Karen Carlson (born January 15, 1945) is an American retired actress. She is also a director, producer and writer.
Early life Carlson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.W. Carlson. She was educated at C.E. Byrd High School and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She represented the university and the state of Arkansas in the 1964 Miss America Pageant, finishing as the first runner-up to Vonda Kay Van Dyke.
Career Carlson started her career in Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller variety shows, Laugh In, and The Hollywood Palace. She also appeared in television series and films, including The Candidate (1972) with Robert Redford and The Octagon (1980) with Chuck Norris. On television, Carlson played Nancy Scotfield in ten episodes of the soap opera Dallas (1986) and Sarah Hallisey in twelve episodes of In the Heat of the Night. She was also a series regular in American Dream with Stephen Macht, The Yellow Rose with her first husband, David Soul, and Cybill Shepherd, and Two Marriages with Michael Murphy.
She was later cast as Mary Ellen in ABC's Here Come the Brides. She guest-starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1967), Mission: Impossible (1971), Bonanza (1973), Starsky and Hutch (1976–77) with David Soul, Centennial (1978), The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979), Hart to Hart (1980), Hill Street Blues (1983), and Hotel (1987). Her last appearance was a small part in the film Out of Ashes (2013).
Personal life Carlson is divorced from actor David Soul and musician Devin Payne. She has one child by Soul and two children with Payne.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1968 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Helene Episode: "The THRUSH Roulette Affair"1968 Here Come the Brides Girl Episode: "Here Come the Brides"1968–1969 Here Come the Brides Mary Ellen 3 episodes1969 I Dream of Jeannie Betty Episode: "Jeannie-Go-Round"1969 The F.B.I. Susan Episode: "Boomerang" 1969 Shame, Shame, Everybody Knows Her Name Susan Barton 1970 Death Valley Days Sarah Ewing Episode: "The Mezcla Man"1970 Death Valley Days Annabelle Colvin Episode: "Pioneer Pluck"1970 Bracken's World Katy Episode: "One, Two, Three... Cry"1970 The Student Nurses Phred 1970 Night Chase Vico's wife TV movie1971 Mission: Impossible Doris Gordon Episode: "The Missile"1971 My Three Sons Sherry Cross Episode: "After the Honeymoon"1971 Getting Together Connie Episode: "Beep, Beep"1971 The Smith Family Elsa Martine Episode: "Rumpus Room"1971 Days of Our Lives Sheila Hammond 1 episode1971 McCloud Receptionist Episode: "A Little Plot at Tranquil Valley"1971 Ironside Gracie Atkins Episode: "And Then There Was One"1972 Love, American Style (segment "Love and the Advice Column) Episode: "Love and the Advice Column / Love and the Bathtub / Love and the Fullback / Love and the Guru / Love and the Physical"1972 The Candidate Nancy McKay 1972 The F.B.I. Dana Evans Episode: "Edge of Desperation"1972 Banyon Juanita Episode: "Sally Overman is Missing"1972 Bonanza Theodora Duffy Episode: "The Marriage of Theodora Duffy:1973 Mannix Jennifer Holt Episode: ‘’Search for a Whisper’’1973 The Streets of San Francisco Cathy Cullen Episode: "Legion of the Lost"1973 Shaft Nancy Williamson Episode: "The Kidnapping"1974 Firehouse Diane Harding Episode: "Trapped"1974 Police Woman Gloria Episode: "Seven Ellen"1975 Movin' On Janet Kingman Episode: "Ransom"1975 Archer Judith Foster Episode: "The Vanished Man" 1975 Cage Without a Key Betty Holian TV movie1975 Barnaby Jones Mrs. Jennings Episode: "Jeopardy for Two"1975 The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant Nurse Clive Olin ABC Movie of the Week1975 Matt Helm Janet Larson Episode: "Murder on Ice"1975 Medical Story Sheila Barringer Episode: "Woman in White"1976 S.W.A.T. Laurie Wendell Episode: "Dragons and Owls"1976 Starsky and Hutch Gillian Ingram Episode: "Gillian"1977 Tail Gunner Joe Jean Kerr TV movie1977 Black Oak Conspiracy Lucy Metcalf 1977 Starsky and Hutch Christine D. Phelps Episode: "The Heroes"1977 It Happened One Christmas Violet TV movie1977 The Mask of Alexander Cross Samantha TV movie1978 Matilda Kathleen Smith 1978 Centennial Lisette Mercy 3 episodes1978 CHiPs Sheila Marin Episode: "Supercycle"1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Stella Warden Episode: "Planet of the Slave Girls"1979 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Lani Episode: "The Mob Comes to Orly"1980 The Incredible Hulk Lorraine Episode: "Broken Image"1980 The Octagon Justine 1980 Hart to Hart Marcie Episode: "Murder, Murder On The Wall"1981 American Dream Donna Novak 7 episodes1982 Lou Grant Meredith Hall-Sutton Episode: "Review"1982 Dangerous Company Janet Brody TV movie1982 T.J. Hooker Tracy Hill Episode: "The Streets"1982 In Love with an Older Woman Isobel TV movie1983 Hill Street Blues Nancy McCoy Episodes: "Moon Over Uranus", "Moon Over Uranus: The Sequel"1983 Two Marriages Ann Daley Episodes: "Pilot", "Relativity"1983 Lottery! Episode: "Portland: Treasure Hunt"1983–1984 The Yellow Rose Marlene Episodes: "The Yellow Rose", "Hell Hath No Fury", "Deadline"1984 Fleshburn Shirley Pinter 1984 Finder of Lost Loves Lorna Hodges Episode: "White Lies"1985 Brotherly Love Donna Ryder TV movie1985 Wild Horses Ann Cooper TV movie1986 Spenser: For Hire Lanore Freemont 1 episode1986 On Wings of Eagles Ruth Chiapparone Miniseries1986 Shattered...If Your Kid's on Drugs Eileen Wilson Direct-to-video1986–1987 Dallas Nancy Scotfield Recurring role (Season 10)1985 Hotel Diana Renard Episode: "Identities"1987 Hotel Mrs. Harper Episode: "Born to Run"1989 Teen Vamp Mrs. Murphy 1992 Where the Red Fern Grows: Part Two Direct-to-video1993 I'll Fly Away Jeanette Foster Episode: "What's in a Name?"1994 XXX's & OOO's TV movie1990–1994 In the Heat of the Night Atty. Sarah Hallisey 12 episodes1995 A Horse for Danny Mrs. Slauson TV movie1997 The Man Next Door Grace 2008 A Father's Rights Ms. Little 2013 Shuffleton's Barbershop Leslie Anne Cameron Voice role2018 Sparky & Butch Cora Short film2024 In a Quiet Room Julia Short film
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1999 Heartland International Film Festival Crystal Heart Award Climb Against the Odds Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival Audience Award Best Documentary
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