Cynthia Sikes Yorkin
Cynthia Sikes Yorkin | |
---|---|
Born | Cynthia Lee Sikes January 2, 1954 Coffeyville, Kansas, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1975–present |
Spouse |
Cynthia Sikes Yorkin (born January 2, 1954) is an American producer and actress known for her work on St. Elsewhere and Blade Runner 2049.
Life and career
Cynthia Sikes was born Cynthia Lee Sikes in Coffeeville, Kansas, in 1954. Early in her career she went by Cindy Lee Sikes, and later used Cynthia Sikes professionally until her marriage to Bud Yorkin, where she changed it to Cynthia Sikes Yorkin.
In 1972, Yorkin won the crowning title of Miss Kansas[1] and started attending Wichita State University. While at Wichita, she was offered an invitation to travel with Bob Hope’s 1972 USO Christmas tour as a singer/dancer, traveling from Vietnam to Thailand to Diego Garcia, in an effort to entertain homesick soldiers.[2] That following year, when the tour concluded, she entered the Miss America pageant where she won the preliminary swimsuit competition and became one of the Top 10 finalists overall.
The tour with Hope and the Miss America competition drastically altered Yorkin’s life and career path. She returned to college, this time attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and studied Journalism, before moving to California to begin her career as an actress.
In 1977, Yorkin took the stage at the William Ball’s American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She earned a scholarship and performed in many productions, including Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale”, Durrenmatt’s “The Visit”, “The Glass Menagerie”, “Hatful of Rain”, “Bedtime Story”, and “A Christmas Carol”.[3] She eventually made her Broadway debut as the “Baker’s Wife,” a lead role in Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods”.
After her Broadway stint, Yorkin began getting offers for roles in popular television programs and films. For three years she played Dr. Annie Cavanero on NBC’s St. Elsewhere opposite Denzel Washington,[4] and appeared in episodes of Magnum P.I. Her next recurring role was on LA Law as Judge Monica Ryan, then Yorkin produced and starred in the CBS film Sins of Silence alongside Lindsay Wagner. Her other credits include playing Dr. Sidney Walden on the popular series, JAG, then in Arli$$. Yorkin’s most recent TV role was a four-episode arc on NBC’s Aquarius with David Duchovny.
Her feature film credits include co-starring roles in the comedies Arthur 2: On The Rocks with Dudley Moore, That’s Life with Jack Lemmon, Love Hurts with Jeff Daniels, Possums with Mac Davis and in director Henry Jaglom’s Going Shopping.
In 1999, Yorkin expanded her interests to public works and became more involved in government after she was personally chosen by President Bill Clinton to serve on the Advisory committee for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with Victoria Catchett, Carl Feen, and Christine Warnke.[5] In 2005, she was appointed California State Commissioner for the California Service Corps by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and also founded an emergency preparedness curriculum for K-12 schools, known as Team Safe-T. Six years later, Yorkin was brought on to the UCLA School of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Board[6] to help raise funds to build the global bio lab on campus. She worked closely with Cindy Horn and Dr. Linda Rosenstock, the Dean of UCLA's School of Public Health.
In 2015, Yorkin segued into producing her first feature film, the critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049; a project directed by Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve and starring Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. The film garnered a total of five Academy Awards nominations, winning for Best Visual Effects and finally earning Roger Deakins a win for Best Cinematographer.[7] She brought this project to Alcon Entertainment with her late husband and producing partner, Bud Yorkin, after acquiring the final rights from his former partner Jerry Perenchio in 2010.[8] Cynthia helmed Blade Runner 2049 from beginning to end, ensuring its success to pay tribute to her late husband.
Yorkin is currently developing several projects including a feature film, a television series and two limited series.
Personal life
Cynthia Yorkin was married to prolific producer and director, Bud Yorkin, for 26 years.The two met in 1985. They were married on June 24, 1989, and had two children: Jessica and Michael. Bud directed Cynthia in Arthur 2: On the Rocks, and again in the 1990 film Love Hurts. In 2005, Cynthia and Bud decided to revive the Blade Runner franchise as producing partners. In 2010 they partnered with Alcon Entertainment to produce the film. Over the years Bud’s health deteriorated and he passed away in August 18, 2015.[9] Cynthia went on to produce the film and honor his legacy. Blade Runner 2049 received rave reviews and went on to earn five Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Cinematography and for Visual Effects.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains | Alicia Meeker | |
1983 | Good-bye, Cruel World | Joyce | |
1983 | The Man Who Loved Women | Courtney Wade | |
1986 | That's Life! | Janice Kern | |
1988 | Arthur 2: On the Rocks | Susan Johnson | |
1990 | Love Hurts | Nancy Weaver | |
1998 | Possums | Elizabeth Clark | |
2005 | Going Shopping | Lisa | |
2017 | Blade Runner 2049 | Producer |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | Emergency! | Karen Martin | Episode: "Communications" |
1976 | The Rockford Files | Susan Valero | Episode: "A Portrait of Elizabeth" |
1976 | Jigsaw John | Toni Stroud | Episode: "Promise to Kill" |
1976 | Columbo | Della | Episode: "Now You See Him" |
1976 | Police Woman | Michelle | Episodes: "Task Force: Cop Killer: Parts 1 & 2" |
1976 | Captains and Kings | Claudia Desmond Armagh | TV miniseries |
1979 | Big Shamus, Little Shamus | Jingles Lodestar | Episodes: "The Canary", "The Abduction" |
1979 | Archie Bunker's Place | Peggy Levy | Episode: "Bosom Partners" |
1980 | Archie Bunker's Place | Peggy Levy | Episode: "Murray's Daughter" |
1980 | Hart to Hart | Roseanne Driscoll | Episode: "'Tis the Season to Be Murdered" |
1981 | Falcon Crest | Barbara Munroe | Episode: "The Tangled Vines" |
1981-1982 | Flamingo Road | Sandy Swanson | Recurring role (9 episodes) |
1982 | Falcon Crest | Barbara Munroe | Episode: "Tony Comes Home" |
1982 | The Fall Guy | Gail Roberts | Episode: "Soldiers of Misfortune" |
1982 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | TV series | |
1982-1985 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Annie Cavanero | Main role (68 episodes) |
1984 | His Mistress | Paula Schuster | TV film |
1985 | I Had Three Wives | Dr. Harris | Episode: "You and I Know" |
1985 | Stir Crazy | Kathryn D'Angelo | Episode: "Pilot" |
1985 | Hotel | Callie Harlan | Episode: "Imperfect Union" |
1985 | Magnum, P.I. | Lauren Henderson | Episode: "The Kona Winds" |
1986 | Oceans of Fire | Helen Kyger | TV film |
1988 | L.A. Law | Judge Monica Ryan | Episodes: "Open Heart Perjury", "Leapin' Lizards", "Romancing the Drone" |
1990 | In Defense of a Married Man | Claudia | TV film |
1996 | Sins of Silence | Cynthia Hayes | Producer and actress |
1996 | Wings | Nina Todd | Episode: "Wingless: Part 2" |
1999 | Arliss | Rona Suss | Episode: "The Art of Give and Take" |
2000-2001 | JAG | Dr. Sidney Walden | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
2002 | Arliss | Meredith Scott | Episode: "What You See Is What You Get" |
2008 | The Young and the Restless | Zara Costelana | TV series |
2016 | Aquarius | Betty Goodale | Episodes: "I Will," "Can You Take Me Back," "Piggies," "Revolution 9" |
References
- ^ "Miss Kansas Organization". www.misskansas.org. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ "Cynthia Sikes Yorkin | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ sfinney. "Production History". www.act-sf.org. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Beale, Lauren (2013-02-26). "Emmy-winner Bud Yorkin sells Beverly Crest estate for $19.5 million". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Anderson, Sarah. "School of Public Health gala celebrates 50 years of pioneering research, training and service". UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Anderson, Sarah. "School of Public Health gala celebrates 50 years of pioneering research, training and service". UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2018-03-05). "'Blade Runner 2049's Roger Deakins Finally Gets His Cinematography Oscar In 14th Try". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Faughnder, Ryan. "'Blade Runner 2049,' premiering 35 years after the original, is a big bet for its backers". latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ Saperstein, Pat (2015-08-19). "Bud Yorkin, 'Jeffersons' and 'All in the Family' Director-Producer, Dies at 89". Variety. Retrieved 2018-05-21.