Brenda Dickson
| Brenda Dickson | |
|---|---|
 Brenda Dickson Oscar Party 2014 | |
| Born |
Brenda Irene Dickson February 3, 1949 Long Beach, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Brenda Dickson-Weinberg |
| Alma mater | Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse(s) |
Robert Rifkin (m. 1976; div. 1983) Jan Weinberg (m. 1997; div. 2006) |
Brenda Irene Dickson (born February 3, 1949) is an American actress who originated the role of Jill Foster Abbott on the soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Early life and education
Dickson was born in Long Beach, California.[1] As a teenager, she toured Southeast Asia singing and dancing for the armed forces with Bob Hope.[2] At the age of 17, she won the title of Miss California USA. This led to acting offers but Dickson decided to continue performing at USO shows while studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles.[1]
Career
Dickson made her stage debut at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and went on to appear in stage roles in the Los Angeles area. She made her feature film debut in the 1972 film Deathmaster.[1] She has also appeared in guest roles on Men at Law and The F.B.I., Love, American Style, Here We Go Again, and the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest.
Dickson portrayed the character Jill Foster Abbott on The Young and the Restless from 1973 to 1980, then again from 1983 to 1987.[3] Dickson was fired from the show in 1987. She filed a $10 million lawsuit against Columbia Pictures in an effort to be reinstated.[4] In the lawsuit, Dickson claimed that William J. Bell blacklisted her after 15 years on the show after they partook in a secret love affair and that he then went on to wreak havoc on her personal and professional life by hiring "Mafia cartel judges and attorneys" to "ruin" her life. As a result, she ended up "broke and homeless" and has been blocked from working ever since.[5][6]
In 1987, Dickson released the film Welcome to My Home.[7] Described as a "vanity film",[7] Welcome to My Home showcases Dickson's lavish home and a plethora of outfits.[8] A parody published on YouTube became an Internet meme, and has since been taken down and re-uploaded several times.[9]
In May 2013, Blue Boulevard Publications released Dickson's memoir, My True Hidden Hollywood Story.[10]
Personal life
Marriages
Dickson has been married twice. Her first husband was dentist Robert Rifkin whom she married on September 30, 1976.[11] Dickson and Rifkin divorced in 1983. She married attorney Jan Weinberg on December 25, 1997.[12] They were divorced in 2006.[13]
Legal issues
In 2007, Dickson was jailed in Hawaii because of a civil contempt order stemming from a divorce judgment from her ex-husband, lawyer Jan Weinberg.[13] She said she was the victim and wasn't given a fair divorce hearing.[13] Released after 16 days, she was sent back to jail and eventually released after more than three months.[14] In 2009, the judgment in Weinberg v. Dickson was set aside as an appeals court found that the judge in the original trial had abused his discretion in not guaranteeing Dickson a fair trial and that Dickson's imprisonment had been unlawful.[15]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Men At Law | Episode: "One American" | |
| 1972 | The F.B.I. | Donna | Episode: "The Set-Up" |
| 1972 | Deathmaster | Rona | |
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Girl | Segment: "Love and the Sexpert" |
| 1973 | Here We Go Again | Donna | Episode: "There's a Boy in My Rumaki" |
| 1973-1980; 1983-1987 | The Young and the Restless | Jill Foster Abbott | 156 episodes |
| 1976 | Taxi Driver | Soap Opera Woman | |
| 1983 | Falcon Crest | Tony's Girlfriend | Episode: "Maelstrom" |
Awards and nominations
- 1986 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Serial The Young and the Restless.[16]
- 1988 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Serial The Young and the Restless.[16][8]
- Best Hollywood Memoir (Female) by the Hollywood Writers' Guild (2014) My True Hidden Hollywood Story
References
- 1 2 3 Peterson, Bettelou (March 18, 1985). "Brenda Dickson: The Young and the Restless". The Montreal Gazette. p. B-8. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Soap Stars' Real Lives Sometimes More Juicy". Ocala Star-Banner. November 18, 1976. p. 12-A. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "When Dickson Is Bad, It's Good for Young and Restless". Schenectady Gazette. January 9, 1987. p. 13. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Bette profits from drug deal". Wilmington Morning Star. March 5, 1988. p. 2D. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ Post Staff Report (April 22, 2013). "Soap star says she ended up broke and homeless". New York Post. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- ↑ Marcus, Stephanie (April 22, 2013). "Brenda Dickson Was Once Homeless: Young And The Restless Star Claims She Ended Up Broke & Homeless After Being Blacklisted". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- 1 2 New York (New York Magazine Company) 40: 62. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - 1 2 Limnander, Armand (May 14, 2009). "Kitsch of the Day". The New York Times Magazine Blog. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ "The Original Brenda Dickson Parody Is Back On YouTube!". DNA. 12-02-2008. Retrieved 23 March 2014. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "New Book By Soap Star Brenda Dickson Hits The Stands In May". The Beverly Hills Courier. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ Pike, Charlie (November 5, 1976). "Pike's Peek". The Dispatch. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Weinberg still a no-show in ongoing divorce". Honolulu Star Advertiser. March 3, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- 1 2 3 Kobayashi, Ken (February 20, 2007). "Jailed actress says she's the victim". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ↑ Kobayashi, Ken (June 27, 2007). "Honolulu judge frees ex-soap opera star from prison". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ↑ Dooley, Jim (January 13, 2010). "Actress, other women allege abuses by Hawaii's Family Court". Honolulu Star Advertiser. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- 1 2 "Awards for Brenda Dickson". IMDb. Retrieved March 1, 2009.