Didi Conn
| Didi Conn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edith Bernstein July 13, 1951 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Frankie Conn (m. 1975; div. 1978) David Shire (m. 1982) |
| Children | 1 |
Edith "Didi" Conn (neé Bernstein; July 13, 1951) is an American film, stage and television actress. Conn was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a clinical psychologist.[1]
Career
Conn made her debut as an actress in the 1960s. Her notable characters since the 1970s, when she first became prominent, include:
- Laurie Robinson in You Light Up My Life, 1977 (for which Kasey Cisyk provided the character's singing voice)[1]
- "Frenchy" in the feature films Grease (1978) and Grease 2 (1982)
- Helen on The Practice (1976–77)
- Denise Stevens Downey on Benson (1981–85)
- Stacy Jones on Shining Time Station (1989–95)[1]
Conn provided the voice for Raggedy Ann in the animated feature Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977) directed by Richard Williams. Her voice is one of her trademarks. She appeared as a celebrity guest on game shows like Match Game, The $20,000 $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 Pyramids, Chain Reaction and Go.[2]
In 2013, she starred as "Pearl" in the play A Heap of Livin' by Elliot Shoenman, at The Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.
In January 2016, she had a cameo as Vi in the Grease: Live television special on Fox, thus being the only actress to appear in all three screen adaptations of the franchise.
Activism
Conn's son Daniel was diagnosed with autism.[3] On November 13, 2008, she was named national celebrity spokesperson for Autism Speaks.[4] Before that, she was a spokesperson for the National Alliance for Autism Research, now part of Autism Speaks. She has performed at benefits for Foundation for Educating Children with Autism (FECA).[5]
On September 27, 2008, Conn performed with David Shire and Lynne Wintersteller at a benefit performance for Barack Obama in Nyack, New York.[6]
Personal life
"Didi" was her childhood nickname. She attended Midwood High School. Her brother is opera singer Richard Bernstein. She married her first husband Frank Conn in 1975 and they divorced in 1978. She has been married to composer David Shire since 1982, with whom she has a son, Daniel Shire, who has autism. Conn is the stepmother to Matthew Shire, a Los Angeles screenwriter and the son of Talia Shire.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure | Raggedy Ann (voice) | Animated film |
| 1977 | You Light Up My Life | Laurie Robinson | |
| 1978 | Grease | Frenchy | |
| 1978 | Almost Summer | Donna DeVito | |
| 1981 | Violet | Violet | Short film |
| 1982 | Grease 2 | Frenchy | |
| 1983 | The Magic Show | Cal | |
| 2000 | Thomas and the Magic Railroad | Stacy Jones | |
| 2002 | Frida | Waitress | |
| 2005 | Shooting Vegetarians | Patrice | |
| 2006 | Helen at Risk | Helen | Short film |
| 2008 | Oh Baby! | David's Mom | |
| TBA | Paper Dreams | Marianna | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Genesis II | TV Actress | TV film |
| 1975 | Happy Days | Joyce | Episode: "Kiss Me Sickly" |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Young Woman | Episode: "Measure of Mercy" |
| 1976–77 | The Practice | Helen | Main cast (27 episodes) |
| 1977 | Handle with Care | Jackie Morse | TV pilot episode |
| 1978 | Three on a Date | Eve Harris | TV film |
| 1978 | Murder at the Mardi Gras | Julie Evans | TV film |
| 1980 | Semi-Tough | Kiki | Episode: "One Bad Apple" |
| 1980–81 | The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang | Cupcake (voice) | Main cast (24 episodes) |
| 1981–85 | Benson | Denise Stevens Downey | Main cast (72 episodes) |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Receptionist | Episode: "Working" |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Jenny | Episode: "Love on Strike" |
| 1984 | ABC Weekend Specials | Dimples (voice) | Episode: "Bad Cat" |
| 1985 | Hotel | Patty Maloney | Episode: "Sleeping Dogs" |
| 1985 | Star Fairies | Spice (voice) | TV film |
| 1985 | The Jetsons | Cousin Melissa | Episode: "Judy Takes Off" |
| 1987 | Cagney & Lacey | Roswell | Episode: "Waste Deep" |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Wanda | Episode: "All That Glitters" |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Birdy Belker | Episode: "Ghost Rider" |
| 1989–93 | Shining Time Station | Stacy Jones | Main cast (65 episodes) |
| 1990 | The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda | Additional voices | Episode: "Pity the Poor Pirate" |
| 1990 | Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift | Stacy Jones | TV special |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Hilary Schoenfeld | Episode: "Till Debt Do Us Part" |
| 1993 | A Flintstone Family Christmas | Stella (voice) | TV special |
| 1994 | L.A. Law | Penny Tressman | Episode: "He Ain't Guilty, He's My Brother" |
| 1995 | Shining Time Station: Once Upon a Time | Stacy Jones | TV special |
| 1995 | Shining Time Station: Second Chances | Stacy Jones | TV special |
| 1995 | Shining Time Station: One of the Family | Stacy Jones | TV special |
| 1995 | Shining Time Station: Queen for a Day | Stacy Jones | TV special |
| 1995 | Cybill | Sitcom Mom | Episode: "The Cheese Stands Alone" |
| 2003 | Stanley | Mrs. Goldberg (voice) | Episode: "Going-Away Goose/Time to Climb!" |
| 2003 | The Wild Thornberrys | Muskox #2 (voice) | Episode: "Clash and Learn" |
| 2008–10 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nurse | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2011 | Gigantic | Didi Conn | Episode: "Scramble" |
| 2012 | Didi Lightful | Didi Lightful (voice) | TV pilot episode |
| 2015 | Transparent | Joyce Feldman | Episode: "The Book of Life" |
| 2016 | The Call | Corrine | TV pilot episode |
| 2016 | Grease: Live | Vi | TV special |
References
- 1 2 3 Didi Conn profile, FilmReference.com; accessed November 21, 2015.
- 1 2 Didi Conn on IMDb
- ↑ I Was the Queen of Denial on Autism CNN.com, April 1, 2009
- ↑ Didi Conn Named a National Celebrity Spokesperson for Autism Speaks, AutismSpeaks.org, November 14, 2008.
- ↑ "Devereux Millwood gala goes retro". devereux.org. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ↑ Sept 27, 2008 Obama Benefit performance, NyackNewsandViews.com, September 21, 2008.
External links
- Didi Conn on IMDb
- Didi Conn at the Internet Off-Broadway Database