Michelle Johnson (actress)

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Michelle Johnson
Born (1965-09-09) September 9, 1965 (age 58)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesMichelle Williams
EducationAlhambra High School
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1984–2004
Known forBlame It on Rio
The Love Boat
Waxwork
Death Becomes Her
Spouse
(m. 1999; div. 2002)

Michelle Johnson (born on September 9, 1965)[1] is an American actress who portrayed Jennifer Lyons in the 1984 romantic comedy film Blame It on Rio, Jessica Cole in The Glimmer Man (1996), and Kim Carlisle in The Love Boat (1984-1985).

Early life and education[edit]

Johnson was born in Anchorage, Alaska to mother Faye, a nurse, and father Don, who owned a furniture store.[2] At age 4, Johnson and her mother moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where her mother married child psychologist Dr. Grant Johnson.[2] Johnson attended Alhambra High School from 1981 through 1984, graduating one semester early in January 1984.[1][3]

Career[edit]

Johnson won the International Model of the Year competition in 1982.[3] At age 16, Johnson began doing fashion print work and was soon signed by the Wilhelmina agency in New York City.[2] Director Stanley Donen spotted her in a photograph in the fashion biweekly W,[2] and just as her modeling career was beginning, chose her to act in his feature film Blame It on Rio. Since she was 17 at the time, she required permission from a judge to appear nude in the film.

Johnson appeared in a number of roles over the next fifteen years. She appeared in theatrical films, television movies, and television series, including a recurring role as Kim Carlisle on Season 8 of The Love Boat. She appeared in films Gung Ho (1986), Waxwork (1988), Dr. Giggles (1992), and The Glimmer Man (1996). She also co-starred in TV movie Dallas: War of the Ewings in 1998 as Jennifer Jantzen, and in 1985 played Rhonda Cummings in an episode of Dallas.

Since 2000, Johnson has starred only in Mickey (2004). She remained out of the public eye until returning to acting briefly in the digital media Christmas special Brat Holiday Spectacular (2018).

Personal life[edit]

From January 1999 until July 2002, Johnson was married to Major League Baseball player Matt Williams of the Phoenix-based Arizona Diamondbacks.[4][5] They resided primarily in Scottsdale, Arizona.[5]

Johnson sold her house in West Hollywood, California in April 2009 for a reported sum of $4.1 million. The house was near the Sunset Strip in a celebrity-populated neighborhood.[6]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Blame It on Rio Jennifer Lyons
1986 Gung Ho Heather DiStefano
1987 Beaks: The Movie Vanessa Cartwright
1988 The Jigsaw Murders Kathy DaVonzo
Slipping Into Darkness Carlyle
Waxwork China Webster
1990 Wishful Thinking Diane
Trabbi Goes to Hollywood Ricki
Geniune Risk Girl
1992 Death Becomes Her Anna
Dr. Giggles Tamara
Far and Away Grace
Street Wars Tina
1993 Body Shot Danielle Wild/Chelsea Savage
1995 Illicit Dreams Melinda Ryan
The Donor Dr. Lucy Flynn
When the Bullet Hits the Bone Lisa
1996 The Glimmer Man Jessica Cole
Specimen Sarah
1997 Inner Action
Moving Target Casey
1999 Revenge Vicky Mayerson
2004 Mickey Patty
2018 Brat Holiday Spectacular Nellie (Eleanor Chambers)

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Hotel Kelly Branden Episode: "Flesh and Blood"
1985 Dallas Rhonda Cummings Episode: "The Verdict"
1985 Half Nelson Linda Sawyer Episode: "The Deadly Vase"
1984-1985 The Love Boat Kim Carlisle 7 episodes
1987 Werewolf Kelly Nichols Episode: "Pilot"
1987 Charles in Charge Joyce Episode: "Her Brother's Keeper"
1989 Moonlighting Michelle Hunziger Episode: "Plastic Fantastic Lovers"
1989 Moonlighting Michelle Hunziger (uncredited) Episode: "Shirts and Skins"
1991 Blood Ties Celia TV movie
1991 Tales from the Crypt Liz Kelly-Dixon Episode: "Split Second"
1992 A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story Linda Kolkena Broderick TV movie
1992 Murder, She Wrote Monica Chase Episode: "Incident in Lot 7"
1992 Melrose Place Perry Morgan Episode: "For Love or Money"
1992 Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter Linda Broderick TV movie
1993 Melrose Place Perry Morgan Episode: "The Test"
1993 Murder, She Wrote Janet Fisk Episode: "Ship of Thieves"
1993 Herman's Head Aurora Episode: "Trouble in Paradise"
1994 Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills Lisa TV movie
1994 Terror at Deception Ridge Natalie Harris TV movie
1996 The Outer Limits Ady Sutton Episode: "First Anniversary"
1998 Dallas: War of the Ewings Jennifer Jantzen TV movie

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "MICHELLE JOHNSON Resume". Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Evans, Hilary (March 12, 1984). "Newcomer Michelle Johnson Raises Eyebrows—and Temperatures—in Blame It on Rio". People. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Phonenix, AZ - One of the school's most famous alumni, Michelle Johnson". Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Pearlman, Jeff (2001-10-29). "Best supporting actress". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  5. ^ a b "Matt Williams' actress-wife seeks divorce". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. 2002-07-16. Archived from the original on 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  6. ^ Beale, Lauren (April 16, 2009). "Michelle Johnson sells Sunset Strip-area home for $4.1 million". Chicago Tribune.

External links[edit]