Born: March 4, 1953
Age: 71
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Kay Ann Lenz (born March 4, 1953) is an American actress. A former child performer, Lenz has worked primarily in television and has won two Emmy Awards.
Lenz was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Ted Lenz, a producer/commentator father and Kay Miller Lenz, a model/radio engineer mother. She began working as a child actress, appearing in such television shows as The Andy Griffith Show (under the stage name Kay Ann Kemper), Opie's Group (1967) as well as in stage productions. She made a brief appearance (billed as Kay Ann Kemper) in a small role in American Graffiti (1973) as Jane, a girl at a dance. She achieved recognition for her title-role performance as the free spirit who captivates William Holden in Breezy, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Lenz made guest appearances in The Streets of San Francisco, Gunsmoke, MacGyver, McCloud, Cannon, and Petrocelli, and played a lead role in the film White Line Fever (1975) before being cast in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man in 1976, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. She reprised her role for the sequel, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (1977). Since the 1980s, she has played guest roles in numerous television series.
In 1984 she appeared in Rod Stewart's music video for the song "Infatuation". She won an Emmy in 1989 for Midnight Caller.
Lenz was the first wife of singer-actor David Cassidy. They married on April 3, 1977, and divorced on December 28, 1983, She has no children.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | American Graffiti | Jane | as Kay Ann Kemper |
1973 | Breezy | Edith Alice Breezerman | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female |
1973 | Lisa, Bright and Dark | Lisa Schilling | |
1974 | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak | Dorie | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Special |
1974 | Nakia | Episode: "The Hostage" | |
1974 | McCloud (TV series) | Eve Randall | Episode: "Barefoot Girls of Bleeker Street" |
1975 | White Line Fever | Jerri Kane Hummer | |
1976 | Rich Man, Poor Man | Kate Jordache | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie |
1976 | Moving Violation | Cam Johnson | |
1976 | The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday | Thursday | |
1977 | Rich Man, Poor Man Book II | Kate Jordache | |
1978 | Mean Dog Blues | Linda Ramsey | |
1978 | The Initiation of Sarah | Sarah Goodwin | |
1978 | How The West Was Won | Doreen | |
1979 | The Passage | Leah Bergson | |
1981 | Swan Lake | Odile (voice) | |
1982 | Fast-Walking | 'Little' Moke | |
1983 | Prisoners of the Lost Universe | Carrie Madison | |
1983 | Trial by Terror | Karen Armstrong | |
1984 | Infatuation | Stalked Actress | Rod Stewart music video |
1984 | Magnum P.I. | (1 episode) | |
1985 | Murder She Wrote | nurse Jenny Wells | (1 episode) |
1986 | House | Sandy Sinclair | Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress |
1987 | Death Wish 4: The Crackdown | Karen Sheldon | |
1987 | Stripped to Kill | Detective Cody Sheenan | |
1988 | Fear | Sharon Haden | |
1988 | Midnight Caller | Tina Cassidy | 3 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1989) Nominated —Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1990) |
1989 | Headhunter | Katherine Hall | |
1989 | Physical Evidence | Deborah Quinn | |
1990 | Streets | Sargent | |
1991 | Shakespeare's Plan 12 from Outer Space | Sebastian | |
1991 | Reasonable Doubts | Maggie Zombro | 32 episodes Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series (1993) Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1992-1993) |
1992 | Falling From Grace | P.J. Parks | |
1992 | Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa | Cowlamity Kate Cudster (voice) | |
1994 | Trapped in Space | Gillings | |
1994 | The Tick | American Maid (voice) | |
1995 | Gunfighter's Moon | Linda Yarnell | |
1995 | Shame II: The Secret | Ginny | Nominated — CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries |
1997 | Gun, a Car, a Blonde, AA Gun, a Car, a Blonde | Peep/Madge | |
1998 | Adventures of Ragtime, TheThe Adventures of Ragtime | Detective Hill | |
2002 | Law & Order: SVU S3 Ep18 | Linda Cavanaugh | 1 episode |
2003 | Southside | Claire Coleman | |
2007 | House | Mrs Bradberry | 1 episode |
2008 | NCIS | Connie Quinn Wheeler | 1 episode |
2009 | Cold Case | Hillary Rhodes | 1 episode |
2010 | The Closer | Mrs Tatem | 1 episode |
2011 | Southland | Naomi Chester | 1 episode |
2013 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Laura Sidle | 1 episode |
2014 | Bones | Harriet White | 1 episode |
2015 | Adventure Time | Bird Woman/Gunther (voice) | 1 episode |