Crystal Bernard | |
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Bernard at the 1994 Emmy rehearsal |
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Born | Crystal Lynn Bernard September 30, 1961 Garland, Texas, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress/Singer |
Years active | 1982–present |
Crystal Lynn Bernard[1] (born September 30, 1961) is an American actress and singer, most widely known for her seven-year-long role on the situation comedy Wings. While her main work has been on television, she has appeared in some films, and also attempted to pursue a music career as a songwriter/performer.
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Early life
Bernard was born in Garland, Texas. She was raised in a Southern Baptist home. Her father, Dr. Jerry Wayne Bernard, was a Baptist televangelist who traveled across the United States preaching and singing.[2] She became an entertainer at a young age, singing gospel songs with her elder sister, Robyn (also an actress, who played "Terry Brock" on General Hospital, 1984-1990[3]). One recording of the two that has survived from those years is a song called "The Monkey Song" (an objection to evolution), on Feudin' Fussin' and Frettin' recorded when Crystal was 8 years old,[4] a recording of a 1972 Thomas Road Baptist Church service led by Jerry Falwell. She has two younger sisters, Scarlett[5] and Angelique Bernard.
Bernard studied acting at Alley Theatre while growing up in Houston, Texas. She attended Spring High School and continued her education at Baylor University, where she studied acting and international relations.[6]
Career
Television
Bernard got her start in prime-time television on the sitcom Happy Days, playing "K.C. Cunningham" during the show’s penultimate season. After various guest appearances on television, she joined the cast of the resurrected, syndicated version of the sitcom It’s a Living,[7] playing waitress Amy Tompkins. But she is best known for her role as strong-willed airport lunch-counter operator “Helen Chappel Hackett” on the sitcom Wings, a role she played for the show’s duration (1990–1997).
Film
Early in her film career, she appeared in Young Doctors in Love. She starred in the Roger Corman-produced, direct-to-video film Slumber Party Massacre 2.
During the 21st century, her work includes a role in the film, Jackpot, and starring roles in Welcome to Paradise, and Grave Misconduct.
She has also starred in two Hallmark Channel TV-movies, Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and Meet the Santas.
She also starred in a 1989 TV-series pilot, Chameleons, created by Glen A. Larson. She played Shelley, a self-proclaimed crazed heiress who discovers that her eccentric millionaire uncle Jason Carr has been murdered. She sets out on a quest to find the truth behind his murder.
Theatre
Bernard has appeared in stage productions since the end of Wings:
- In 1999, she was in a Los Angeles production of Crimes of the Heart;
- In 2001, she was the last in a series of actresses to play Annie Oakley, in a 1999 Marquis Theatre revival of Annie Get Your Gun.[8]
- In 2005, she was in the West Coast premiere of Barbra's Wedding, starring opposite actor/playwright Daniel Stern, in a production staged at Falcon Theatre, in Burbank, California.[9]
Music
In addition to acting, Bernard has a music career as a singer-songwriter. Albums include The Girl Next Door (1996) and Don't Touch Me There (1999). The latter includes a gospel track she recorded with her father and one sung with country artist Billy Dean.
She co-wrote the song "If I Were Your Girl" with Rhett Lawrence, which appeared on the Paula Abdul album Head over Heels in 1995.
Bernard did a duet with Peter Cetera called, "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight," released on Cetera's One Clear Voice album.
Filmography
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1982 | Young Doctors in Love | Julie | |
1987 | Slumber Party Massacre II | Courtney Bates | |
1999 | Gideon | Jean MacLemore | |
2001 | Jackpot | Cheryl | |
2007 | Welcome to Paradise | Debbie Laramie | |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1982 | Gimme a Break! | Kelly | 1 episode |
1982–1983 | Happy Days | K.C. Cunningham | 16 episodes |
1983 | Fantasy Island | Ally Miller | 1 episode |
High School U.S.A. | Anne-Marie Conklin | ||
1983–1985 | The Love Boat | 2 episodes | |
1984 | The Master | Carrie Brown | 1 episode |
1985–1989 | It's a Living | Amy Tompkins | 93 episodes |
1989 | My Two Dads | Liz Schaefer | 1 episode |
Paradise | 1 episode | ||
Chameleons | Shelly | ||
1990 | Without Her Consent | Marty | |
When Will I Be Loved? | Julie Weston | ||
1990–1997 | Wings | Helen Chappell | 172 episodes |
1992 | Lady Against the Odds | Dol Bonner | |
1993 | Miracle Child | Lisa Porter | |
1994 | Siringo | Kaitlin Mullane | |
1995 | As Good as Dead | Susan Warfield | |
1996 | Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story | Ellen Hart Pena | |
1999 | The Secret Path | Marie Foley | |
A Face to Kill for | Allison Bevens | ||
To Love, Honor & Betray | Melissa Brennan | ||
2003 | According to Jim | Lisa Christie | 1 episode |
2004 | Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus | Beth | |
2005 | Meet the Santas | Beth | |
2007 | Welcome to Paradise | Debbie Laramie | |
2008 | Grave Misconduct | Julia London |
Discography
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|
---|---|---|---|
US Country | US Heat | ||
Girl Next Door |
|
47 | 36 |
Don't Touch Me There |
|
— | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US AC | |||
1996 | "Have We Forgotten What Love Is" | 56 | — | Girl Next Door |
1997 | "State of Mind" | 70 | — | |
"You're Gonna Miss a Whole Lotta Love" | — | — | ||
1999 | "Don't Touch Me There" | — | 25 | Don't Touch Me There |
"Hey" | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Music videos
Year | Video | Director |
---|---|---|
1996 | "Have We Forgotten What Love Is" | Steven R. Monroe |
1997 | "State of Mind" | |
1999 | "Hey" |
References
- ^ Crystal Bernard Biography (1959-)
- ^ Dr. Jerry Wayne Bernard Bernard's father and gospel singing partner
- ^ Robyn Bernard
- ^ Playlist for Mark Allen - June 16, 2005 a playlist for a WFMU show featuring "The Monkey Song"
- ^ Scarlett Bernard
- ^ Bernard's Biography from Allmovie via The New York Times website
- ^ "The New York Times". The New York Times. http://tv.nytimes.com/show/156763/It-s-a-Living/overview.
- ^ Replacements and additions to the 1999 Annie Get Your Gun revival from the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ Falcon Theatre presents Barbra's Wedding from the Falcon Theatre website