Erin Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erin Gray
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Gray at the Big Apple Comic Con in 2009
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| Born | January 7, 1950 Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Known for | Colonel Wilma Deering – Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Kate Summers-Stratton – Silver Spoons |
| Spouse(s) |
Ken Schwartz
(m. 1968; div. 1990)Richard Hissong
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
Erin Gray (born January 7, 1950) is an American actress. She started her career as a model. Later, she also worked as a casting agent. She is best known for playing Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. She also played Kate Summers-Stratton in the comedy show Silver Spoons.
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Erin Gray's Early Life
Erin Gray's parents separated when she was eight years old. For a few years, she lived with her grandparents in Palm Springs, California. Later, she and her mother moved to Larkspur, California.
Gray went to Redwood High School. She finished her last semester at Pacific Palisades High School. She briefly studied mathematics at UCLA. However, she left college to become a model. She then moved to New York City to pursue her modeling dreams.
Erin Gray's Acting Career
Erin Gray began her career as a model. When she was 14, she won her first modeling contest. This led to modeling jobs in St. Louis. She also appeared in commercials in Los Angeles. In 1967, she was a dancer on the TV show Malibu U. She moved to New York City to become a top model. By 1975, she was one of the best TV models in the country.
In 1978, Gray got her first main acting role. It was in the TV miniseries Evening in Byzantium. After this, she signed a contract with Universal Studios. This led to her famous role as Colonel Wilma Deering. She played this character in the movie Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Then, she continued the role in the weekly TV series. Her character, Wilma Deering, was very popular. She was a strong female character in a science fiction show. This was new and important for many viewers.
Gray explained that she enjoyed being a role model. She said, "I was the first female colonel. I enjoyed being that kind of role model for young women watching the show. A woman can be a colonel! A woman can be in charge! Those were new ideas then."
After Buck Rogers, Gray appeared in an episode of Magnum, P.I. in 1981. She played a security expert named Joy 'Digger' Doyle. In 1982, she was in the movie Six Pack with Kenny Rogers. Gray then starred as Kate Summers in the TV comedy Silver Spoons. This show ran for several years in the 1980s.
After Silver Spoons ended, she continued acting in films and TV shows. She appeared in Superboy and Murder, She Wrote. In 1993, Gray had a role in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. This was the ninth movie in the Friday the 13th series. She also appeared in the 2005 film Siren.
In 2010, Erin Gray and Gil Gerard played the parents of their original characters. This was for the pilot episode of a Buck Rogers web series. She also appeared in a TV commercial for Pup-Peroni dog treats in 2010.
Today, Gray works as a casting agent. Her agency, Heroes for Hire, helps science fiction and fantasy stars find jobs. These jobs include personal appearances and charity events. Erin Gray also teaches tai chi.
In 1998, Gray wrote a book called Act Right with Mara Purl. The book gives advice to new actors. A new version of the book was released in 2002.
Gray starred in the 2011 movie Dreams Awake. She also played Madeline Twain on The Guild web series. In 2014, she was a guest star in the webisode "Lolani" from Star Trek Continues. She played Commodore Gray. She returned as Commodore Gray in 2016 in the episode "Embracing the Winds."
Erin Gray's Personal Life
Erin Gray has been married two times. She met Ken Schwartz in high school. They were married from 1968 to 1990. They had one son, Kevan Ray Schwartz, born in 1976. Ken Schwartz was a successful real estate executive. He later became her manager when her acting career grew. They divorced in 1990.
Gray married Richard Hissong in 1991. Their daughter, Samantha, was born that same year. Samantha also acted in the Buck Rogers Internet video series. She played Buck Rogers' girlfriend, Maddy.
Erin Gray also works to help protect children from exploitation.
Film Roles
Erin Gray has appeared in many films. Here are some of them:
- 1979: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Colonel Wilma Deering
- 1982: Six Pack as Lilah
- 1993: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday as Diana Kimble
- 2000: The Last Producer as Dee Freeman
- 2006: Siren as Sharon Cox
- 2009: Hunter Prey as Clea
- 2011: Dreams Awake as Hope Emrys
- 2013: Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th as Herself (a documentary)
- 2019: Finding Grace as Judge Ariel Harper
Television Roles
Erin Gray has also had many roles on television. Here are some of her notable appearances:
- 1979–1981: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Colonel Wilma Deering (32 episodes)
- 1981: Magnum, P.I. as Joy 'Digger' Doyle (1 episode)
- 1982–1987: Silver Spoons as Kate Summers-Stratton (116 episodes)
- 1988: Murder, She Wrote as Andrea Dean (1 episode)
- 1992: Superboy as Samantha Meyers (1 episode)
- 1997–1998: Baywatch as Chief Monica Johnson (5 episodes)
- 2000: Profiler as Congresswoman Karen Archer (3 episodes)
- 2011: The Guild as Madeleine Twain (5 episodes)
- 2014: Star Trek Continues as Commodore Gray (2 episodes)
- 2018: The Thundermans as "Nana" Thunderman (1 episode)
Video Game Roles
- 2009: Ghostbusters: The Video Game as Spider Witch / Additional Voices
See also
In Spanish: Erin Gray para niños
