Barra Grant (born Barbara Carol Wayne) is an American actress, screenwriter, film director and playwright.
Barra Grant | |
|---|---|
| Born | Barbara Carol Wayne New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Bryn Mawr College Barnard College |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director, screenwriter |
| Spouse |
Brian Reilly
(m. 1982; died 2011) |
| Mother | Bess Myerson |
Biography
editGrant was born Barbara Carol Wayne in New York City, the daughter of Allan Wayne, a doll company executive, and Bess Myerson, Miss America 1945. Her parents divorced in 1958 due to her father's abuse.[1] She became Barra Grant when her mother married Arnold Grant and he adopted her in 1962.[2] She was educated at the Birch Wathen Lenox School, Bryn Mawr College, and Barnard College. She also went to London for three years to study acting.[3]
Grant began an acting career in the early 1970s, appearing on television and in film. One of her first roles was as Lulie in the BBC series Take Three Girls. While acting at The Mark Taper she was inspired to start writing.[4] In 1978, she wrote and appeared in the film Slow Dancing in the Big City. She began her directing career with an episode of NBC Special Treat titled "The Tap Dance Kid", based on a novel by Louise Fitzhugh.
Grant was married to writer and producer Brian Reilly until his death in 2011.[1][5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Slow Dancing in the Big City | No | Yes |
| 1984 | Misunderstood | No | Yes |
| 2005 | Life of the Party | Yes | Yes |
| 2009 | Love Hurts | Yes | Yes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Daughters of Satan | Chris Robertson |
| It Ain't Easy | Ann | |
| 1976 | Mother, Jugs & Speed | Miss Crocker |
| 1978 | Slow Dancing in the Big City | Mildred |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Special Treat | Yes | Yes | Episode "The Tap Dance Kid" |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | No | Yes | Episode "Mabel and Max" |
| 1989 | Dirty Dancing | Yes | No | Episode "Hit the Road" |
| 1990 | The Earth Day Special | No | Yes | TV special |
| 1991 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Yes | Yes | Episode "Lies of the Heart" |
| 1992 | Freshman Dorm | No | Yes | Episode "The Last Sonnet" |
| 1994 | Living Single | No | Yes | Episode "U.N.I.T.Y. (a.k.a. Five Card Stud)"; Also executive consultant of 7 episodes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Take Three Girls | Lulie | Main role |
| Sarge | Christina | "A Terminal Case of Vengeance" | |
| 1972 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Judy Conrad | "The Courtship of Mary's Father's Daughter" |
| 1973 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Eve Tanner | "Tightrope to Tomorrow" |
| Love, American Style | Boni | "Love and the Baby Derby" | |
| Gunsmoke | Teresa | "The Widowmaker" | |
| Barnaby Jones | Marie Hubble | "Stand-In for Death" | |
| 1974 | Trapped Beneath the Sea | Grace Wallants | TV film |
| Roll, Freddy, Roll! | Sidni Kane | ||
| 1975 | Let's Switch! | Morgan Ames | |
| 1976 | Good Heavens | Kiki | "Coffee, Tea, or Gloria" |
| Serpico | Marilyn | "The Country Boy" | |
| 1977 | The Sunshine Boys | Sylvia Grant | TV film |
| 1978 | Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force | Susan Hewman |
Stage plays
edit- A Mother, a Daughter and a Gun (2006).[6]
- Miss America's Ugly Daughter, about her relationship to her mother, first performed on July 14, 2018, at The Edye, Santa Monica, California.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ a b Morrisroe, Patricia (March 30, 1987). "Bess and the Mess". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Jewish Women's Archive: Bess Myerson http://jwa.org Retrieved on December 30, 2010.
- ^ Taylor, Angela (November 12, 1977). "Famous Mother's Daughter Creates Her Own Image". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Film Interview: Barbara Grant". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (September 5, 2011), "'Santa Clause' Producer Brian Reilly Dies at 65", The Hollywood Reporter, retrieved August 26, 2021
- ^ "Barra Grant" The New Yorker Magazine Retrieved on December 30, 2010.
- ^ Wilker, Deborah (June 11, 2018). ""The Bess Mess": How a 1940s Beauty Queen Inspired 'Miss America's Ugly Daughter'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ MISS AMERICA'S UGLY DAUGHTER Returns to Greenway Court Theatre (January 8, 2019)
External links
edit- Barra Grant at IMDb
- Barra Grant at the TCM Movie Database
- Barra Grant at AllMovie
- Barra Grant at TV Guide
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