Sheree Julienne Wilson (born December 12, 1958)[1] is an American actress, producer, businesswoman, and model. She is best known for her roles as April Stevens Ewing on the American primetime television series Dallas (1986–1991) and as Alex Cahill-Walker on the television series Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001).[2]
Sheree J. Wilson | |
|---|---|
 Wilson on the 2008 Trail of Tears Memorial Ride | |
| Born | Sheree Julienne Wilson December 12, 1958 |
| Education | Fairview High School |
| Alma mater | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Early life
editWilson was born in Rochester, Minnesota. The daughter of two IBM executives, Wilson moved to Colorado at the age of nine and graduated from Fairview High School. In 1981, she received a degree in fashion merchandising and business from the University of Colorado Boulder.[3]
Career
editWhile working in Denver on a fashion shoot, one of the photographers mistook Wilson for a model and then introduced her to a New York modeling agent who signed her on the spot. Wilson then moved to Manhattan, and within 18 months, she had appeared in over 30 commercial campaigns for Clairol, Sea Breeze, Keri-Lotion, and Maybelline. Her print work ran in such popular magazines as Mademoiselle, Glamour, and Redbook.
After three years of modeling, Wilson moved to Los Angeles for a career in acting. Her first roles included the black comedy film Crimewave (1985) directed by Sam Raimi, Velvet (1984), an ABC/Aaron Spelling television movie opposite Leah Ayres, Shari Belafonte, and Mary Margaret Humes, and a guest role on the espionage series Cover Up (1984). She had a lead role with Tim Robbins in the comedy motion picture Fraternity Vacation (1985) and also appeared in a CBS television miniseries Kane & Abel (1985) with Peter Strauss. This immediately led to Our Family Honor (1985-1986), an ABC drama about Irish cops versus the Mafia, in which she co-starred with Ray Liotta, Michael Madsen, and Eli Wallach. Her career continued to flourish with a role in the television movie News at Eleven (1986) alongside Martin Sheen.
Wilson gained the role as April Stevens Ewing on the CBS soap opera Dallas (1986–1991). Her character was gunned down in the final season during her honeymoon (with new husband Bobby Ewing) in Paris. She continued to make some appearances in Bobby's dream sequences later that season. In reality, Wilson was killed off and left the series due to maternity.[3] Her performance earned her the Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Death Scene in 1991, as well as four other nominations. In 2006, she attended the TV Land Award ceremony for Dallas and in November 2008, the Dallas 30th anniversary reunion party at Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas, with cast members Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Ken Kercheval, Steve Kanaly, and Charlene Tilton.
In 1993, following guest roles in the television series Matlock (opposite Clarence Gilyard's former acting mentor, Andy Griffith), Burke's Law (1994 TV series), and Renegade (opposite Lorenzo Lamas), Wilson played the lead female role in Hellbound opposite Chuck Norris, which led to her best-known role as Alexandra "Alex" Cahill-Walker also opposite Norris in Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001).[3][4] In 2005 she reprised her role in the television movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire which ended with her character being the victim of a courthouse shooting. This left many viewers to believe that there would be a follow-up movie which was severely impaired when CBS said that they would no longer be producing "Sunday Night Movie of the Week" projects. She also co-starred in the Showtime movie Past Tense (1994).
In 2006, Wilson appeared in Fragile, the first short film by documentary filmmaker Fredric Lean.[citation needed] She played the lead role in television movies Mystery Woman: Game Time (2005) and Anna's Storm (2007).[5] She produced and starred in independent films Killing Down (2006), The Gundown (2011), Easy Rider: The Ride Back (2012), and Dug Up (2013). She co-starred in the television series Pink (2007-2008) and had a guest role in the television series DeVanity (2014). She played a major role in the television movie Christmas Belle (2013), A Mermaid for Christmas (2019), and The Silent Natural (2019).[6]
Wilson performed in the role of Miss Daisy Werthan in the Neil Simon Film Festival's Driving Miss Daisy (2016-2022) opposite her former Walker, Texas Ranger co-star, Clarence Gilyard.[7][8]
Personal life
editWilson married Vince Morella in 2018 and currently resides in Dallas, Texas.[9] She has two sons from a previous marriage (1991-2004) to Paul DeRobbio.
Wilson has been active in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Trail of Tears Remembrance Motorcycle Ride, Wings for Life aimed at healing spinal cord injuries, and White Bridle Humane Society, a horse rescue equine therapy nonprofit organization for children with developmental disabilities located in Texas.[10] Wilson also created a line of beauty therapy skin care products.[11]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Velvet | Ellen Stockwell | Television film |
| 1985 | Crimewave | Nancy | |
| 1985 | Fraternity Vacation | Ashley Taylor | |
| 1986 | News at Eleven | Christine Arnold | Television film |
| 1994 | Past Tense | Emily Talbert | Television film |
| 1994 | Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion | Alex Cahill | |
| 1994 | Hellbound | Leslie | |
| 2003 | Midnight Expression | Mary Drake | Short film |
| 2004 | Birdie and Bogey | Shelia | |
| 2005 | Mystery Woman: Game Time | Jody Fiske | Television film |
| 2005 | Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire | Alex Cahill-Walker | Television film |
| 2006 | Killing Down | Rachel | |
| 2006 | Fragile | Sophie | Short film |
| 2007 | Anna's Storm | Mayor Anna Davenport-Baxter | Television film |
| 2011 | The Gundown | Sarah Morgan | Also producer |
| 2012 | Dug Up | Mona Walker | Also producer |
| 2013 | A Country Christmas | Bonnie Branson | |
| 2013 | Easy Rider: The Ride Back | Shane Williams | Also producer |
| 2013 | Christmas Belle | Angie | |
| 2014 | Jail Wagon | Martha | Also producer |
| 2019 | The Silent Natural | Rebecca Hoy | |
| 2019 | A Mermaid for Christmas | Theodora | Television film |
| 2020 | Flip Turn | Grandma |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Cover Up | Rachel | Episode: "Death in Vogue" |
| 1985–1986 | Our Family Honor | Rita Danzig | Series regular, 13 episodes |
| 1985 | Kane & Abel | Melanie LeRoy | Mini-Series |
| 1986–1991 | Dallas | April Stevens Ewing | Series regular, 112 episodes TV Land Pop Culture Award (2006) Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Death Scene (1991) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time (1988) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role: Prime Time (1989) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress: Prime Time (1990) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Heroine: Prime Time (1991) |
| 1991 | Matlock | Claire Mayfield | Episode: "The Dame" |
| 1992 | Renegade | Lisa Stone | Episode: "Final Judgement" |
| 1993–2001 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Alex Cahill | Series regular, 196 episodes |
| 1995 | Burke's Law | Jensen Farnsworth | Episode: "Who Killed the King of the Country Club?" |
| 1999 | Sons of Thunder | Alex Cahill | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire | Alex Cahill | TV movie |
| 2014 | DeVanity[12] | Claudia Muller | Episode: "Death Becomes Him Part I" |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2022 | Driving Miss Daisy | Miss Daisy Werthan |
Attraction
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–2008 | King Kong Encounter | Kelly King |
References
edit- ^ "Sheree J. Wilson Biography (1958-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ "biography". Shereejwilson.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ a b c "Sheree J Wilson". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ "WITH AN EYE ON . . . : Sheree J. Wilson feels very much at home on the 'Walker, Texas' range — Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 1994-07-31. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
- ^ Anna's Storm a tLifetime Archived 2012-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Film Overview". shereejwilson.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- ^ "The Neil Simon Festival's Driving Miss Daisy". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Adrian Gomez — Journal Arts & Entertainment Editor. "Popejoy Hall features Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Driving Miss Daisy'". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ "Sheree J. Wilson". Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ "Sheree J. Wilson Official Website". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Interview with Sheree J Wilson". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Newcomb, Roger (2013-08-21). "DALLAS Star Sheree J. Wilson Joins DEVANITY". We Love Soaps. Retrieved 2013-09-26.