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Marilyn Chris

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Marilyn Chris
Born
Marilyn Miller

1938 or 1939 (age 85–86)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Other namesMarilyn Chris-Wallace,
OccupationActress
Years active1960–present
Spouses
  • George Christopoulos
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1957, divorced)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1967, divorced)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1975; died 2020)​
Children1

Marilyn Chris (born Marilyn Miller,[1] 1938 or 1939[2][a]) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Wanda Webb Wolek on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live (1973 to 1992). She starred Off-Broadway in Allen Ginsberg's Kaddish (1972), winning an Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award for her performance. She also appeared on Broadway in Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983).

Early life

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Chris was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jack Miller, an English-Scottish Mennonite and Sylvia Slavin, a Russian Jew.[5] When she was growing up, her father walked out on the family and her grandfather, who she was close with, died.[6]

She attended Junior High School 109 in Brooklyn. One of her classmates was Steve Lawrence (when he was still known as Sidney Liebowitz).[6] Chris was then accepted at the High School of Performing Arts. After high school, she enrolled at City College of New York.[7]

Career

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She began her acting career in the 1950s at The Living Theatre.[8] Prompted by the discovery that her birth name was already registered with Actors Equity, Miller devised a stage name simply by shortening her then-married name, Christopoulos.[1]

With appearances on television shows such as NBC's Law & Order and Fame, she is known by longtime soap fans as Wanda Wolek #1 on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live, a role she played from 1972 through 1976, and from 1980 through 1994.[9] Earlier in her career she played Edie Hoffman on the ABC soap opera All My Children.

She has appeared in such films as Love With The Proper Stranger (1963), The People Next Door (1970), The Honeymoon Killers (1970), The Black Marble (1980), and Trees Lounge (1996).

She has also acted and directed for the theater. Her Broadway credits include roles in Lenny and Brighton Beach Memoirs.[10][11] She received an Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Variety Critics Poll for her performance in Kaddish, directed by Robert Kalfin at the Chelsea Theater Center.[12][10]

Personal life

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Chris has married three times, the first two ending in divorce: first, in 1957, to aspiring playwright George Christopoulos, with whom she had a son, Paul;[2][1][13][5] next, on New Year's Eve 1967, to actor Ric Mancini;[14][15] and finally—from December 14, 1975 until his death on December 20, 2020—to actor Lee Wallace.[3][16]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 Love with the Proper Stranger Gina
1969 John and Mary The Film Director's Wife
1970 The Honeymoon Killers Myrtle Young
The People Next Door Discotheque Waitress
1974 Rhinoceros Mrs. Bingham
1976 Love in the Hamptons Mother Video
1977 Looking Up Rose Lander
1980 The Black Marble Mavis Skinner
Loving Couples Sally
1989 American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy
1996 Trees Lounge Josie Basilio
1997 The Deli Rosie Credited as Marilyn Cris
2000 The Bookie's Lament Carmel Short film
2005 The Great New Wonderful Phyllis
Lucky Ruth Short film
2006 Waltzing Anna Mrs. Chadwick
2009 Comfortable Distance Helen Short film
2013 Altered Minds Elizabeth Robbins

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1968 N.Y.P.D. Mrs. Baxter; The Second Girl Episodes: "Last Port of Call," "The Love Hustle"
1970 Hawaii Five-O Dorothy Owens Episode: "Paniolo"
1971 Dan August Waitress Episode: "The Worst Crime"
1972 All My Children Edie Hoffman
1973–1992 One Life to Live Wanda Webb Wolek Contract role
1975 Strike Force Faye Stone Television film
1977 Rafferty Callie Episode: "The Wild Child"
1978 Barney Miller Ruth Whittney Episode: "The Harris Incident"
1979 Some Kind of Miracle Harriet Television film
Family Miss Grey Episode: "Moment of Truth"
Kaz Episode: "The Stalking Man"
Backstairs at the White House Diane Clare Television miniseries, 1 episode
1980 The Secret War of Jackie's Girls Mabel Television film
1981 Kent State Mrs. Scheuer Television film
1984 A Doctor's Story Anne Wickes Television film
1986 Fame Sylvia Episode: "A Different Drummer"
1994; 1995; 1998 Law & Order Mary Perella; Mrs. Capetti; Gayatri Devi Episodes: "White Rabbit," "Bitter Fruit," "DWB"
1995 New York News Episode: "Past Imperfect"
1997 Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way Rae Torre Television film
1999 Third Watch Rena Episode: "Modern Designs for Better Living"
2001 Deadline Rona Friedman Episode: "The First Commandment"
2003 Oz Oppenheimer Episode: "Exeunt Omnes"
2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dora Hovis Episode: "Cage"
2009 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Episode: "Family Values"

Notes

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  1. ^ Two reference works concerning the history of daytime TV—each of whose Marilyn Chris entries includes a birthday without specifying the year—diverge widely as to the month and day of her birth. The Soap Opera Book : Who's Who in Daytime Drama, published in 1992 by Todd Publications, lists May 19 as her birthday,[3] whereas Daytime TV Star's Directory, published by Popular Library in 1976, has September 24.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hurst, Louise. (June 29, 1964). "How to Succeed in Acting and Making Home for Son". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
  2. ^ a b "Here's another weekly winner in our search for THE TYPICAL AMERICAN GIRL". New York Sunday News Coloroto Magazine. February 23, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Rout, Nancy E., Buckley, Ellen, Rout, Barney M., ed. (1992). The Soap Opera Book : Who's Who in Daytime Drama. West Nyack, N.Y.: Todd Publications. p. 56. ISBN 0-915344-36-X.
  4. ^ Denis Paul (1976). Daytime TV Star's Directory. New York: Popular Library. p. 187. OCLC 2518996
  5. ^ a b Nabakov, Peter (August 20, 1967). "Chris Versatile Actress With Myriad Faces". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 38. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Bonderoff, Jason (October 13, 1992). "The Wanda Years". Soap Opera Digest. 17 (21): 114–116.
  7. ^ Soares, Manuela (1992). The Soap opera book: who's who in daytime drama. Todd Publications. p. 56. ISBN 9780915344239. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ^ Tytell, John (1997). The Living Theatre: Art, Exile, and Outrage. Grove Press. p. 308. ISBN 9780802134868. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. ^ "One Life to Live Where Are They Now: Marilyn Chris!". Soaps.com. July 14, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Veteran Actors Perform in "Awake and Sing"". Centre Daily Times. August 7, 1975. p. 5. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  11. ^ Byrnes, Eileen (April 3, 1984). "Simon's 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' is a classic comedy hit". The Evening News. p. 7A. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  12. ^ "Daytime doings on ABC". McKinney Courier-Gazette. November 5, 1972. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  13. ^ "New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLSR-V5BY : 19 June 2017), George Christopoulos and Marilyn Miller, 1957, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States;Marriage, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, from Reclaim the Records, The NYC Marriage Index (http://www.nycmarriageindex.com : 2016); citing New York City Clerk's Office.
  14. ^ Newton, Jim (May 19, 1968). "Two Summer Drama Groups List Stars; City Artists Do Well in State Show". Albuquerque Journal. p. 26. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  15. ^ Hirsch, Linda (October 28, 1977). "Daytime Dial: Jennifer Still Around". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 9D. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  16. ^ McPhee, Ryan (December 28, 2020). "Stage and Screen Actor Lee Wallace Dead at 90". Playbill. Retrieved January 12, 2024.

Sources

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