Claudia Christian
Claudia Christian | |
---|---|
Claudia Christian in June 2009 | |
Born |
Claudia Ann Coghlan August 10, 1965 Glendale, California, US |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Actress, director, writer, singer, musician |
Years active | 1984–present |
Spouse(s) | Gary DeVore (m. 1988–92) |
Website | "Official Site" |
Claudia Ann Christian[1] (born Claudia Ann Coghlan;[2] August 10, 1965) is an American actress, writer, singer, musician and director, known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction television series Babylon 5.[3][4][5] Her main charity work is publicizing the Sinclair Method as a cure for alcoholism.[6]
Early life
Christian was born in Glendale, California, the daughter of Hildegard (née Christian), who worked as the director of Giorgio Beverly Hills, and James Michael Coghlan.[7][8][9] Her mother is from Germany and her father has Irish ancestry.[10][11] She was raised in Connecticut and England.[10] She has two older brothers and currently resides in Los Angeles and London, England,
Career
Christian's first role on television was a guest appearance on Dallas, followed by a series regular role as Melody Hughes on the short-lived drama Berrenger's. She performed feature film roles such as a stripper possessed by an alien serial killer in The Hidden (1987), a police department psychologist Susan Riley in Maniac Cop 2 and as model Hexina in Hexed (1993).
In 1994–1998, she appeared as Commander Susan Ivanova, one of the series leads, in the first four seasons of Babylon 5. She left unexpectedly when contract negotiations for the fifth and final season – aggravated by the possibility that there would not be one – broke down. J. Michael Straczynski, the series' creator, maintains that she chose to leave on her own. However, Christian stated that she did wish to return for season 5, but was rebuffed and let go when she requested a small reduction in the number of episodes she would appear in.[12] She appeared in the fifth season's series finale, which had been filmed during the fourth season, when it seemed likely that the series would end prematurely.
She posed nude for Playboy magazine in October 1999, appeared in two episodes of Freaks and Geeks in 2000, and appeared in the 2002 She Spies episode, "Spy vs Spy". In 2004, she returned to the live stage (and to Laguna Beach, California, where she had attended high school), starring in the United States Premiere of Michael Weller's play What the Night is For, with Kip Gilman, directed by Richard Stein, at the Laguna Playhouse. She starred in the BBC comedy series, Broken News in 2005. She also plays Janine Foster, mother of Peri Brown, in the Doctor Who audio drama "The Reaping", produced by Big Finish Productions released in the United Kingdom in September 2006.
She voices Anne Manx in the full cast recordings for the Radio Repertory Company of America. The science fiction series is currently shown as in pre-production for "Anne Manx 6". In 2010, Christian appeared in the Showtime series Look: The Series.
She also had a music career, having released a solo album, Once Upon a Time, a single, "Taboo", a collaboration with Claudia Cummings, Claudia Squared, and a collaboration with some of the other cast members of Babylon 5 on the album The Be Five.
Claudia Con UK
Christian conceived her own convention, Claudia Con UK, which took place in the United Kingdom on August 13–14, 2011.[13]
"After years of attending conventions where fans were mistreated, told not to touch, photograph, film, eat or breathe…. I decided to throw what I call the 'anti-convention.' My theory is that if you give people freedom and respect they will in turn give you freedom and respect."
Charity work
Christian has been publicizing the Sinclair Method through her book Babylon Confidential,[14] in which she recalls her own experiences with the condition. She made a documentary titled One Little Pill[15] about the method under the auspices of the C3 Foundation, which she founded.[6]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Calendar Girl Murders | Kara | Television movie |
1989 | A Masterpiece of Murder | Julia Forsythe | |
1986 | Houston: The Legend of Texas | Also known as Gone to Texas | |
1987 | The Hidden | Brenda Lee Van Buren | |
1988 | Police Story: Monster Manor | Officer Babs Altoon | |
1988 | Never on Tuesday | Tuesday | |
1988 | Clean and Sober | Iris | |
1989 | Shannon's Dead | ||
1989 | Tale of Two Sisters | Liz | |
1990 | Danielle Steel's Kaleidoscope | Meagan | Television movie |
1990 | Mad About You | Casey | |
1990 | Maniac Cop 2 | Officer Susan Riley | |
1990 | Think Big | Dr. Irene Marsh | |
1990 | A Gnome Named Gnorm | Samantha | |
1991 | Lie of the Twins | Felice | |
1991 | The Woman Who Sinner | Judy Reinhardt | |
1991 | Strays | Claire Lederer | Television movie |
1991 | The Dark Backward | Kitty | |
1991 | Arena | Quinn | |
1993 | Hexed | Hexina | |
1993 | Relentless: Mind of a Killer | Leeann Hardy | Television movie |
1994 | The Chase | Yvonne Voss | |
1997 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time | Katherine Shelley | |
1997 | Mercenary II: Thick & Thin | Patricia Van Lier | |
1998 | A Wing and a Prayer | Shelley Lowe | |
1998 | Babylon 5: In the Beginning | Commander Susan Ivanova | |
1998 | Babylon 5: Thirdspace | Commander Susan Ivanova | |
1998 | Snide and Prejudice | Renate Muller | |
1999 | Haunting of Hell House | Lucy | |
1999 | Running Home | Jules Daniels | |
1999 | The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All | Andy | |
1999 | Final Voyage | Max | |
2010 | Meteor Apocalypse | Kate Dematti | |
2000 | Love & Sex | Woman in gallery | Cameo |
2000 | True Rights | Elaine Kilgore | |
2001 | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Helga Sinclair | Voice role |
2002 | Half Past Dead | EZ Williams | |
2002 | The Failures | Anna | |
2005 | The Garden | Dr Cairns | |
2006 | The Dot Man | Lieutenant Colonel Dunst | |
2008 | Serbian Scars | Meggie | Co-producer |
2012 | Overnight | Sandy | |
2012 | Rise of an Exile | Hannah Benedict | Pre-production |
2014 | The Writer with No Hands | Herself | |
2014 | One Little Pill | Herself and as narrator | Documentary |
Television series
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | T. J. Hooker | Betty MacRae | Episode: "The Lipstick Killer" |
1984 | Dallas | Episode: "Some Do...Some Don't" | |
1984 | Falcon Crest | Kate Mars | Episode: "Tests of Faith" |
1984 | Riptide | Marion Gordon | Episode: "Where The Girls Are" |
1984 | Hunter | Roxanne Hoffmeyer | Episode: "Love, Hate, and Sporty James" |
1984 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Cassie Conroy | Episodes: "Elegy for a Tramp", "Shots in the Dark" |
1985 | The A-Team | Cathy Rogers | Episode: "Trouble Brewing" |
1986 | Blacke's Magic | Laurie Blacke | Episodes: "Breathing Room", "Death Goes To The Movies" |
1985 | Berrenger's | Melody Hughes | Series regular |
1987 | The Highwayman | The Highwayman's liaison, Dawn | Episode: "Terror on the Blacktop " |
1987 | Jake and the Fatman | Lt. Alex Walker | Episode: "Easy to Love" |
1987 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Sylvia | Episode: "Dial L for Laundry" |
1989 | Quantum Leap | Allison | Episode: "Play It Again, Seymour" |
1990 | Matlock | Mickey Alder | Episode: "The Blackmailer" |
1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Bonnie Jenks Hastings | Episode: "Prodigal Father" |
1991 | L.A. Law | Susan Convers | Episode: "Speak, Lawyers, for Me" |
1991 | Dark Justice | Dana Hollister Harrison | Episode: "To Die For" |
1993 | Columbo | Lisa Martin | Feature-length special "Columbo: It's All In the Game" |
1993 | Space Rangers | Marla Baker | Episode: "Death Before Dishonor" |
1994 | Babylon 5 | Commander Susan Ivanova | Main cast |
1997 | The Oz Kids | Queen Aquareine | |
1997 | Total Security | Cheryl Bankston | Episode: "Pilot" |
1997 | Highlander: The Series | Katherine | Episode: "Two of Hearts" |
1999 | Freaks and Geeks | Gloria Haverchuck | Recurring role |
2000 | Family Law | Carla Sims | Episode: "Are You My Father?" |
2001 | Relic Hunter | Carson Inez | Episode: "All Choked up" |
2002 | She Spies | Tanya | Episode: "Spy vs Spies" |
2002 | NYPD Blue | Catherine Lowell | Episode "Better Laid Than Never" |
2003 | Everwood | Young Edna | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" |
2005 | Starhyke | Captain Belinda Blowhard | Main cast |
2005 | Broken News | Julia Regan | Series regular |
2007 | Nip/Tuck | Gwen | Episode: "Dawn Budge II" |
2010 | Look: The Series | Stella | Series regular |
2011 | Grimm | Mrs. Clark | Episode "Let Your Hair Down" |
2013 | Criminal Minds | Agent Gretchen Stern | Episode: "Alchemy" |
2014 | Castle | Mrs. Logan | Episode: "Law & Boarder" |
2014 | The Mentalist | Greta Fortensky | Episode: "Black Market" |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1995 | Solar Eclipse/Titan Wars | |
2002 | Summoner 2 | Sangaril / Logosarch / Rosalind / Dama Heras |
2004 | Shrek 2 | Fairy Godmother |
2009 | Pizza Morgana | Abbie Positive |
2011 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Multiple, including Aela the Huntress, Bryling, Legate Rikke, Sorli the Builder and Wolf-Queen Potema (various other characters) |
2012 | Guild Wars 2 | Female Norn PC[16] |
2012 | Darksiders II | Muria |
2012 | Halo 4 | Additional voices |
2015 | Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void | Rohana |
2015 | Fallout 4 | Desdemona / Mrs. Whitfield / Mistress Mysterious |
2016 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | Captain Ferran |
Writing
- "Revenge is a Bitch to Swallow." Short story. Published in Forbidden Love Issue 2: Wicked Women.[17]
- My Life With Geeks and Freaks. Autobiography. Published by Yard Dog Press.
- "Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction" Autobiography.[14]
- Wolf's Empire: Gladiator. Novel, co-written with Morgan Grant Buchanan. 2016.
Discography
- Claudia Squared with Claudia Cummings (1996)
- Trying to Forget by The Be Five (1998)
- "Taboo" single (1998, Zard)
- Once Upon a Time (2001, Zard)
References
- ↑ Claudia Christian Biography (1965–)
- ↑ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
- ↑ Claudia Christian. TV.com (October 8, 1965). Retrieved on 2012-06-19.
- ↑ Claudia Christian. Mahalo.com. Retrieved on 2012-06-19.
- ↑ About The Cast. Pizza Morgana. Retrieved on 2012-06-19.
- 1 2 "C3 Foundation". Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ↑ Los Angeles Times: Archives – Give and Take Mothers in the Business of Dressing Well Swap Clothes With Their Grateful Daughters
- ↑ Give and Take : Mothers in the Business of Dressing Well Swap Clothes With Their Grateful Daughters – Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Now I've found my own space; Babylon 5 's Claudia on the split from Scots Braveheart Angus MacFadyen. – Free Online Library
- 1 2 retroCRUSH: The World's Greatest Pop Culture Site
- ↑ Claudia Christian Profile – Metacritic
- ↑ Joe M. Straczynski, Claudia Christian (quoted from correspondence). "About Claudia Christian's Departure". The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5.
- ↑ Claudia Con UK. Claudia Con UK. Retrieved on 2012-06-19.
- 1 2 Babylon Confidential by Claudia Christian with Morgan Grant Buchanan. Babylonconfidential.com. Retrieved on 2012-06-19.
- ↑ "One Little Pill". Retrieved September 10, 2013.
- ↑ red post on Guild Wars 2 forums
- ↑ "Under the Moon Official Website". Archived from the original on April 4, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2007.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Claudia Christian. |
- Official Facebook Fanpage
- Official Blog
- Official Claudia Con UK Website
- C3 Foundation to treat alcoholics using the Sinclair Method
- Claudia Christian at the Internet Movie Database
- Claudia Christian at AllMovie