Kay Lenz

Born Kay Ann Lenz on March 4, 1953, the comely, pert-nosed, dark-haired, award-winning actress came from an L.A. showbiz family -- her father being producer/commentator Ted Lenz and her mother model/radio engineer Kay Miller Lenz. At the ripe old age of eight weeks, Kay appeared on her first TV show produced by her dad as a baby being held up and sung to. She must have taken to the attention because she continued to appear on her father's TV shows and commercials throughout her childhood.In the 1960s, she appeared as a teen on stage (Pasadena Playhouse) and, using the stage name Kay Ann Kemper, moved into TV in 1967 with several episodes on the religious series _This Is the Life (1952)_ (qv). She went on to appear on such popular programs as "The Monroes" and "The Andy Griffith Show," Returning to theatre work, she left the small screen until 1972, when she was spotted on episodes of "Ironside" and "Owen Marshall" as well as the TV movie (and unsold pilot) where she started earning attention playing feisty, troubled teens. Initially billed as Kay Ann Kemmer, she appeared in a bit part on the classic 'George Lucas' (qv) 1950's film _American Graffiti (1973)_ (qv)Kay began to flirt with serious 1970s film stardom after being cast by director 'Clint Eastwood' (qv) in the troubled, titular role of _Breezy (1973)_ (qv) opposite 'William Holden' (qv) as a plucky, but hard luck hippie/free spirit who has an affair with a much older businessman. She earned a Golden Globe nomination as "Most Promising Newcomer." Unfortunately, although Kay was singled out for her affecting performance, the movie itself was ignored. Around that same time she earned a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in a 1974 episode of _The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (1972)_ (qv)Although she ventured on, none of her subsequent strong work in such films as _White Line Fever (1975)_ (qv), _The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday (1976)_ (qv), _Moving Violation (1976)_ (qv), _Mean Dog Blues (1978)_ (qv), _The Passage (1979)_ (qv) and _House (1985)_ (qv) and/or TV movie dramas as _Lisa, Bright and Dark (1973)_ (qv) (title role), _A Summer Without Boys (1973)_ (qv), _Unwed Father (1974)_ (qv), _The Underground Man (1974)_ (qv), _The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One (1974)_ (qv), _Journey from Darkness (1975)_ (qv), _The Initiation of Sarah (1978)_ (qv) (title role), _The Seeding of Sarah Burns (1979)_ (qv) (title role) and _Sanctuary of Fear (1979)_ (qv) would help push her into the top star echelon. She did, however, earn fine notices and an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Kate Jordache in the acclaimed mini-series _Rich Man, Poor Man (1976)_ (qv) and had a standout role as Doreen in a recurring role on the series _How the West Was Won (1976)_ (qv).Continuing to appear on series TV, including dramatic appearances on "The Streets of San Francisco," "Gunsmoke," "Medical Center," "McCloud" and "Cannon," Kay gained uninvited attention after her wedding to superstar teen idol 'David Cassidy' (qv) in 1977. The marriage would last six years.Kay's career has remained quite solid since she entered mid-career. On film, she played an adulterous wife (and earned a bit of notoriety for her nude scenes) in the prison drama _Fast-Walking (1982)_ (qv); co-starred with 'William Katt' (qv) as an actress and his ex-wife in the haunted house thriller _House (1985)_ (qv); played the girlfriend of vigilante 'Charles Bronson' (qv) in another of the "Death Wish" series: _Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)_ (qv); is terrorized along with her family by escaped convicts in _Fear (1988)_ (qv); is top-billed as an investigating cop in the voodoo horror _Headhunter (1988)_ (qv); portrays a mobster's wife in the 'Burt Reynolds' (qv) crime drama _Physical Evidence (1989)_ (qv); appeared in a film vehicle for rock singer 'John Mellencamp' (qv) as his lover in _Falling from Grace (1992)_ (qv); and essayed the role of the ex-wife of notorious gunfighter 'Lance Henriksen' (qv) in _Gunfighter's Moon (1995)_ (qv).TV remained a primary source of gritty work -- "Hill Street Blues," "Magnum P.I.," "Cagney & Lacey," "Heart of the City," "Moonlighting," "Simon and Simon," "Lois & Clark" and "Touched by an Angel." She topped it off with Emmy nominations for her performance in _Midnight Caller (1988)_ (qv) and for her defense attorney Maggie Zombro in _Reasonable Doubts (1991)_ (qv). Into the millennium, she was seen on episodes of "ER," "JAG," "Heartland," "Cold Case" and "Bones," and, on the large screen, reunited with "House" co-star 'William Katt' (qv) as harried parents in the high school comedy _The Secret Lives of Dorks (2013)_ (qv) and a earned a poignant co-starring role in the social drama _More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2019)_ (qv).::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]