Susan Howard

Susan Howard
Susan Howard in 1975
Born	Jeri Lynn Mooney (1944-01-28) January 28, 1944 Marshall, Texas
Occupation	Actress, activist

Jeri Lynn Mooney (born January 28, 1944), better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist, best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the primetime soap opera Dallas, 1979–87. She was an Emmy-nominated co-star of the series Petrocelli, 1974–76. She is a screenwriter and member of the Writers Guild of America.

Early life

Howard was born and raised in the town of Marshall, Texas, where she was recognized for acting talent. She won a UIL award for Best Actress while in high school. Upon graduating from Marshall High School, she attended the University of Texas^[1] for two years where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority before leaving for Los Angeles to become an acting student at the Los Angeles Repertory Company.

Career

Susan Howard had several guest appearances on major television shows during the 1960s and early 1970s: The Flying Nun (1967), I Dream of Jeannie (1968), Star Trek (1968) on which she carried the distinction of playing the first female Klingon on the original series (and the only one to ever speak), Bonanza (1969), and Mission: Impossible (1972).^[1] In 1973, she appeared as Evan Sands on Lorne Greene's ABC crime drama Griff in the episode "Who Framed Billy the Kid?", with Nick Nolte as Billy Randolph, a football player accused of murder.

In 1974, she was cast as the co-star of the NBC series Petrocelli. Her performance was subsequently nominated for both the Golden Globe and Emmy awards.^[2][3] Despite critical acclaim for Howard, the series was canceled in 1976. In 1978, she played a key role as Professor Kingsfield's daughter Susan in series one, episode ten of The Paper Chase. Then came her 1979 appearance on Dallas as Donna Culver. The producers of the show liked her performance so much that her guest spot was expanded to an eight-year stint; she has the distinction of being the only Dallas cast member to have written for the series as well ("Sitting Ducks" and "The Ten Percent Solution"). In 1987 the show decided to not renew her contract.^[1] She has blamed this decision on her opposition to what she saw as pro-abortion storylines involving her character.^[4]

Personal life

After leaving television Howard has become an increasingly active supporter of conservative causes, especially the Second Amendment. She is an active member of the leadership of both the NRA and the Texas Republican Party. Howard has also served as a commissioner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is currently a commissioner of the Texas Commission on the Arts. She became involved in the NRA after meeting Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans.^[5]

Filmography

References

External links

• Susan Howard at the Internet Movie Database