Linda Purl
(born September 2, 1955 in Greenwich, Connecticut) is an American actress and singer, best known for portraying Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene Matlock in the first season of Matlock.
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LINDA PURL TICKETS
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Early life and education abroad
Purl was raised in
Japan, becoming the only foreigner to train at the
Toho Geino Academy. While at the Imperial Theatre in
Tokyo, Purl performed in several plays, gaining the role of Louis in
The King and I
, Bet in
Oliver!
, and the role of Helen in
The Miracle Worker
. Ms. Purl attended high school at Wykeham Rise school for girls in the arts in Washington, CT. After attending
Finch College, Ms. Purl went to England to study under
Marguerite Beale, before returning to the United States to study at the
Lee Strasberg Institute, and later with Robert Lewis.
Movie roles
Purl's first major movie role was in Jonathan Demme's 1975 comedy,
Crazy Mama
. Subsequent movie appearances have included
The High Country
,
Viper
and
Mighty Joe Young
. She has also featured in many movies made for television, including
Little Ladies of the Night
and
The Young Pioneers
.
Television roles
Linda Purl has played several roles on television, notably on
The Secret Storm
,
Happy Days
,
Matlock
, and
First Monday
. She also played secret agent Kate Del'Amico in the short-lived series
Under Cover
. In
Happy Days
she played two different roles: Richie's occasional girlfriend Gloria in the second year of the show, and Fonzie's steady girlfriend Ashley eight seasons later. In 1978, she appeared as newlywed Molly Beaton in the three-episode
ABC western drama series,
The Young Pioneers
, set in the
Dakota Territory of the 1870s and based on the novels of
Rose Wilder Lane.
Roger Kern starred as her television husband, David Beaton. She also acted alongside
Shaun Cassidy in the 1979 TV movie
Like Normal People
- Sheldon Egbert She also portrayed a hospital nurse, Sheila Munroe in the 1982 horror movie
Visiting Hours
.
Purl appeared in two episodes of
The Waltons
. She played sophisticate Alica in a third season episode called "The Spoilers", original airdate 10/31/74. In a fifth season episode called "The Heartbreaker" she played Mary Ellen's sister-in-law (and Jason's love interest) Vanessa, and sang a couple songs in this episode, original airdate 2/17/77 .
According to EW, Purl has landed the role of
Pam Beesley's mother on NBC's
"The Office." She will make her appearance in Season 6's fourth episode, Jim & Pam's wedding.
Theatre roles
She is a regular performer (and part of the original cast) of the long-running touring play
Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners
produced by
Marc Sinden.
Sept. 12, 2008 Linda Purl opened at the Cleveland Playhouse in Cleveland, Ohio in the production,
The Glass Menagerie, by
Tennessee Williams, playing Amanda, the mother of the main characters.
Charity
Ms. Purl also does charity work, for AIDS Project Los Angeles, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Haven House, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She also supports Actors and Others for Animals.
Music
Purl launched a jazz music career after leaving
Matlock
and has released several albums of music, most recently
Out of This World --- LIVE
.
See also
- Matlock (TV series)
- List of characters in Matlock