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Jenilee Harrison

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Jenilee Harrison
Born
Jenilee A. Harrison

(1958-06-12) June 12, 1958 (age 66)
Northridge, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, TV Infomercial pitchperson
Years active1978–present
Spouse
Bruce Oppenheim
​
(m. 1993)​

Jenilee A. Harrison (born June 12, 1958)[1] is an American actress who appeared as Cindy Snow, a replacement for blonde roommate Chrissy Snow on the hit sitcom Three's Company, between 1980 and 1982. She went on to play Jamie Ewing Barnes in Dallas from 1984 to 1986.

Career

Early years

Before breaking into show business, Harrison was a cheerleader from 1978–1980 for the Los Angeles Rams.[2] In 1980, Harrison graduated with an education degree from USC. In the same year, she won the title Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. It was while studying at USC that Jenilee first met acting coach Joyce Selznick. Selznick gave her a lot of handy tips on how to polish her acting skills. [citation needed]

Three's Company

Harrison joined the cast of ABC's Three's Company in 1980. She entered the show as a replacement for Suzanne Somers who played the sitcom's "ditzy blonde" Chrissy Snow. Somers left the show just after the show's fifth season had begun. Harrison was cast as Somers' replacement. Harrison's character, Cindy Snow, was created to be Chrissy Snow's cousin. Unlike Chrissy, Cindy was not a "dumb blonde"; instead, she was an extremely clumsy farm girl. The character of Cindy was similar enough to Chrissy, however, that producers could use scripts already written with the Chrissy character in mind. Harrison debuted on Three's Company in the episode entitled "Chrissy's Cousin" (season five, episode seven). She enters as Jack and Janet's new roommate after Chrissy's departure. Cindy proves she is a klutz right away by knocking Jack down. Her constant "accidents" (mainly with Jack) added to the show's gags of characters being clumsy. Though she had replaced Somers, Harrison was not given opening-credits billing, and instead Somers still obtained opening billing (as a part of finishing off her contract). Harrison was end-credits billed, as a guest star.

For the sixth season of Three's Company, a new blonde roommate named Terri Alden (Priscilla Barnes), a smart nurse, took Cindy's place in the apartment. Harrison was retained on the show and this time was given opening-cast billing. She now had a lesser role, however, appearing less frequently in the series, with the character living near the apartment at UCLA. By the end of the season Cindy Snow disappeared from the series, her last appearance being in "Janet Wigs Out" (season six, episode 24).

Later career

Beginning in 1984, Harrison portrayed the recurring character Jamie Ewing Barnes in the drama Dallas. She played the role until 1986. Her character was actually killed off twice, first when she starts the car belonging to her brother, Jack Ewing, in the episode "Blast from the Past" and it explodes, killing her. After the entire ninth season was explained away as a dream, Harrison returned for her character to die again. Early in 1987, Jamie was killed in a mountain-climbing accident.

In 1984, Harrison played a reluctant prostitute in the movie Tank alongside James Garner and C. Thomas Howell.

In 1985, she appeared on Super Password with Dick Gautier, appearing again in 1986, this time with Marty Cohen, Michael Young, and Bruce Baum, and Dallas star Ken Kercheval in 1987 with Bert Convy. Also, in 1985, she made a brief appearance as a waitress in Loverboy's music video "Lovin' Every Minute Of It".[3]

Harrison also guest-starred on That '70s Show in 1999. In 1991, she starred in the movie Panga opposite Christopher Lee.

Between 1996 and 2005 Harrison began appearing in a couple of "As Seen on TV" infomercials like the AB Flex, the Sobakawa Pillow and the Ultimate Chopper with Chef Tony.

Personal life

In the early 1980s, Harrison dated L.A. Rams guard Dennis Harrah and Major League Baseball player Reggie Jackson.[4][5][6]

In 1993,[citation needed] Harrison married Dr. Bruce Oppenheim, a prominent Los Angeles-area chiropractor, who is the ex-husband of actress Cybill Shepherd.[7] She has two stepchildren from her husband's previous marriage to Shepherd: Molly Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim and Cyrus Zachariah Shepherd-Oppenheim.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1978 CHiPs Cheerleader Episode: "High Flyer"
1979 240-Robert College Girl / Jill Episodes: "Stuntman" and "The Applicant"
1980–82 Three's Company Cindy Snow Main cast (32 episodes)
1981 The Love Boat Connie Wilker Episodes: "The Three R's" (Parts 1 & 2)
1981 Fantasy Island Ginger Donovan Episode: "Slam Dunk"
1981 Battle of the Network Stars X Herself - ABC Team TV special
1982 Fantasy Island Jenny Ryan Episode: "Natchez Bound"
1983 The Love Boat Erica Dupont Episode: "Here Comes the Bride - Maybe"
1983 Malibu Cindy TV movie
1983 Bring 'Em Back Alive Stacey Episode: "The Shadow Women of Chung Tai"
1984 Fantasy Island Barbara Jessup Episode: "Games People Play"
1984 The Love Boat Sheila Episode: "The Babymakers"
1984 The New Mike Hammer Shelley Steele Episode: "Shots in the Dark"
1984 Tank Sarah
1984–86 Dallas Jamie Ewing Main cast (70 episodes)
1985 Battle of the Network Stars XVIII Herself - CBS Team TV special
1986 Simon & Simon Jennifer Tucker Episode: "Just Because I'm Paranoid"
1987 The Love Boat: Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? Sarah York TV movie
1987 Hotel Brenda Thompkins Episode: "Class of '72"
1987 The New Mike Hammer Maggie Episode: "Lady Killer"
1987 Murder, She Wrote Serena Episode: "The Way to Dusty Death"
1988 She's the Sheriff Grace Episode: "Hair"
1991 They Came from Outer Space Dr. H.J. Pretzel Episode: "Play Doctor"
1991 Curse III: Blood Sacrifice Elizabeth Armstrong Alternative title: Panga
1991 Prime Target Kathy Bloodstone
1992 Illicit Behavior Charlene Lernoux
1995 Fists of Iron Julie Weaver
1999 AbSlide TV movie
1999 That '70s Show Carol Episode: "Red's Birthday"
2000 The Redemption Sarah Snyder
2002 The Power Hillary TV movie

References

  1. ^ "Today in history". ABC News. Associated Press. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  2. ^ Neuman, Joshua (October 23, 2015). "The Embraceable Ewes, L.A.'s First Pro Cheerleaders, Reunite". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  3. ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365649/
  4. ^ Bricker, Rebecca (July 24, 1985). "Take One". People Magazine (People.com), Vol. 24 No. 2. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  5. ^ "Reggie Jackson biography". NNDB.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "Jennilee Harrison biography". NNDB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  7. ^ Ryon, Ruth (November 22, 1998). "'Bird' Leaves Los Feliz Coop". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
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