Karen Valentine

Background

Valentine grew up in Sebastopol, California and won a spot representing California at the Mission Teenage America pageant, where she was awarded the Talent Award.

Career

She later went to star in own short-lived sitcom Karen (1975), and played female leading roles in films Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978) and The North Avenue Irregulars (1979). When Editor Sullivan saw her act (where she would comically dance in a flamboyant costume while lip-synching to Eydie Gormé"s "Blame it on the Bossa Nova"), he was quoted as saying, "I want that girl on my show."

In 1966-1967, she started her television career as "The Resident Dream Girl" on The Dream Girl of 1967, replacing Beverly Adams from the first weekday broadcast opposite hosts Dick Stewart and Wink Martindale, and during that time she appeared on another Chuck Barris show, The Dating Game. She was discovered by Gene Reynolds, the director of Room 222, who saw her lip-synching in rehearsal and saw that she was funny.

She was nominated twice for an Emmy and once for a Golden Globe, winning an Emmy in 1970 for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role.

Valentine later starred in her own television series, Karen, in 1975. She played Gidget in the 1969 film Gidget Grows Up, the title role in the critically acclaimed true story Muggable Mary, Street Cop (1982) and appeared in many other movies for television including The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972), Coffee, Tea or Maine? (1973), The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974), Murder at the World Series (1977), Go West, Young Girl (1978) and Skeezer (1982).

Valentine was a semi-regular on The Hollywood Squares from 1971 to 1977 on both National Broadcasting Company-television and in syndication, often trading quips with Paul Lynde. She guest-starred on many series, including Starsky and Hutch, Baretta, McMillan & Wife, Cybill and Murder, She Wrote and multiple episodes of The Love Boat and Love, American Style.

Her feature films include Forever Young, Forever Free (1975), Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979) and The Power Within (1995).

She also has had many leading roles in the made-for-television movies.

Valentine continues to work in television and on stage. She co-starred with John Larroquette in a 2004 Hallmark Channel television movie, Wedding Daze. She has starred on stage in many productions, including Romantic Comedy on Broadway and National Tour, Breaking Legs Office-Broadway and National Tour, and the Los Angeles production of Steel Magnolias.

Achievements

• She is best known for her role as the idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the American Broadcasting Company comedy drama series Room 222 from 1969 to 1974, for which she won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1970, and received Golden Globe Award nomination in 1971. Valentine was Mission Sonoma County and Top 10 at Mission California, state finals to Mission America. In 1969, Valentine won her breakthrough role as a new teacher on the American Broadcasting Company television series Room 222 with Lloyd Haynes and Michael Constantine. Since 1977 she has been married to musician and Emmy Award–winning songwriter Gary Verna.