Cindy Lou Pickett (born April 18, 1947) is an American actress. She is known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light and Dr. Carol Novino on the television drama St. Elsewhere in the 1980s. Pickett, however, is best known to audiences for her lighter turn as Katie Bueller, Ferris Bueller's loving and unsuspecting mother, in the 1986 American comedy movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Other notable cinematic roles and performances include Valerie St. John, the leading role in Roger Vadim's 1980 film, Jeux de Nuit / Night Games, and the heroic, tough-as-nails Dr. Diane Norris, executive officer of the under-siege, deep-sea scientific research station in the 1989 sci-fi-horror film DeepStar Six.
Early life and education Born on April 18, 1947, in Norman, Oklahoma"8 Births Reported At Norman Hospital" . The Norman Transcript. April 29, 1947, p. 2. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "Recent births of eight girls and live boys at Norman Municipal hospital were listed on hospital records today. [...] Mr. and Mrs. Cecil J. Pickett, 209 West Comanche street, daughter, Cindy Lou, April 18." and raised in Sand Springs, Oklahoma and Houston, Texas,Zekas, Rita (May 24, 1987). "Toronto Gives Actors a Working Honeymoon". The Toronto Star. p. C1. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward play the newlywed game to a tea. [...] [T]he recently married couple are to pose on a love seat, gazing into each other's eyes over tea for two. [...] Ward hails from Saint John. Pickett was born in Norman, Oklahoma, and grew up in Houston." Pickett is the daughter of Millie and Cecil J. Pickett (the latter an influential drama teacher/director at Bellaire High School, Houston Baptist College and the University of Houston).Hodges, Ann (November 21, 1997). "Teacher Cecil Pickett touched the lives of many fine acting talents". The Houston Chronicle. p. 3D. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "Cecil Pickett's teaching career spanned 33 years, from Bellaire High School to Houston Baptist University to the University of Houston to his retirement in 1988." In Houston, Pickett attended Jane Long Junior High School and Bellaire High School;"Jane Long H.S. Wins Junior Play Tourney" . The Houston Chronicle. April 8, 1962. p. 30. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "Jane Long Junior High School claimed the best actor, three of the six members of the all-star cast and first place in the Houston public schools junior high one-act play tournament Saturday at McReynolds Junior High School, 5910 Market Street Road. [...] Participants from Long Junior High included Joe Rightmeyer, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Rightmeyer, 8729 Rohindell: Cindy Pickett, 14. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Pickett, 8406 McAvoy;" next came Jacksonville's Lon Morris College"Theatre: 'Streetcar' Cast;' Other Stages" . The Houston Post Spotlight. October 3, 1965. p. 25. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "A number of Houstonians will be among the student cast of the Masque and Wig Theatre production of 'Auntie Mame' opening Oct 11 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. They include Mimi Pearsall in the title role, Steven Jones, Joe Giamalva, Don Jones, Bob McCoy. Glynis Bell, Mary Coke, Bill Edwards, Cindy Pickett, Sharon Watkins, Rod Bowman, Gerry Burkhardt, Gwen Corolla, Jack Brasher, Jim Burke, Barbara Morrison and Marvin Martin."—under the tutelage of another widely revered Texas-based teacher-director, LMC drama department founder Lula Pearson"Mrs. Pearson Rites Planned" . Tyler Morning Telegraph. September 22, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "After marriage to Arch B. Pearson, she began teaching at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville in 1932. She organized the drama department and her productions quickly became known statewide. [...] Her former students include show figures Tommy Tune, Sandy Duncan, Cindy Pickett, Amanda McBroom, L.Q. Jones, Vernon Weddle and Robert Crutchfield."—and the University of Texas at Austin."Community Round-Up: UT's Children's Play". The Houston Post. February 29, 1968. p. 8-SE. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "UT's Children's Play University of Texas students will present a children's threatre production of Allen Cullen's "Trudi and the Minstrel" March 1-3 in the Drama Building Theatre Room. Local students in the cast and crew are: Michael Bobkoff, 3614 Gramercy, Alma Jean Dooling, 2206 Libbey; [...] Mimi Pearsall, 3767 Harper; Cindy Lou Pickett, 5334 Holly;" Returning home, Pickett attended Houston Baptist College and the University of Houston, once again studying with—and being directed by—her father, as well as performing in a repertory company alongside similarly Hollywood-bound classmates such as Randy Quaid, Trey Wilson, and Brent Spiner (then Brent Mintz)."The Theatre: 'The Rose Tattoo' at the Alley; a sampling of Shakespeare; the ';Peanuts' gang comes to town" . The Houston Post Spotlight. October 12, 1969. p. 27. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "IT'S A BIG cast at Houston Baptist College for the season opener Tuesday, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," under Director Cecil Pickett. [...] Leading the dramatis personae are Frank Tammariello, Trey Wilson, Bobby Leatherwood, Steve Murray, Gary Gale, Brent Mintz, Skip Goodwell, Randy Quaid, Louis Calderera, Sharon Hiett, Cindy Pickett, Bruce Lampkin and Melanie Bell."
Career Pickett made a major departure from her soap opera image when she played the central role in the 1980 erotic film Jeux de Nuit / Night Games, directed by Roger Vadim. It was a sexually charged role involving numerous nude scenes, however the film went unnoticed and did not boost Pickett's career. In the 1981 mystery/crime drama Margin for Murder, Pickett played the role of Velda, Mike Hammer's (Kevin Dobson) loyal and devoted secretary. She played "Jackie Marler" on the soap opera The Guiding Light from 1976 to 1980, "Vanessa Sarnac" on the ABC weekly TV series Call to Glory from 1984 to 1985, and she appeared as Dr. Carol Novino on the hospital drama TV series St. Elsewhere from 1986 to 1988.
Pickett had a supporting role in the 1987 mini-series Amerika, which she then considered to be her "best part and the best showcase" she ever had. In 1991, she played the part of Addy Mathewson in the TV movie/pilot Plymouth, which at the time was considered to be one of the most expensive such movies ever made. Pickett portrayed the real-life Kay Stayner, the mother of a boy who was kidnapped for several years, in the dramatic TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. TV series she has guest-starred on include Riptide, Simon & Simon, Magnum, P.I., L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, The Pretender, NYPD Blue, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Crossing Jordan and Burn Notice.
Personal life While studying at Lon Morris college, Pickett dated actor Brent Spiner. Pickett met Lyman Ward when they played the parents of the titular teenaged protagonist in the 1986 comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. They married in real life and divorced in 1992. Pickett is a collector of stereopticon cards.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1980Night GamesValerie St. John1981Circle of PowerLyn Nilsson1983HystericalKate1986Ferris Bueller's Day OffKatie BuellerHannah1988Hot to TrotVictoria Peyton1989DeepStar SixDiane Norris1991Crooked HeartsJill1992Original IntentMargueriteVideoSleepwalkersHelen Robertson1993Son in LawConnie WarnerSharon Phillips1995EvolverMelanie Baxter1996Kid CopBeverly DwerkinVideoCoyote SummerMaggie Foster1997Painted HeroSadie2000Maggie ConnerVideo2005Hate CrimeBarbara McCoy2008Josie2010ConfessionGreta2011Mother CountryPamela Dupree2016Chasing the RainBonnieLike a ButterflyWendyShortWhite WingsJaniceShortConfessionJulie WarrenShortTe AtaMiss Davis2017Opus of an AngelSister MonicaPost-production20??RoseKarenPost-production
Television Year Title Role Notes1976–1980Guiding LightJackie Marler-SpauldingTV series1980Lil TylerTV film1981Margin for MurderVeldaTV filmMary BreydonTV film1982Cry for the StrangersElaine RussellTV film1983Cocaine and Blue EyesCatherine AnatoleTV filmBring 'Em Back AliveLaura Davies"Bones of Contention"1984RiptideNatalie Kramer"Somebody's Killing the Great Geeks of America"Simon & SimonAddie Becker"The Dillinger Print"Magnum, P.I.Karen Teal"Dream a Little Dream"1984–1985Call to GloryVanessa SarnacMain role1986Alfred Hitchcock PresentsMarcia Loomis"The Gloating Place"1986–1988St. ElsewhereDr. Carol NovinoMain role1987AmerikaAmanda BradfordTV miniseriesEchoes in the DarknessSue MyersTV filmInto the HomelandRye SwallowTV film1989I Know My First Name Is StevenKay StaynerTV miniseries1990ABC Afterschool SpecialJoanne Kelly"A Question About Sex"1991PlymouthAddy MatthewsonTV filmOur Shining MomentBetty McGuireTV film1992Wild CardDanaTV filmL.A. LawLois Alner"Love on the Rox"1994Murder, She WroteJoanna Sims"Wheel of Death"1995SirensPam Dunbridge"The Witness"Not Our SonMargaret KellerTV filmHer Hidden TruthLaney DevereauxTV film1996Elissa FleissTV filmTime Well SpentBarbara MarksTV film1997Dr. Shafton"Unhappy Landings"1998Atomic DogJennifer YatesTV film1998–1999Hyperion BayMarjorie SweeneyMain role2001Gina Thorson"The Two Mrs. Thorsons: Part 1"2004Crossing JordanLaura Corday"Dead in the Water"2005NYPD BlueFrancine Beckett"La Bomba"CSI: MiamiMiranda Lewis"Whacked"2006McBride: Fallen IdolTracy FranksTV filmGhost WhispererMarybeth Kaminsky"The Woman of His Dreams"2007Cold CaseSara Lowell / Johanna Kimball"Blood on the Tracks"MediumTanya King"1-900-Lucky"2008Burn NoticeDiane"Trust Me"2010Elf Sparkle and the Special Red DressSnowball (voice)TV film2013My Synthesized LifeLouise Bales"Meet the Parents"2014Rachel"Black Helicopters"Stranded in ParadiseMona NelsonTV film2016OutcastLauren"Close to Home"2017Age of the Living DeadAmandaTV series20??Star Trek Equinox: The Night of TimeAdm. GrayTV film, filming
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