Harley Jane Kozak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harley Jane Kozak
Kozak in 2018
Born	(1957-01-28) January 28, 1957 (age 68) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress, author
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Van Santvoord ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1983)​ Gregory Aldisert ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2007)​
Children	3

Harley Jane Kozak (born January 28, 1957) is an American actress and author. She started her career in the early 1980s, appearing in the horror movie The House on Sorority Row and the popular TV soap opera Santa Barbara.

You might recognize her from supporting roles in famous movies like When Harry Met Sally... (1989). She also starred in major films like the family comedy Parenthood (1989) and the spider-themed thriller Arachnophobia (1990).

Later in her career, Kozak began writing mystery novels. Her first book, Dating Dead Men, was a big success and won several awards.

Early Life and Education

Harley Jane Kozak grew up on a farm near Lincoln, Nebraska. After high school, she attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for a while before moving to New York City to follow her dream of becoming an actress.

In New York, she studied at New York University's famous Tisch School of the Arts and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1980.

An interesting fact about her name is that "Harley" was a nickname she got from a friend who owned a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. She liked the name so much that she legally changed it.

Career in Acting and Writing

Famous Roles on TV and in Movies

Kozak has a long list of acting credits. She appeared in several TV soap operas, including Texas, Guiding Light, and Santa Barbara.

Her role as the former nun Mary Duvall in Santa Barbara became very popular with fans. In the show, her character died when a giant letter "C" from a sign fell on her. Viewers were so upset that they wrote letters to the show, asking for her to come back. Kozak was proud of her character's unique exit and had moved on to other projects, but she did return for a brief appearance as an angel in a dream sequence.

Throughout the 1990s, she starred in many movies, including:

• Parenthood (1989)
• Arachnophobia (1990)
• Necessary Roughness (1991)
• All I Want for Christmas (1991)
• The Favor (1994)
• Magic in the Water (1995)

In 1996, she played Bess Allison in the TV miniseries Titanic, about the famous ship that sank. She also made a guest appearance in the science fiction show Stargate SG-1 as Sara O'Neill.

A New Career as an Author

In the 2000s, Kozak focused more on her writing. She has written five mystery novels. Her first four books are about an amateur detective named Wollie Shelley, who designs greeting cards.

Her first novel, Dating Dead Men (2004), was very successful. It won the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award for Best First Novel. Her other books in the series include Dating Is Murder: A Novel (2005), Dead Ex (2007), and A Date You Can't Refuse (2008).

Personal Life

Kozak lives in Los Angeles, California. She has been married twice and has three children from her second marriage.

Selected Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Harley Jane Kozak para niños