Jenilee Harrison
Jenilee A. Harrison (born June 12, 1958)[1] is an American actress who appeared as Cindy Snow, a replacement for blonde roommate Chrissy Snow on the hit sitcom Three's Company, between 1980 and 1982. She went on to play Jamie Ewing Barnes in Dallas from 1984 to 1986.
Jenilee Harrison | |
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Born | Jenilee A. Harrison June 12, 1958 Northridge, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress, TV Infomercial pitchperson |
Years active | 1978–present |
Spouse(s) | Bruce Oppenheim (m. 1993) |
Career
Early years
Before breaking into show business, Harrison was a cheerleader from 1978–1980 for the Los Angeles Rams.[2] In 1980, Harrison graduated with an education degree from USC. In the same year, she won the title Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. It was while studying at USC that Jenilee first met acting coach Joyce Selznick. Selznick gave her a lot of handy tips on how to polish her acting skills.
Three's Company
Harrison joined the cast of ABC's Three's Company in 1980. She entered the show as a replacement for Suzanne Somers who played the sitcom's "ditzy blonde" Chrissy Snow. Somers left the show just after the show's fifth season had begun. Harrison was cast as Somers' replacement. Harrison's character, Cindy Snow, was created to be Chrissy Snow's cousin. Unlike Chrissy, Cindy was not a "dumb blonde"; instead, she was an extremely clumsy farm girl. The character of Cindy was similar enough to Chrissy, however, that producers could use scripts already written with the Chrissy character in mind. Harrison debuted on Three's Company in the episode entitled "Chrissy's Cousin" (season five, episode seven). She enters as Jack and Janet's new roommate after Chrissy's departure. Cindy proves she is a klutz right away by knocking Jack down. Her constant "accidents" (mainly with Jack) added to the show's gags of characters being clumsy. Though she had replaced Somers, Harrison was not given opening-credits billing, and instead Somers still obtained opening billing (as a part of finishing off her contract). Harrison was end-credits billed, as a guest star.
For the sixth season of Three's Company, a new blonde roommate named Terri Alden (Priscilla Barnes), a smart nurse, took Cindy's place in the apartment. Harrison was retained on the show and this time was given opening-cast billing. She now had a lesser role, however, appearing less frequently in the series, with the character living near the apartment at UCLA. By the end of the season Cindy Snow disappeared from the series, her last appearance being in "Janet Wigs Out" (season six, episode 24).
Later career
Beginning in 1984, Harrison portrayed the recurring character Jamie Ewing Barnes in the drama Dallas. She played the role until 1986. Her character was actually killed off twice, first when she starts the car belonging to her brother, Jack Ewing, in the episode "Blast from the Past" and it explodes, killing her. After the entire ninth season was explained away as a dream, Harrison returned for her character to die again. Early in 1987, Jamie was killed in a mountain-climbing accident.
In 1984, Harrison played a reluctant prostitute in the movie Tank alongside James Garner and C. Thomas Howell.
In 1985, she appeared on Super Password with Dick Gautier, appearing again in 1986, this time with Marty Cohen, Michael Young, and Bruce Baum, and Dallas star Ken Kercheval in 1987 with Bert Convy. Also, in 1985, she made a brief appearance as a waitress in Loverboy's music video "Lovin' Every Minute Of It".[3]
Harrison also guest-starred on That '70s Show in 1999. In 1991, she starred in the movie Panga opposite Christopher Lee.
Between 1996 and 2005 Harrison began appearing in a couple of "As Seen on TV" infomercials like the AB Flex, the Sobakawa Pillow and the Ultimate Chopper with Chef Tony.
Personal life
In the early 1980s, Harrison dated L.A. Rams guard Dennis Harrah and Major League Baseball player Reggie Jackson.[4][5][6]
In 1993, Harrison married Dr. Bruce Oppenheim, a prominent Los Angeles-area chiropractor, who is the ex-husband of actress Cybill Shepherd.[7] She has two stepchildren from her husband's previous marriage to Shepherd: Molly Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim and Cyrus Zachariah Shepherd-Oppenheim.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | CHiPs | Cheerleader | Episode: "High Flyer" |
1979 | 240-Robert | College Girl / Jill | Episodes: "Stuntman" and "The Applicant" |
1980–82 | Three's Company | Cindy Snow | Main cast (32 episodes) |
1981 | The Love Boat | Connie Wilker | Episodes: "The Three R's" (Parts 1 & 2) |
1981 | Fantasy Island | Ginger Donovan | Episode: "Slam Dunk" |
1981 | Battle of the Network Stars X | Herself - ABC Team | TV special |
1982 | Fantasy Island | Jenny Ryan | Episode: "Natchez Bound" |
1983 | The Love Boat | Erica Dupont | Episode: "Here Comes the Bride - Maybe" |
1983 | Malibu | Cindy | TV movie |
1983 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | Stacey | Episode: "The Shadow Women of Chung Tai" |
1984 | Fantasy Island | Barbara Jessup | Episode: "Games People Play" |
1984 | The Love Boat | Sheila | Episode: "The Babymakers" |
1984 | The New Mike Hammer | Shelley Steele | Episode: "Shots in the Dark" |
1984 | Tank | Sarah | |
1984–86 | Dallas | Jamie Ewing | Main cast (70 episodes) |
1985 | Battle of the Network Stars XVIII | Herself - CBS Team | TV special |
1986 | Simon & Simon | Jennifer Tucker | Episode: "Just Because I'm Paranoid" |
1987 | The Love Boat: Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? | Sarah York | TV movie |
1987 | Hotel | Brenda Thompkins | Episode: "Class of '72" |
1987 | The New Mike Hammer | Maggie | Episode: "Lady Killer" |
1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Serena | Episode: "The Way to Dusty Death" |
1988 | She's the Sheriff | Grace | Episode: "Hair" |
1991 | They Came from Outer Space | Dr. H.J. Pretzel | Episode: "Play Doctor" |
1991 | Curse III: Blood Sacrifice | Elizabeth Armstrong | Alternative title: Panga |
1991 | Prime Target | Kathy Bloodstone | |
1992 | Illicit Behavior | Charlene Lernoux | |
1995 | Fists of Iron | Julie Weaver | |
1999 | AbSlide | TV movie | |
1999 | That '70s Show | Carol | Episode: "Red's Birthday" |
2000 | The Redemption | Sarah Snyder | |
2002 | The Power | Hillary | TV movie |
References
- "Today in history". ABC News. Associated Press. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- Neuman, Joshua (October 23, 2015). "The Embraceable Ewes, L.A.'s First Pro Cheerleaders, Reunite". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365649/
- Bricker, Rebecca (July 24, 1985). "Take One". People Magazine (People.com), Vol. 24 No. 2. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- "Reggie Jackson biography". NNDB.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- "Jennilee Harrison biography". NNDB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- Ryon, Ruth (November 22, 1998). "'Bird' Leaves Los Feliz Coop". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 8, 2019.