Charlene Tilton
Encyclopedia
Charlene L. Tilton is an American
actress and singer
. She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing in the television series Dallas
.
and Eight is Enough
. She made her first film appearance alongside Jodie Foster
in Freaky Friday
. In 1978 Tilton made a cameo appearance
in the John Milius
film Big Wednesday
. A year later, she made her big break by landing the role of Lucy Ewing
, the sly, vixenish, frequently frustrated granddaughter of Jock Ewing
in the popular television series Dallas
from 1978 to 1985 and from 1988 to 1990. She also appeared on one episode of the show's spin-off series, Knots Landing
, in 1979.
Tilton is also a singer, singing her own vocals on a 1978 episode of Dallas. In 1984 she released a dance-pop single, "C'est La Vie," which became a hit in several countries in Europe
, reaching #1 in Germany
.
She appeared on Circus of the Stars
in 1979 and 1991, on one occasion acting as a knife thrower's
target girl
in a gold bikini.
Tilton was the guest host on Saturday Night Live
on February 21, 1981. The episode in question featured a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?
" episode of Dallas. In the episode, cast member Charles Rocket
was shot in the chest by a sniper while doing a sketch about a sexy couple (with Gail Matthius
as his partner) bathing a dog and spouting innuendo. At the end of the show, as cast members traditionally gathered around the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, a wheelchair
-using Rocket improvised, "Oh, man, it’s the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who the fuck did it."
She did a number of commercials in the 1990s for the Abdominizer workout equipment. She appeared as herself in an episode of Married... with Children
where her involvement with the "Abdominizer" was spoofed. She has appeared in several spoof movies, such as The Silence of the Hams
(1994), Superhero Movie
(2008) and Paranormal Calamity (2010).
In 2005, she appeared in the British
reality TV show
, The Farm
.
She will reprise her role of Lucy Ewing in the new TNT
series, Dallas, a continuation of the original series where she will be joined by several of her former castmates as well as a younger generation of Ewings.
, the daughter of Katherine, a secretary. Notably, Tilton is 4'11" (1.50 m) tall.
Tilton was married to country singer
Johnny Lee
from 1982 to 1984 and to Domenick Allen from 1985 to 1992. She has one daughter, Cherish Lee, born in 1982.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing in the television series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
.
Career
Tilton had early roles in television series such as Happy DaysHappy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
and Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
. She made her first film appearance alongside Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
in Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday (1976 film)
Freaky Friday is a 1976 American comedy film starring Jodie Foster as Annabel Andrews and Barbara Harris as her mother.The film is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers, in which mother and daughter switch bodies and get a taste of each others' lives. The cause of the switch is left...
. In 1978 Tilton made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the John Milius
John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures.-Early life:Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elizabeth and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer. Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps in the late 1960s, but was rejected...
film Big Wednesday
Big Wednesday
Big Wednesday is an American coming of age film directed by John Milius. Milius co-wrote Big Wednesday with Denny Aaberg, and it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance." The picture stars...
. A year later, she made her big break by landing the role of Lucy Ewing
Lucy Ewing Cooper
Lucy Ewing Cooper was a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Charlene Tilton .Lucy was the saucy daughter of Gary Ewing and Valene Clements Ewing and confused niece of JR Ewing & Bobby Ewing. Lucy was raised on the Southfork Ranch by her grandparents, Jock and Miss...
, the sly, vixenish, frequently frustrated granddaughter of Jock Ewing
Jock Ewing
John Ross Ewing, Sr., better known as Jock Ewing, is a character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Jim Davis and Dale Midkiff in Dallas: The Early Years...
in the popular television series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
from 1978 to 1985 and from 1988 to 1990. She also appeared on one episode of the show's spin-off series, Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, in 1979.
Tilton is also a singer, singing her own vocals on a 1978 episode of Dallas. In 1984 she released a dance-pop single, "C'est La Vie," which became a hit in several countries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, reaching #1 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
She appeared on Circus of the Stars
Circus of the Stars
Circus of the Stars was an annual television special, broadcast by the CBS network in the United States, in which celebrities performed circus-type acts. There were 19 shows in total, the first being broadcast in 1977 and the last in 1994. Over the years the series featured many leading movie and...
in 1979 and 1991, on one occasion acting as a knife thrower's
Impalement arts
Impalement arts are a type of performing art in which a performer plays the role of human target for a fellow performer who demonstrates accuracy skills in disciplines such as knife throwing and archery. Impalement is actually what the performers endeavour to avoid - the thrower or marksman aims...
target girl
Target girl
Target girl is a term sometimes used in circus and vaudeville to denote a female assistant in "impalement" acts such as knife throwing, archery or sharpshooting. The assistant stands in front of a target board or is strapped to a moving board and the impalement artist throws knives or shoots...
in a gold bikini.
Tilton was the guest host on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on February 21, 1981. The episode in question featured a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?
Who shot J.R.?
Who shot J. R.? is an advertising catchphrase that American network CBS created in 1980 to promote the television series Dallas.In the final scene of the 1979–1980 season, the character J. R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was shot by a hidden assailant. The episode, titled "A House Divided", was...
" episode of Dallas. In the episode, cast member Charles Rocket
Charles Rocket
Charles Rocket was an American film and television actor, notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber; as Dave Dennison, the father in Disney's Hocus Pocus.-Early life and career:Rocket was...
was shot in the chest by a sniper while doing a sketch about a sexy couple (with Gail Matthius
Gail Matthius
Gail Matthius is an American actress and voice actress. She was a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its critical and ratings low point at the time , and co-anchored the Weekend Update segment with Charles Rocket in 1981.-Recurring characters:*Vicki, a Valley girl who,...
as his partner) bathing a dog and spouting innuendo. At the end of the show, as cast members traditionally gathered around the host to say good night, Tilton asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. In character, a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-using Rocket improvised, "Oh, man, it’s the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who the fuck did it."
She did a number of commercials in the 1990s for the Abdominizer workout equipment. She appeared as herself in an episode of Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
where her involvement with the "Abdominizer" was spoofed. She has appeared in several spoof movies, such as The Silence of the Hams
The Silence of the Hams
The Silence of the Hams aka Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti is a comedy movie directed and written by Ezio Greggio and features an image-by-image parody of Thriller...
(1994), Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
(2008) and Paranormal Calamity (2010).
In 2005, she appeared in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
reality TV show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, The Farm
The Farm (UK TV series)
The Farm is Five's version of the international TV format The Farm, produced by Strix. It had a number of celebrities appearing on it.-Series one:Series one aired in 2004 and was presented and narrated by Ed Hall...
.
She will reprise her role of Lucy Ewing in the new TNT
TNT
TNT is the chemical explosive trinitrotoluene.TNT or T.N.T. may also refer to:-Television:* TNT , American cable television channel and its international offshoots* TNT , a television station in Launceston, Australia...
series, Dallas, a continuation of the original series where she will be joined by several of her former castmates as well as a younger generation of Ewings.
Personal life
Tilton was born in San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the daughter of Katherine, a secretary. Notably, Tilton is 4'11" (1.50 m) tall.
Tilton was married to country singer
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Johnny Lee
Johnny Lee
Johnny Lee is an American country music singer. His 1980 single, "Lookin' for Love" not only spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard country singles chart in the second half of 1980 but also went to the Top 5 on the Pop charts, and Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary survey...
from 1982 to 1984 and to Domenick Allen from 1985 to 1992. She has one daughter, Cherish Lee, born in 1982.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Happy Days Happy Days Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America.... |
Jill Higgins | 1 episode "They Shoot Fonzies Don't They" |
| Freaky Friday Freaky Friday (1976 film) Freaky Friday is a 1976 American comedy film starring Jodie Foster as Annabel Andrews and Barbara Harris as her mother.The film is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers, in which mother and daughter switch bodies and get a taste of each others' lives. The cause of the switch is left... |
Bambi | ||
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough Eight Is Enough Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name... |
Wendy Springer | 1 episode "Women, Ducks and the Domino Theory" |
| 1978 | Sweater Girls | Candy | |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday Big Wednesday Big Wednesday is an American coming of age film directed by John Milius. Milius co-wrote Big Wednesday with Denny Aaberg, and it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance." The picture stars... |
Party Girl | |
| 1978-1985,1988-1990 | Dallas Dallas (TV series) Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing... |
Lucy Ewing | Series regular. Young Artist Award for Best Juvenile Actress in a TV Series or Special Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... (1980) Young Artist Award Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... (2001) TV Land Pop Culture Award (2006) |
| 1979 | Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker | Julie | TV movie |
| Pale Horse Pale Rider | Miranda | Short | |
| 1980 | Knots Landing Knots Landing Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle... |
Lucy Ewing | 1 episode "Home is for Healing" |
| Laverne & Shirley Laverne & Shirley Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983... |
The Girl at Bar | 2 episodes "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express: Part 1", "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express: Part 2" | |
| Fantasy Island Fantasy Island Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:... |
Charlotte 'Charlie' Johnson | "Skater's Edge/Concerto of Death/The Last Great Race" | |
| 1980-1987 | The Love Boat The Love Boat The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain... |
Emily Marcus/Ellen/Secretary | Multiple episodes |
| 1987 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Cindy March | 1 episode "The Cemetery Vote" |
| 1990 | Border Shootout | Edith Hanasain | |
| 1991 | Ragin' Cajun Ragin' Cajun (disambiguation) Ragin' Cajuns is the official nickname of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette athletic teams.Ragin' Cajun may also refer to:Nicknames of these people:*James Carville, political consultant*Russel L. Honoré, U.S... |
Ali Webster | |
| For Parents Only | Mrs. Farell | ||
| Problem Child 2 Problem Child 2 Problem Child 2 is the 1991 comedy film sequel to the 1990 sleeper hit Problem Child; a continuation of the exploits of an adopted orphan boy who deliberately wreaks havoc everywhere he goes... |
Debbie Claukinski | ||
| 1992 | Deadly Bet | Isabella | |
| 1992 | Center of the Web | Kathryn Lockwood | |
| 1993 | Married... with Children Married... with Children Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created... |
Herself | 1 episode "Tis Time to Smell the Roses" |
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams The Silence of the Hams The Silence of the Hams aka Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti is a comedy movie directed and written by Ezio Greggio and features an image-by-image parody of Thriller... |
Jane Wine | |
| 1995 | Night Stand | Charlene | 1 episode "Dream a Little Dream" |
| Star Witness | Grace Kelly Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of... |
TV movie | |
| Favorite Deadly Sins Favorite Deadly Sins National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins is 1995 comedy TV-film. It is trilogy of short episodes about the foundation of show business; Lust Greed and Anger. It starring Andrew Clay, Denis Leary and Joe Mantegna. Lust was written by Leary's wife, Ann Lembeck. It is the directorial debut of Denis Leary... |
Actress playing Norma Jean Norma Jean Norma Jean may refer to:*Norma Jeane Mortenson, the given name of actress Marilyn Monroe*Norma Jean , a metalcore band from Douglasville, GA*Norma Jean , country music singer, nicknamed "Pretty Miss Norma Jean"... |
TV movie | |
| 1998 | Safety Patrol Safety Patrol (film) Safety Patrol is a 1998 direct-to-TV Disney film that covers the exploits of Scout Bozell, a middle school student aspiring to become a member of the school's safety patrol . The film, originally, aired on ABC and was aired, repeatedly, on the Disney Channel in 1999... |
Mrs. Zapfruder | TV movie |
| Detonator | Gail Davies | ||
| 1999 | G vs E G vs E G vs. E is an American fantasy-based television action series that had its first season air on USA Network during the summer and autumn of 1999. For the second season the series switched to Sci Fi Channel in early 2000. The series stars Clayton Rohner, Richard Brooks, and Marshall Bell.G vs... |
Herself | 1 episode "Gee Your Hair Smells Evil" |
| 2000 | Bar Hopping Bar Hopping Bar Hopping is a 2002 comedy film directed by Steve Cohen starring Tom Arnold, Linda Favila, Nicole Sullivan, John Henson, Anson Downes, Romy Windsor, Scott Baio and Kevin Nealon.... |
Actress | TV movie |
| The Theory of Everything Theory of everything (disambiguation) Theory of everything is an hypothetical physical theory that would explain all known physical phenomena.Theory of everything may also refer to:* A Theory of Everything, a book by Ken Wilber dealing with his "integral theory"... |
Stephanie | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Totally Blonde Totally Blonde Totally Blonde is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by Andrew Van Slee, and starring Krista Allen, Maeve Quinlan and Michael Bublé. The musical soundtrack was released as the album Totally Bublé.... |
Blonde School Director | |
| 2003 | Zombie Rights! | Host | Short |
| 2005 | A Distant Thunder Distant Thunder Distant Thunder is a 1988 American drama film directed by Rick Rosenthal and starring John Lithgow and Ralph Macchio.-Plot:The film tells the story of troubled Vietnam war veteran Mark Lambert , who, upon returning home from the war, alienates his wife and child by deserting them and moving away... |
Susan | Short |
| 2006 | Getting it Straight | Cynthia Rosenberg | Short |
| 2007 | Point of Entry Point of Entry (disambiguation) Point of Entry is a 1981 album by Judas Priest.Point of Entry may also refer to:* Point of Entry , a Doctor Who audio drama* Point-of-entry marketing, a marketing strategy... |
Helen | |
| 2008 | Tell Veronica | Veronica Star | Short |
| Superhero Movie Superhero Movie Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen... |
Jill's mother | ||
| 2009 | Sarah's Choice Sarah's Choice Sarah's Choice is a 2009 Christian direct-to-video pro-life film directed by Chad Kapper. The film stars contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Rebecca St. James as the title character, along with Logan White and Dick Van Patten. Christian comedian Brad Stine also appears in the film, along with... |
Michelle Biden | |
| 2010 | Paranormal Calamity | Jacqulinie | Spoof film of Paranormal Activity |
| Number 1 Cheerleader Camp Number 1 Cheerleader Camp Number 1 Cheerleader Camp is a 2010 sex comedy film by The Asylum, directed by Mark Quod and starring Jay Gillespie, Erica Duke, Seth Cassell, Harmony Blossom and Charlene Tilton.- Plot :... |
Charlene Tilton | ||
| 2012 | Dallas | Lucy Ewing | Continuation of original series |
| 2012 | Samaritan | Mrs. Podorgney | Filming |