Marla Heasley
Encyclopedia
Marla Heasley is an American film and TV actress.
. She played a newspaper reporter working with the team.
Introduced in season 2 episode 15 "The Battle of Bel-Air", the character was brought in as a replacement for Melinda Culea
(Amy Allen), who was abruptly dropped from the series after insisting on being given more to do. Although cast as a regular, Heasley was not added to the show's opening credits, and did not appear in every episode during her time with the series.
In order to be written out of the series the character was married off in the season 3 two-part episode 2/3 "The Bend in the River". One of the reasons for the character being dropped is believed to be due to series star George Peppard
, who continually insisted to the producers that the show didn't need a female co-star.
Her character from The A-Team, Tawnia Baker, was named after Tawnia Cannell, the daughter of the creator of the series, Stephen J. Cannell
. Some time prior to being cast as Tawnia Baker, Heasley made a guest appearance as a bikini clad co-ed called Cherise in a short-term relationship with Templeton "Faceman" Peck in season 2 episode 4 "Bad Time On The Border".
, The Love Boat
, Riptide
, Mike Hammer
, The Highwayman
',and many more. She played an unnamed Air Force Lieutenant in the Galactica 1980
episode "Spaceball"
.
The actress Sally Kellerman has also interpreted Marla in the teen drama series "90210".
in 1991, and Born to Race
and Amore!
in 1993.
for eight years, ending in 1992. She is currently married to Christopher Harriman, an international business developer. Harriman was a successful recording artist in the early 1980s in Europe.
The A-Team
Heasley is best known for her role as Tawnia Baker in the 1980s hit TV series The A-TeamThe A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
. She played a newspaper reporter working with the team.
Introduced in season 2 episode 15 "The Battle of Bel-Air", the character was brought in as a replacement for Melinda Culea
Melinda Culea
Melinda Culea is an American film and television actress, who moved into acting after working as a model.-The A-Team:...
(Amy Allen), who was abruptly dropped from the series after insisting on being given more to do. Although cast as a regular, Heasley was not added to the show's opening credits, and did not appear in every episode during her time with the series.
In order to be written out of the series the character was married off in the season 3 two-part episode 2/3 "The Bend in the River". One of the reasons for the character being dropped is believed to be due to series star George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
, who continually insisted to the producers that the show didn't need a female co-star.
Her character from The A-Team, Tawnia Baker, was named after Tawnia Cannell, the daughter of the creator of the series, Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor, and the founder of Stephen J. Cannell Productions.-Early life:...
. Some time prior to being cast as Tawnia Baker, Heasley made a guest appearance as a bikini clad co-ed called Cherise in a short-term relationship with Templeton "Faceman" Peck in season 2 episode 4 "Bad Time On The Border".
Other TV roles
Heasley has made guest appearances on many other TV shows such as, T. J. HookerT. J. Hooker
T.J. Hooker is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982 on ABC and ran on the network until May 4, 1985...
, 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...
, Riptide
Riptide (TV series)
Riptide is a TV detective series that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1986, starring Perry King, Joe Penny, and Thom Bray. Riptide was created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell, and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions. The main theme was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter...
, Mike Hammer
Mike Hammer
Michael "Mike" Hammer is a fictional detective created by the American author Mickey Spillane in the 1947 book I, the Jury .-Description:...
, The Highwayman
The Highwayman (TV series)
The Highwayman is an action-adventure themed television series starring Sam J. Jones, set in "the near future." It was created by Glen A. Larson and Douglas Heyes. The pilot aired in September 1987, and was followed by a short-lived series of nine episodes, with significant changes to the cast and...
',and many more. She played an unnamed Air Force Lieutenant in the Galactica 1980
Galactica 1980
Galactica 1980 is a science fiction television series, and a spin-off from the 1978–1979 series Battlestar Galactica. It was first broadcast on the ABC network in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980.-Development:...
episode "Spaceball"
Spaceball (Battlestar Galactica)
Spaceball is the sixth episode of the television series Galactica 1980, a spin-off of the earlier ABC science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. The episode first aired on March 30, 1980 on ABC.-Plot:...
.
The actress Sally Kellerman has also interpreted Marla in the teen drama series "90210".
Movie roles
Heasley's only feature film roles were The Marrying ManThe Marrying Man
The Marrying Man is a 1991 romantic comedy film starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. The script is by Neil Simon. Basinger's performance in the film earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress.-Plot:Charley Pearl is the heir to a toothpaste empire's fortune...
in 1991, and Born to Race
Born to Race
Born to Race is a 1988 film directed by James Fargo. It stars Joseph Bottoms and Marla Heasley.-Cast:*Joseph Bottoms as Al Pagura*Marla Heasley as Andrea Lombardo*Robert Logan as Theo Jennings*George Kennedy as Vincent Duplain...
and Amore!
Amore!
Amore! was a comedy film made in 1993.The central character Saul Schwartz is a bored New York businessman who decides to change his life become a Hollywood movie star but finds it harder than he expected.-External links:...
in 1993.
Personal life
Heasley was engaged to singer Wayne NewtonWayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
for eight years, ending in 1992. She is currently married to Christopher Harriman, an international business developer. Harriman was a successful recording artist in the early 1980s in Europe.