1980 | Knots Landing | Lucy Ewing | Episode: "Home is for Healing" |
| 1980 | Laverne & Shirley | The Girl at Bar | Episodes: "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express: Part 1 and Part 2" |
| 1980 | Fantasy Island | Charlotte 'Charlie' Johnson | Episode: "Skater's Edge/Concerto of Death/The Last Great Race" |
| 1981 | Saturday Night Live | Herself - Host / Various | Episode: "Charlene Tilton/Todd Rundgren/Prince" |
| 1983 | Hotel | Holly Lane | Episode: "Relative Loss" |
| 1980–87 | The Love Boat | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Cindy March | Episode: "The Cemetery Vote" |
| 1993 | Married... with Children | Herself | Episode: "Tis time to smell the roses" |
| 1995 | Favorite Deadly Sins | Norma Jean | TV Movie |
| 1995 | Star Witness | Grace Kelly | TV Movie |
| 1998 | Safety Patrol | Mrs. Zapruder | TV Movie |
| 2000 | The Theory of Everything | Stephanie | TV Movie |
| 2000 | Bar Hopping | Actress | TV Movie |
| 2007 | Point of Entry | Helen | TV Movie |
| 2012–14 | Dallas | Lucy Ewing | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | DeVanity | Francesca DeVanity | Web series, Guest Star in episode 3.6 |
| 2013 | Reading, Writing & Romance | Penny | TV Movie |
References
- ↑ New York Times
- ↑ Los Angeles Times
- ↑ "Charlene Tilton". People.com. November 28, 1994. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ Shales, Tom; Miller, James Andrew (2002). Live from New York: an Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Little, Brown and Company. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-316-78146-6.
- ↑ "22nd Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ↑ "Charlene Tilton on Dancing on Ice and going back to Dallas - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. January 7, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ "Keck's Exclusives: TNT's Dallas to Serve Up More Lucy and Ray - Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. November 10, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ "'Dallas': After Charlene Tilton's cameo, who else should return? - Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. June 15, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ Charlene Tilton Biography (1958)
External links
- Charlene Tilton at the Internet Movie Database
- Charlene Tilton at AllMovie
- Charlene Tilton on Twitter
