Karen Valentine (born May 25, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series Room 222 from 1969 to 1974, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1970, and received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1971. She later starred in her own short-lived sitcom Karen (1975), and played leading roles in the Disney films Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978) and The North Avenue Irregulars (1979).

Early life Valentine was born in Sebastopol, California, on May 25, 1947. She is of Portuguese heritage, and her grandfather changed the family name to Valentin before her birth. She attended Birmingham High School and Analy High School, graduating with the class of 1965. Valentine was crowned 1964 Miss Sonoma County.

Career Valentine performed "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 10, 1963. This lip-sync performance to Eydie Gormé's hit song was a reprise of her talent performance from the Miss Teenage America pageant.

In 1966–1967, she started her television career as "The Resident Dream Girl" on Chuck Barriss The Dream Girl of 1967, replacing Beverly Adams from the first weekday broadcast opposite hosts Dick Stewart and Wink Martindale, and during that time, she appeared on another Chuck Barris show, The Dating Game.

In 1969, Valentine played Gidget in the 1969 film Gidget Grows Up. In 1969, Valentine won her breakthrough role as a student teacher and then a new teacher on the ABC television series Room 222 with Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and Michael Constantine. She was discovered by Gene Reynolds, the director of Room 222, who saw her fumbling in her audition and realized she was funny. She was nominated twice for an Emmy and once for a Golden Globe, winning an Emmy in 1970 for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 1974, an unsold sitcom pilot, The Karen Valentine Program never aired. In 1975, Valentine starred in her own television series, Karen. She played the title role in the critically acclaimed true story Muggable Mary, Street Cop (1982). Valentine appeared in many other movies for television including The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972); Coffee, Tea or Me? (1973); The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974); Murder at the World Series (1977); Go West, Young Girl (1978); Money on the Side and Skeezer (1982). Valentine was a semi-regular on The Hollywood Squares from 1971 to 1977 on both NBC-TV and in syndication, often trading quips with Paul Lynde. She guest-starred on many series, including Starsky & Hutch; Baretta; Cybill; and Murder, She Wrote; as well as multiple episodes of The Love Boat and Love, American Style. She had a starring role in the 25th episode of the third season of the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone, entitled "Many, Many Monkeys".

Her feature films include Forever Young, Forever Free (1975); Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978); The North Avenue Irregulars; (1979) and The Power Within (1995). She also has had many leading roles in made-for-television movies.

Valentine has continued to work in television and on stage. She co-starred with John Larroquette in a 2004 Hallmark Channel TV movie, Wedding Daze. She has starred on stage in many productions, including Romantic Comedy on Broadway and National Tour, Breaking Legs Off-Broadway and National Tour, and the Los Angeles production of Steel Magnolias.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes 1975 Forever Young, Forever Free Carol Anne Alternate Release Title: e'Lollipop 1978 Hot Lead and Cold Feet Jenny Disney Film 1979 The North Avenue Irregulars Jane Disney Film 1995 The Power Within Clyda Dryer Alternate Release Title: Los Annilos del Poder (Spain)Alternate Release Title: Le Pouvoir de vaincre (France)

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1966-1967 Dream Girl of '67 Self - Hostess (as The Resident Dream Girl)170 episodes 1969 My Friend Tony Episode: The Shortest Courtship Gidget Grows Up Gidget Lawrence ABC Movie of the Week 1970 22nd Primetime Emmy Awards Herself - Winner TV SpecialEmmy Award Winner 1971 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Gayle Ritter Episode: Tender Predator 23rd Primetime Emmy Awards Herself - Presenter TV Special Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Guest Performer Episode: Karen Valentine 1970-1972 Love, American Style Pat Stark / Jane / Alice Graff / Marty Feniman Episode: (segment "Love and the Coed Dorm")Episode: (segment "Love and the Elopement")Episode: (segment "Love and the Four-Sided Triangle")Episode: (segment "Love and the Scroungers") 1972 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Donna Cohen Episode: Murder in the Abstract The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Charity TV Movie 1973 The Karen Valentine Show Karen Scott TV Special Coffee, Tea or Me? Carol Burnham / Carol Byrnes TV Movie 1969-1974 Room 222 Alice Johnson 113 episodes 1974 The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped Sandy Brown / Sandy Benson TV Movie 1975 Karen Karen Angelo 13 episodes 1971-1975 The Mike Douglas Show Herself 10 episodes 1975 Baretta Holly Episode: A Bite in the Apple 1976 The Love Boat Ellen Carmichael TV Movie Having Babies Beth Paterno TV Movie 1977 McMillan Sergeant Maureen Rupert Episode: Dark Sunrise 1970-1977 The Hollywood Squares Self - Panelist 263 episodes 1977 The Sonny & Cher Show Guest performer One episode January 2, 1977DVD of episode 1977 Murder at the World Series Lois Marshall TV Movie 1975-1977 Dinah! Herself 7 episodes 1977 Starsky & Hutch Diana Harmon Episode: Fatal Charm 1978 Fantasy Island Janet Fleming Episode: Return to Fantasy Island The Love Boat Taffy Martino Episode: The Eyes of Love / Masquerade / Hollywood Royalty / The Caper S1 E15 1979 America 2100 Dr. Karen Harland TV Movie Eischied Margaret ManningEpisode: Only the Pretty Girls Die: Part 1Episode: Only the Pretty Girls Die: Part 2 1982 Muggable Mary, Street Cop Mary Glatzle TV Movie Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever Paula McFadden TV Movie Adams House Chris Bennett TV Movie Skeezer Carrie Jessup TV Movie Money on the Side Janice Vernon TV Movie 1983 Illusions Linda Dobbins TV Movie Jane Doe Victoria Schaffer TV Movie A Girl's Life Gay Brooks TV Movie 1984 Children in the Crossfire Pam Chandler TV Movie He's Fired, She's Hired Annabelle Grier TV Movie 1986 The Disney Sunday Movie Meg Taylor Episode: A Fighting Choice 1987 The New Mike Hammer Sister Amelia Episode: Who Killed Sister Lorna Hotel Rebecca Lloyd Episode: Hotel Second Thoughts 1988 She's the Sheriff Rosalind Episode: Hair Murder, She Wrote Ellen Cosgrove Episode: Murder Through the Looking Glass Perfect People Margo TV Movie 1989 The Twilight Zone Claire Hendricks Episode: Many, Many Monkeys 1990 Hurricane Sam Jeanie Kelvin TV Movie Monsters Victoria Episode: The Young and the Headless 1991 CBS Schoolbreak Special Donna Stern Episode: The Emancipation of Lizzie Stern 1994 The Untouchables Pascualina Petucci Episode: Til Death Do Us Part 1996 Cybill Wanda Episode: Three Women and a Dummy 2000 Family Law Karen Anderson Bell Episode: Affairs of the State 2004 Wedding Daze Audrey Landry TV Movie 2009 GSN Live Self 2 episodes Whatever Happened To? Self Episode: Cutie Pies

Soundtrack Year Production Notes 1975 Monsanto Night Presents Johnny Mathis in the Canadian Rockies TV Specialperformer: "I'm Old-Fashioned", "Put a Little Love in Your Heart", "Buttons and Bows", "Canadian Sunset" and "Banff". 1976 The Sonny and Cher Show TV seriesperformer: "The Channel 86 Cutesy News Theme", "TV-themes medley"(uncredited)

Theater Year Title Role Notes 1980 Romantic Comedy Phoebe Craddock BroadwaySeptember 16, 1980 - October 18, 1980 1992 Breaking Legs Angie Off-Broadway September 29, 1992 - October 31, 1992

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Production Result 1970 Emmy Awards Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Comedy as Alice Johnson in Room 222 1971 Emmy Awards Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress - Television Room 222 as Miss Alice Johnson 2003 TV Land Awards Classic TV Teacher of the Year Room 222

References

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