Linda Purl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Purl
Purl in 2010
Born	(1955-09-02) September 2, 1955 (age 69) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Finch College
Alma mater	Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1964–present
Known for	Happy Days Matlock
Spouse(s)	Desi Arnaz Jr. ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1980)​ William Broyles Jr. ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1992)​ Alexander Cary, Master of Falkland ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 1999)​ James Vinson Adams ​ ​ (m. 2006; div. 2011)​
Partner(s)	Patrick Duffy (2020–present)
Children	1

Linda Purl (born September 2, 1955) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her roles in popular TV shows. You might know her as Ashley Pfister, Fonzie's girlfriend on Happy Days. She also played Charlene Matlock, the lawyer daughter of Ben Matlock, in the first season of Matlock. Later, she appeared as Helene, Pam Beesly's mother, in The Office.

Early Life and Training

Linda Purl was born on September 2, 1955, in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her parents were Raymond Charles Arthur Purl and Marshelline "Marshie" Purl. She has one sister named Mara. Her grandmother, Beatrice Saville, helped start the Actors' Equity Association, which is a union for actors.

When Linda was five years old, her family moved to Japan. Her father worked there for a company called Nippon Unicar. Linda spent her childhood in Japan and learned acting at the Toho Geino Academy. She performed in several plays at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo. Some of her roles included Louis in The King and I, Bet in Oliver!, and Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. She was also discovered by the Japanese film studio Toho and appeared in some movies there.

At age 15, Linda Purl came back to the United States. She went to Wykeham Rise School, a private boarding school for girls in Washington, Connecticut. This school focused on creative and performing arts. While still in high school, she got a role in the TV show The Secret Storm. After attending Finch College, she continued her acting studies in England and then at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in the U.S.

Acting Career Highlights

Linda Purl has had a long and successful career in both movies and television.

Film Roles

Linda Purl's first big movie role was in the 1975 comedy Crazy Mama. Before that, she had a small part in Jory (1973). She has appeared in many other films, including W.C. Fields and Me (1976), Young Pioneers' Christmas (1976), Leo and Loree (1980), and Mighty Joe Young (1998).

Television Appearances

Linda Purl has been in many television series and movies made for TV. She started with the daytime drama The Secret Storm from 1973 to 1974.

In 1978, she played Molly Beaton in the ABC western drama series The Young Pioneers. This show was set in the 1870s in the Dakota Territory. She also starred in the TV movie Like Normal People in 1979.

A fun fact about her career is that she played two different characters on Happy Days. First, she was Richie's occasional girlfriend Gloria in 1974. Later, in 1982–1983, she returned as Fonzie's steady girlfriend, Ashley Pfister.

Purl also played secret agent Kate Del'Amico in the series Under Cover and Brett Robin in Robin's Hoods (1994–1995).

She appeared in the historical TV mini-series Eleanor and Franklin in 1976. In this series, she played Alice Roosevelt Longworth, who was the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Linda Purl made guest appearances on many classic TV shows. In 1975, she was in an episode of Hawaii Five-O. She also played two different roles on The Waltons. In 1974, she was Alicia, and in 1977, she played Vanessa, who was Mary Ellen's sister-in-law.

In 1986, she joined the cast of Matlock as Charlene Matlock, the daughter of the main character, Ben Matlock, played by Andy Griffith. She was a main character in the first season.

Later, Purl became a recurring character on NBC's The Office. She played Helene Beesly, Pam Beesly's mother, starting in 2009. Her character also had a romantic storyline with Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott.

She has continued to appear in many TV shows, including Desperate Housewives (2010), Homeland (2011), True Blood (2012), and Designated Survivor (2017). Currently, she plays a recurring character named Lucy on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Theatre Performances

Linda Purl is also a talented stage actress. She was part of the original cast of the international touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners. In 2008, she performed in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at the Cleveland Play House.

Music Career

After her time on Matlock, Linda Purl started a career in jazz music. She has released several albums, including Out of This World – Live.

In August 2023, she released her fourth album, This Could Be the Start, which was a collaboration with music director Tedd Firth. Linda Purl is known for her jazz singing, where she brings a special storytelling style to classic show tunes and jazz songs.

Personal Life

Linda Purl has been married four times. Her first marriage was to Desi Arnaz Jr., who is the son of famous actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She later married screenwriter William Broyles Jr.. Her third marriage was to British screenwriter and producer Alexander Cary, Master of Falkland. With Alexander Cary, she has a son named Lucius, who was born in 1995. Her fourth marriage was to James Vinson Adams.

Since 2020, Linda Purl has been in a relationship with actor Patrick Duffy.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Linda Purl para niños

• List of Matlock characters