Jamie Luner
Jamie Luner | |
|---|---|
| File:Jamie Professional Profile.jpg Luner in 2014 | |
| Born | Jamie Michelle Luner May 12, 1971 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–present |
Jamie Michelle Luner (born May 12, 1971) is an American actress, producer, voiceover artist and chef. She made her first debut with a role on Growing Pains (1987-1990), which led to her performance as Cindy Lubbock on the ABC sitcom Just the Ten of Us (1988-1990). She rose to prominence with her roles as Peyton Richards on Savannah (1996-1997), Lexi Sterling on Melrose Place (1997-1999) and Rachel Burke on Profiler (1997-2000). More recently, Luner portrayed Liza Colby on the ABC soap opera All My Children (2009-2011) and Cassie Siletti on Murder in the First (2015-2016). Luner is also well known for her lead roles in many Lifetime movies.
Early life and education
Luner was born in Palo Alto, California on May 12, 1971 to Susan Luner and Stuart Luner. She has an older brother, David Luner, who has also had a robust career in the entertainment business. Luner's parents divorced in 1974.
Luner attended Beverly Hills High School, the same school attended by acclaimed actors such as Angelina Jolie, David Schwimmer, Nicolas Cage, Lenny Kravitz and Betty White.
Luner was heavily involved in the drama department during her high school career, and at age fifteen she won LA's Shakespeare Festival for the Individual Monologues category in 1988. It was with this performance that she realized she wanted a career as an actress.
"After just having been announced winner, I had to immediately perform the monologue to an audience of thousands of peers. Everything in my body was so on fire, I felt the energy of the audience and I knew this is what I wanted to do."
While filming Growing Pains she befriended the late Matthew Perry and they attended her 1989 prom together.
In between filming Growing Pains and Just the Ten of Us, Luner and her mom moved to New York to pursue Jamie's studies in entertainment. During 1986-1987, she attended the PCS Professional Children's School, which was established for providing working youth in the entertainment business with a basic education and curriculum. Simultaneously, she also studied at HB Studios to study dance with prominent musical theater savant Ann Reinking.
At age sixteen, the producers of Growing Pains asked her to audition for their new spin-off Just the Ten of Us, and upon being cast for the role, Luner returned to California to live with her dad.
She graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1989.
In 1994, when Luner was just 23, she decided to pursue her passion for cooking and attended one of LA's top culinary schools, the Epicurean School of Culinary Arts, to study the fundamentals of fine French cuisine.
Following three and a half decades worth of starring in films and television, in 2011 Luner went on to receive a masters in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica.
“I love learning and I wanted to further my education. I’ve always been on the spiritual path, and as a storyteller the human psyche truly fascinates me. Brilliantly, school was set up as “experiential learning," so what I didn’t expect was the profound internal transformation that occurred. It’s been the gift that keeps on giving.”
Career
1975 - 1994
Luner’s first role was playing the daughter of Suzanne Somers in a Crown Tissues commercial in 1975 at just four years old. From then on, she appeared regularly in commercials, making ten of them before the age of nine.
Luner made her first television show appearance when she landed the role as the infamous Sheena ‘Woo Woo’ Berkowitz in the hit sitcom Growing Pains (1987-1990). Although she was cast in only one episode to play one of three prom dates of main character Mike Seavers who was played by Kirk Cameron, she was often referenced throughout the rest of the series.[1]
The very next year, Luner went on to star as Cindy Lubbock in the Growing Pains spinoff, Just the Ten of Us (1988–1990), where she played the daughter of Coach Graham Lubbock portrayed by actor Bill Kirchenbauer. It also starred Heather Langenkamp, Brooke Theiss and JoAnn Willette as Luner's fictional sisters.
She went on to play in Married… with Children (1992) on Fox with Christina Applegate, and the police drama Reasonable Doubts (1993) alongside Marlee Matlin.
Following her roles in these series, she landed her first film lead in 1993 as Diana Moffitt in a television movie Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter?, starring opposite Linda Gray and Antonio Sabàto, Jr..
Luner continued with a succession of television films, most notably Confessions of a Sorority Girl (1994) which debuted on Showtime and was directed by Uli Edel and co-starred Alyssa Milano.
Her first role in a multitude of crime dramas was Diagnosis Murder (1994), with renowned actor Dick Van Dyke.
1994 - 2000
In 1994, Luner expanded her education and passion for cooking and joined the Epicurean School of Culinary Arts which taught classical French cuisine in Los Angeles, California.
“I grew up in a very food-oriented family, a lot of cooking, a lot of eating, and I have a passion for it, so I put myself through culinary school.”[2]
Luner then worked and studied under chef Claude Seagal in the French kitchen of the eponymous flagship restaurant Drais owned by nightclub owner Victor Drai on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. Here she began with minor responsibilities such as grating carrots, to gradually mastering one of their signature dishes - the salmon puff pastry with lobster mousse sitting in a lobster reduction sauce. Many after-awards ceremonies were hosted at Drais, and Luner found herself making dishes for well-known figures of entertainment such as Madonna, Tom Hanks and Barbra Streisand.
Luner's major rise to prominence came in 1996, when she was cast for the first of many times by well-known producer Aaron Spelling. She joined the series as southern vixen Peyton Richards in the prime-time soap opera, Savannah (1996–1997), which was the signature show on the newly-launched WB Television Network. Luner starred alongside other notable actors such as Robyn Lively, Shannon Sturges, George Eads, Ray Wise, and Mimi Kennedy. Luner had moved to Atlanta, Georgia during the filming of this series, and once it concluded, bought an airstream and traveled the United States for eight months before landing on a lot in Malibu.
It was not long before Spelling invited her to play Lexi Sterling on the iconic television series Melrose Place (1997-1999), for which Luner’s performance gained global recognition. During these final two and a half seasons, the show followed her rivalry with Amanda Woodward played by Heather Locklear, ultimately portraying Luner’s character as the alpha female.
In 1998, Spelling’s partner Duke Vincent was a member of the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, and invited Luner specifically to fly with them in a jet. He had believed she “was the only woman with the cajones to do it,” and even before she knew what flying in those jets meant, she heartily agreed. Exposed to G-force and flying at super speeds, Luner surprised everyone by neither getting sick nor passing out.
Soon thereafter, Luner received an invitation from the NBC network to replace Ally Walker on Profiler (1999-2000). She played the role as Rachel Burke alongside Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, and Julian McMahon until the show came to a close at the end of its fourth season in 2000.
Luner’s character also appeared in a cross-over episode on The Pretender (2000), a television series that had a shared universe with Profiler.
2000 - 2020
Following the conclusion of Profiler, Luner starred alongside Michael Madsen and Diane Farr in the thriller Sacrifice (2000).
In November of the same year, she played in The Drew Carey Show (2000), with eponymous host Drew Carey.
Around that time, Luner also decided to attend a program at a cake decorating school for eight months.
Luner had guest appearances on several series including That's Life (2001) and CSI: Miami (2002) with David Caruso.
Between 2003-2004, Luner was cast as a series regular in another Spelling drama to play the role as Senior Deputy Ryan Layne in 10-8: Officers on Duty with Ernie Hudson and Danny Nucci.
In 2004, Luner guest-starred in an episode of NCIS, with well-known actors Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly.
In the early 2000’s, Luner starred in many thrillers such as Stranger in My Bed (2005), Blind Injustice (2005), The Suspect (2006), The Perfect Marriage (2006).
In 2006, she also guest-starred in The War at Home with Michael Rapaport, and Rami Malek. And in 2007, she had a guest appearance in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation with Marg Helgenberger on CBS.
A few years later, she played the lead character in Trust (2009).
Another one of Luner’s most well known works was as a series regular in All My Children (2009-2011) as Liza Colby for 312 episodes, with Chrishell Stause and Susan Lucci. Most of her scenes were filmed with Michael E. Knight, and her character had a very memorable arc with Finn Wittrock. After signing a four year contract, she had moved to New York for only nine months before they decided to move the set to Los Angeles. They revamped the show for HD, and a year later the show sadly closed its doors after a 40-year long run on air.
Like in every squiggly career, Luner took this natural closing of one chapter to open another, and went on to pursue her lifelong passion in spiritual wellness. She attended USM during 2011 and 2012, ultimately learning life-lasting skills and knowledge on self-awareness and healing.
Following the conclusion of this series, Luner had a guest appearance in the cult classic dark fantasy Supernatural (2012) on CW.
She went on to guest star in the police procedural crime drama Criminal Minds (2013) with Matthew Gray Gubler and Shemar Moore.[3] That same year she landed a role in The Glades (2013) on A&E, and played the main villainess in The Perfect Boss (2013).
The following year, she had a comedic appearance on Two and a Half Men (2014) with Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher, and also guest-starred in the fantasy horror drama True Blood (2014).
The next year, Luner played in the medical drama Code Black with lead woman Marcia Gay Harden. Later, she landed an enticing role in the then up-and-coming legal drama Better Call Saul (2015) with Bob Odenkirk, which was written by Vince Gilligan.
Between 2015-2016 Luner landed a recurring role as Cassie Siletti in Murder in the First with Currie Graham, Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson. At first, she had only been signed on for two episodes, but once producer Steven Bochco saw the chemistry on screen between her and Graham, they became the 'television couple to watch' and producers decided to keep her on for the entirety of the next season.
"It was exciting to watch Bochco expand my storyline with Currie Graham, and I am so blessed to have worked with him. It is a rare experience when you get an acting partner that you're so in sync with. Showing up that way raises the bar."[4]
In 2016 she played the lead character in A Mother’s Revenge (aka Trial), and a year later she played the protagonist in A Lover Betrayed (2017) with Maurice Benard.[5]
2020 - Present
In 2019, Luner produced her first movie, The Christmas High Note (2020), for which she also starred as lead, and both wrote her first song and performed it in the movie. This movie premiered to high numbers on “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday lineup that year.[6]
That same year, Luner went to Sofia, Bulgaria to produce and co-star in the romantic comedy Lost & Found in Rome (2021). The last day of filming coincided with the first day of shutdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, and Luner returned to Los Angeles.
Only a couple months into COVID-19, Luner returned to Bulgaria to produce the movies Valley of Love (2023) and I'm with Me (2023). While filming for most movies slowed down during the pandemic, Luner was able to produce these in the countryside where the laws for social distancing were not as limiting. It was during this time that she realized her love for Europe blossomed, and she ultimately decided to move there.
That same year she produced another film For Better or Worse (2023) and played the main character.
Appearances
Luner was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on December 17, 1996 with 39th President Jimmy Carter and William Hurt.[7]
In 1996, Luner ranked #88 in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women.
In 1997, she was invited to The Rosie O’Donnell Show with eponymous host Rosie O’Donnell.[8] That same year she was invited to the syndicated radio talk show Loveline.[9]
Luner was invited to the Martin Short Show with Martin Short along with Conan O’Brien in 1999.
The following year she was invited back to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno alongside William Shatner.[10]
In 2009, Luner was invited to attend the talk show The View, and was interviewed about her roles on Melrose Place and All my Children by the hosts including Joy Behar and Sherri Shephard, Whoopi Goldberg.[11]
That same year, she attended the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony with her grandmother.
Business Ventures
In October 2016, Luner attended a live stream event hosted by author Bob Proctor on his methodologies and teachings. It was at this event that Luner had gifted Proctor with some cookies as a thank you. These edible delights stemmed from a family recipe which Luner had been perfecting since she was fifteen years old.
In a rare turn of events, within just a few hours of Proctor eating the entire tin of cookies, Luner entered the world of entrepreneurship. Proctor had enjoyed her cookies so much that he connected her with highly-successful online marketing venture capitalists, and soon enough Luner had received thousands of dollars to help with the launch of her own confectionary business, ‘Nuggets of Goodness.’
It was during this event that Jamie announced that the proceeds from this fundraiser would be given to the Proctor Gallagher Institute which had also raised endowments for the Unstoppable Foundation run by Cynthia Kersey to build schools in Africa.[12]
Theater
Luner's first professional theater debut was in the off-broadway play Friends, Lovers and Fiancés in 1986 for which her mother was one of the producers.
In 2007, Luner went bac to stage showcasing her comedic talents once again as the lead in Black and Bluestein at the Santa Monica Playhouse.
The following year, Luner was cast in the musical Li’l Abner, which is based on the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp.[13] It was produced by Tony Award winner Jason Alexander at the UCLA Theater.
Luner also took part in two shows for the Young Playwrights Festival in Los Angeles at the Blank Theater, a non-profit focused on encouraging young playwrights to showcase their talent, with Noah Wyle and Daniel Henning.
“Growing up and getting my foot into this industry door, I had been blessed with the support of other actors and producers. That’s why when it came time for me to give back to the community, I am delighted to be able to support a young playwright's dream.”
In 2011, Luner also performed a medley of songs for And the World Goes 'Round, around the same time that her role with All my Children finished.
Filmography
TV and Series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–1990 | Growing Pains | Cindy / Kara Daye / Sheena Berkowitz | 4 episodes |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us | Cindy Lubbock | Main cast, 47 episodes |
| 1992 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures | Roxanne | TV pilot |
| Married with Children | Gerri | Episode: "Frat Chance" | |
| 1993 | Reasonable Doubts | Tiffany Beaman | Episode: "Crumbling Systems" |
| 1994 | Rebel Highway | Sabrina Masterson | Episode: "Confessions of a Sorority Girl" |
| Diagnosis Murder | Kimmy Marlowe | Episode: "The Last Laugh: Part One" | |
| 1996–1997 | Savannah | Peyton Richards | Main cast, 34 episodes |
| 1997–1999 | Melrose Place | Lexi Sterling | Main cast (seasons 6–7), 58 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Profiler | Rachel Burke | Title character (season 4), 20 episodes |
| 2000 | The Pretender | Rachel Burke | Episode: "Spin Doctor" (Profiler crossover) |
| The Drew Carey Show | Jenny | Episode: "Drew and Kate Become Friends" | |
| 2001 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Candace Maguire | Episode: "Mind Reacher" |
| That's Life | Samantha Richardson | 3 episodes | |
| 2002 | CSI: Miami | Nikki Olson | Episode: "Breathless" |
| 2003–2004 | 10-8: Officers on Duty | Senior Deputy Ryan Layne | 8 episodes |
| 2004 | NCIS | Amanda Reed / Lt. Cmdr. Hamilton Voss | Episode: "Dead Man Talking" |
| 2006 | The War at Home | Jodi | Episode: "Three's Company" |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Elizabeth Rodriguez | Episode: "Lying Down with Dogs" |
| 2009–2011 | All My Children | Liza Colby | Main cast, 312 episodes |
| 2012 | Supernatural | Annie Hawkins | Episode: "Of Grave Importance" |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Madison Riley | Episode: "Magnum Opus" |
| The Glades | Willa Garbett | Episode: "Happy Trails" | |
| 2014 | Two and a Half Men | Tracy | Episode: "Lotta Delis in Little Armenia" |
| True Blood | Amanda H-Vamp | Episode: "Death Is Not the End" | |
| Heartbreakers | Teresa Stone | Miniseries, Episode: "Losing My Religion" | |
| 2015 | Better Call Saul | Dreamy Woman | Episode: "Mijo" |
| Code Black | Candace Clark | Episode: "Cardiac Support" | |
| 2015–2016 | Murder in the First | Cassie Siletti | Recurring role, 20 episodes |
Film
Feature and made-for-TV film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter? | Diana Moffitt | TV movie |
| 1994 | Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy | Donna | TV movie |
| Confessions of a Sorority Girl | Sabrina Masterson | Showtime | |
| Tryst | Mindy | TV movie | |
| The St. Tammany Miracle | Lootie | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Friends & Lovers | Model | TV movie |
| The Force | Stacey | Tv movie | |
| 2000 | Sacrifice | Naomi Cohen | TV movie |
| 2002 | Warrior | Eldoran's Girl | TV movie |
| 2003 | Threshold | Dr. Savannah Bailey | TV movie |
| 2005 | Blind Injustice | Diana Scott | TV movie |
| Stranger in My Bed | Sara Hansen | TV movie | |
| 2006 | The Perfect Marriage | Marianne Danforth / Annie Grayson | TV movie |
| The Suspect | Beth James | TV movie | |
| 2007 | Nuclear Hurricane | Linda | TV movie |
| 2009 | Heat Wave | Dr. Kate Jansen | TV movie |
| Trust | Sandra | TV movie | |
| 2012 | Walking the Halls | Holly Benson | TV movie |
| Stalked at 17 | Toni Marshall | TV movie | |
| 2013 | The Perfect Boss | Jessica Slate | TV movie |
| Out of Reach | Dianne | TV movie | |
| The Cheating Pact | Ms. Walters | TV movie | |
| 2015 | The Wrong Girl | Ashley Allen | TV movie |
| The Bride He Bought Online | Rihanne Lindstrom | Lifetime | |
| 2016 | A Mother's Revenge | Jennifer Clarke | TV movie |
| Trial | Jennifer Clarke | TV movie | |
| 2017 | A Lover Betrayed | Tess Nolans | TV movie |
| 2018 | Deadly Runaway | Suzanne Dolittle | TV movie |
| 2019 | My Adventures with Santa | La Befana | Universal Pictures |
| Tell Me I Love You | Julie | Indie | |
| 2020 | The Christmas High Note | Rachel Carter | TV movie, also produced |
| 2021 | Lost & Found in Rome | Diana Jensen | TV movie, also produced |
| 2023 | Valley of Love | Television film, producer | |
| I'm with Me | Television film, producer | ||
| For Better or Worse | Jessa Putman | TV movie |
Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Christmas High Note | TV movie |
| 2021 | Lost & Found in Rome | TV movie |
| 2023 | Valley of Love | Television film |
| I'm with Me | Television film | |
| For Better or Worse | TV movie |
References
- ^ StartTV Staff (November 6, 2018). “How They Got Their Start: Jamie Luner”. StartTV. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ Levinsky, Mara (October 16, 2017). “Catching up with Jamie Luner”. Soap Opera Digest. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Roots, Kimberly (January 23, 2013). “What to Watch Wednesday: A Horror Story Ends, Arrow Vs. Diggle, Necessary Roughness and More”. TVLine. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ Doe, John (September 7, 2016). “Jamie Luner on possible Savannah reunion”. YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ KTLA 5 (September 9, 2017). “Jamie Luner & Maurice Benard Chat About Boxing, Candy & ‘A Lover Betrayed’”. YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ Highman, Kari (December 22, 2020). "Lifetime's 'The Christmas High Note' Starring Jamie Luner & Johnny Messner, See Trailer & Full Cast List". Feeling the Vibe Magazine. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno episodes (1996-1999)”. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ O’Donnell, Rosie (July 26, 2022). “Jamie Luner Interview - ROD show, Season 2 Episode 36, 1997”. YouTube. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ LoveLine (July 30, 2030). “LoveLine (TV Show) #144 (feat. Jamie Luner)”. YouTube. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno episodes (2000-2009)”. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Soapoperasource (April 24, 2009). “AMC’s Jamie Luner (Liza Colby) on ‘The View’”. YouTube. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Swersky, Clive (February 2, 2017). “How Bob Proctor’s Favorite Cookies Made By Jamie Luner Ended Up on Alive with Clive”. Alive with Clive. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Morgan, Terry (February 7, 2008). “Li’l Abner”. Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
External links
- Jamie Luner at IMDb
- Jamie Luner on X
- Jamie Luner on Facebook
- Jamie Luner on Instagram
- Jamie Luner on official website
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