Marta Kristen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marta Kristen
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Kristen as Judy Robinson in Lost in Space 1965
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| Born |
Birgit Annalisa Rusanen
Oslo, Norway
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| Other names | Martha Annalise Soderquist |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 1 |
Marta Kristen is an actress born in Norway. She is also an American citizen.
Marta Kristen is most famous for playing Judy Robinson in the TV show Lost in Space. In this show, which aired from 1965 to 1968, she played the oldest child of Professor John Robinson and his wife, Maureen. Her character, Judy, was a young adult.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Marta Kristen was born in Oslo, Norway. Her birth name was Birgit Annalisa Rusanen. Her mother was Finnish, and her German father passed away during World War II. To protect young Birgit from the difficulties of that time, her Finnish mother placed her in an orphanage in Norway.
In 1949, when she was a child, Birgit was adopted by a couple from Detroit, Michigan. Her new parents, Harold Oliver Soderquist and Bertha, renamed her Martha Annalise Soderquist. Her adoptive father was a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. Marta also has an adopted brother.
In 1959, Marta moved to the Los Angeles area. She stayed there with a guardian and finished high school at Santa Monica High School.
Marta Kristen's Acting Career
Marta chose her stage name, Marta Kristen, to reflect her Scandinavian background. Her first acting role was in 1961 on an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents called "Bang! You're Dead." She acted alongside Billy Mumy, who later became her co-star in Lost in Space.
In 1963, she appeared in an episode of The Eleventh Hour and also played Peggy Meredith on My Three Sons.
Early Film Roles
Marta Kristen's first movie role was in the 1963 Walt Disney film Savage Sam. She also played Lorelei in the 1965 movie Beach Blanket Bingo.
Starring in Lost in Space
Marta Kristen starred in Lost in Space from when it started in 1965 until it ended in 1968. After the show, she had a daughter in 1969. She then appeared in many television commercials and made guest appearances on various TV shows.
She also appeared in a biography about her Lost in Space co-star, Jonathan Harris, called Jonathan Harris: Never Fear, Smith Is Here in 2002.
Later Film and Voice Work
Marta Kristen continued to appear in movies like Terminal Island (1973) and the science-fiction film Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). She also had a small role in the 1998 movie Lost in Space.
In 2009, she provided voice work for an animated short film called "The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas". Her Lost in Space co-stars, Jonathan Harris, Billy Mumy, and Angela Cartwright, also lent their voices to this film.
Personal Life
Marta Kristen has been married two times. Her first husband was Terry Treadwell, a psychologist. She met her second husband, Kevin P. Kane, in 1974. They got married on November 18, 1978. They lived in Santa Monica, California, with their two rescue dogs. Kevin P. Kane passed away in 2016.
Selected Filmography
- The Loretta Young Show (1960) as Bonnie
- My Three Sons (1960) as Peggy Meredith
- Leave It to Beaver (1961) as Christine Staples
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) as Marjorie Stone and Jiffy Snack Girl
- My Three Sons (1962) as Linda Francis
- The Dick Powell Show (1963) as Joan Kent
- Dr. Kildare (1963) as Darleen Landon
- The Eleventh Hour (1963) as Darleen Landon
- My Three Sons (1964) as Lorraine Pendleton
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Felicia Lavimore
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1964) as Billie Jo
- Mr. Novak (1964) as Gail Andrews
- Wagon Train (1965) as Wanda Snow
- Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) as Lorelei
- Lost in Space (1965 - 1968) as Judy Robinson
- Insight (1969) as Chick
- The Mephisto Waltz (1971) as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Mannix (1965) as Aileen
- Terminal Island (1973) as Lee Phillips
- Project U.F.O. (1978) as Anita
- Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) as Lux
- Remington Steele (1982) as Blonde
- Fame (1985) as Dede Callahan
- Trapper John, M.D. (1985) as Mrs. Christopher
- Wildside (1985) as Ellen Jonsen
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1987) as Lena Spickens
- Strange Voices (1987) as Mona
- Murphy Brown (1994) as Norwegian Mom
- Panic in the Park (1995) (Video Game) as Annabelle Lee
- Harvest of Fire (1996) as Martha Troyer
- Below Utopia (1997) as Marilyn Beckett
- Lost in Space (1998) as Reporter #1
- The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas (2009) as Mrs. Ratchet (voice)
- Lost in Space: The Epilogue (2015) as Judy Robinson
- Ageless (2016) as Phyllis
- Breaking Point (2018) as Debby
- The Vamps Next Door (2019) as Astrid
- Last Day (2021) as Mila
- Brenda & Oliver (2022) as Brenda
- A Reluctant Heart (2022) as Inez Burr
- Benny the Barnacle (2022) as Serenity Seahorse
Images for kids
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Marta Kristen in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Marta Kristen para niños
