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Stephanie Zimbalist

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Stephanie Zimbalist
Publicity still for Remington Steele (1982)
Born (1956-10-08) October 8, 1956 (age 68)[1]
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materJuilliard School
OccupationActress
Years active1977–present
Known for
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
FatherEfrem Zimbalist Jr.
RelativesEfrem Zimbalist (paternal grandfather)
Alma Gluck (paternal grandmother)
Marcia Davenport (paternal aunt)

Stephanie Zimbalist (born October 8, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Holt in the NBC detective series Remington Steele.

Background

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Stephanie Zimbalist, who was born in New York City, is the daughter of Loranda Stephanie (née Spalding) and actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who starred in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. as well as theatrical films. The family soon moved to Los Angeles, where Stephanie grew up. She was educated at the Marlborough School (Los Angeles) and graduated from Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia. She attended the Juilliard School before commencing her acting career.[2]

Zimbalist's paternal grandfather, Efrem Zimbalist, born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, was a symphony conductor, concert violinist and music teacher at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and composer. Her paternal grandmother, Alma Gluck, born in Romania, was a leading soprano of her day.[3] Zimbalist's aunt, Marcia Davenport, was a prominent author, music journalist and historian.[4]

Acting career

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Television and film career

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Zimbalist's early television and movie appearances include The Gathering (1977, with Edward Asner), In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (1977), Forever (1978), The Magic of Lassie (1978), Long Journey Back (TV, 1978), The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal (1979), The Awakening (1980, with Charlton Heston), The Golden Moment (1980), in which she played a Soviet Olympic gymnast, The Babysitter (1980) and Tomorrow's Child (TV, 1982). She co-starred with her father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., in the tragic 1979 TV movie The Best Place to Be.

Another early role for Zimbalist was that of Elly Zendt in the mini-series Centennial, based on James Michener's epic novel of the same name, which was first televised on NBC between October 1978 and February 1979. She also guest starred as Josephine "Josie" Collins in the television series Family episode "Ballerina" (1979).

In her TV work, Zimbalist is best known in the TV role of sleuth Laura Holt in the NBC series Remington Steele (1982–87) opposite Pierce Brosnan and Doris Roberts, on which her father also guest-starred.

Since then, Zimbalist has taken leading roles in several television movies such as The Man in the Brown Suit (1988), the Emmy Award winning Caroline? (1990), The Great Elephant Escape (1995), and some guest roles in television series such as Touched by an Angel and Diagnosis Murder.[citation needed]

Theater

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In 1979, she appeared as Miranda in John Hirsch's production of The Tempest with Anthony Hopkins (as Prospero), Brent Carver, and Michael Bond at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Zimbalist played opposite Tommy Tune in the touring musical My One and Only, taking the featured role of "Edith Herbert". She has made several appearances with the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California, winning the local critics' "Robby Award" for Best Actress in a Drama in The Rainmaker, at the Rubicon community theatre in 2001. Throughout the 2000s, Zimbalist took roles in plays concerning nineteenth-century artists including Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Van Gogh.[citation needed]

She also played Christa McAuliffe in the play Defying Gravity in 2003, written by Jane Anderson.[5]

In 2009 she portrayed actress Katharine Hepburn in Tea at Five.[6]

Other work

Zimbalist has also released audiobooks, including The Girls, which won a Listen-Up award in 2006,[7] and Queen of the Underworld.[8]

She appeared in the 2006 documentary Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars.[9]

Personal life

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In a 2016 interview she described attending a Billy Graham crusade over 15 years prior with Dean Butler, and both going down to "accept the Lord." She expressed, "I have a personal connection with my Savior... I feel very beholden to Him--for me it's a him--I feel He's there for me in my darkest moments." In the same interview she mentioned years ago moving out of an "inappropriate relationship" with a married man, though still remaining friends.[10]

Stage roles

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  • Gypsy (1969)
  • Stars & Stripes (1970)
  • Little Mary Sunshine (1971)
  • Peter Pan (1974)
  • Kiss Me Kate (1976)
  • Festival (1979)
  • The Tempest (1979)
  • The Babysitter (1980)
  • American Mosaic (1982)
  • The Cherry Orchard (1983)
  • Barbarians (1986)
  • Summer & Smoke (1986)
  • My One & Only (1987)
  • Carousel (1988)
  • The Baby Dance (1990–1991)
  • The Threepenny Opera (1992)
  • The Philadelphia Story (1992–1993)
  • The Crimson Thread (1994)
  • AdWars (1995)
  • Sylvia (1996–1997)
  • Wonderful Town (1997)
  • Mr. Bundy (1998)
  • The Gregory Peck Reading Series (1998)
  • Denial (1999)
  • Far East (1999)
  • 14th Annual Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival (2000)
  • Side Man (2000)
  • Accomplice (2000)
  • The Rainmaker (2000–2001)
  • Walking Wounded (2000)
  • A Cowardly Cavalcade (2000)
  • The Gregory Peck Reading Series (2001)
  • 15th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival (2001)
  • 16th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival (2002)
  • The Cherry Orchard (2002)
  • Dancing At Lughnasa (2003)
  • Tall Tales (2003)
  • Romantique (2003)
  • Defying Gravity (2003)
  • Follies (2004)
  • Vincent in Brixton (2004)
  • The Night of the Iguana (2004)
  • Confidentially Chaikovski (2005)
  • Theater 150's 10-Minute Play Festival (2006)
  • Mesmeric Mozart (2006)
  • 20th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival (2006)
  • Tea At Five (2006, 2009, 2010, 2012)
  • The Memory of Water (2007)
  • Hamlet (2007)
  • A Little Night Music (2007), (2013)
  • You Can't Take It With You (2007)
  • 22nd Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival (2008)
  • The Spin Cycle (2008)
  • The Price (2009)
  • Truth and Justice (2010)
  • The Subject Was Roses (2011)
  • Steel Magnolias (2011, 2013)
  • The Lion in Winter (2011)
  • Sex and Education (2014)
  • Living on Love (2015)

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Magic of Lassie Kelly Mitchell
1980 The Awakening Margaret Corbeck
2000 The Prophet's Game Francis Aldobrandi
2001 Borderline Normal Vicky Walling
2001 Malpractice Beth Garrett
2006 Truth Meredith Video
2006 Lucy's Piano Alice Short
2008 The Delivery The Red Queen Short
2015 Hamlet's Ghost Justina Keller / Queen Gertrude
2016 His Neighbor Phil Mary
2023 Lucky Louie Pastor Mimi

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1977 Yesterday's Child Ann Talbot TV film
1977 Lucan Tashi "Listen to the Heart Beat"
1977 In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan Mary Ellen Quinlan TV film
1977 The Gathering Toni TV film
1978 Forever Katherine Danziger TV film
1978 The Love Boat Jenny Lang "The Caper: Parts 1 & 2"
1978 Long Journey Back Celia Casella TV film
1978–79 Centennial Elly Zendt TV miniseries
1979 The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal Connie TV film
1979 Family Josie "Ballerina"
1979 The Best Place to Be Maryanne Callahan TV film
1980 Hagen Linda "Hear No Evil"
1980 The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story Anya Andreyev TV film
1980 The Babysitter Joanna Redwine TV film
1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Linda Thompson TV film
1982 Tomorrow's Child Kay Spence TV film
1982–1987 Remington Steele Laura Holt Main role
1985 Love on the Run Diana Rockland TV film
1985 The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible Eve "The Creation"
1985 A Letter to Three Wives Debra Bishop TV film
1987 Celebration Family Janet Marston TV film
1989 The Man in the Brown Suit Anne Beddingfeld TV film
1989 The Hitchhiker Heather "Hootch"
1990 Personals Sarah Martin TV film
1990 Caroline? Caroline TV film
1991 The Killing Mind Isobel Neiman TV film
1991 The Story Lady Julie Pollard TV film
1992 Breaking the Silence Janey Kirkland TV film
1992 Sexual Advances Paula Pratt TV film
1993 The Hidden Room Della "While She Was Out"
1993 Jericho Fever Bonnie Whitney TV film
1994 Incident in a Small Town Lily Margaret Bell TV film
1994 Batman: The Animated Series Janet Van Dorn (voice) "Trial"
1994 Voices from Within Ann Parkhurst TV film
1995 The Great Elephant Escape Beverly Cunningham TV film
1995 Whose Daughter Is She? Cathy TV film
1996 Stop the World – I Want to Get Off Evie TV film
1996 Dead Ahead Maura Loch TV film
1997 Touched by an Angel Dr. Kate Calder "My Dinner with Andrew"
1997 Prison of Secrets Lynn Schaffer TV film
1999 Twice in a Lifetime Dana Hancock / Ann Rutherford "Ashes to Ashes"
1999 Diagnosis: Murder Vanessa Sellars "The Seven Deadly Sins"
1999 Chicken Soup for the Soul Mom "Simple Wooden Boxes"
2000 Family Law Elizabeth Lane "Second Chance"
2001 V.I.P. Bobbi Canary "Get Vallery"
2001 Nash Bridges Joy Larson "Kill Joy"
2001 Touched by an Angel Jessica Albright "Heaven's Portal"
2003 Crossing Jordan Mrs. Sullivan "Cruel & Unusual"
2003 Judging Amy Ms. Friedman "Marry, Marry Quite Contrary"

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1981 8th Saturn Awards Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress The Awakening Nominated
1991 Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film Caroline? Nominated

References

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  1. ^ UPI Staff (2022-10-08). "Famous birthdays for Oct. 8: Bella Thorne, Chevy Chase". United Press International. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  2. ^ Stephanie Zimbalist official web site
  3. ^ Efrem Zimbalist Jr., My Dinner of Herbs, Limelight Editions, 2004.
  4. ^ Marcia Davenport, Too Strong for Fantasy, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1966.
  5. ^ Brandes, Phillip. "Theater Review. On keeping dreams aloft" Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2003
  6. ^ Donelan, Charles (December 2, 2009). "Tea at Five Tells Hepburn Story". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  7. ^ Howell, Kevin; Maughan, Shannon (2007-01-01). "The 2006 Listen-Up Awards". PublishersWeekly. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  8. ^ "Stephanie Zimbalist audiobooks". AudioFile Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  9. ^ "Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  10. ^ Credo in Hollywood | Stephanie Zimbalist, retrieved 2023-08-15
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