Crystal Bernard

Crystal Bernard

Bernard at the 1994 Emmy rehearsal
Born Crystal Lynn Bernard
(1961-09-30) September 30, 1961
Garland, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active 1982-present

Crystal Lynn Bernard[1] (born September 30, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is known for her seven-year-long role on the comedy Wings. While her main work has been on television, she has appeared in some films and has also pursued a music career.

Early life

Bernard was born in Garland, Texas. She was raised in a Southern Baptist home. Her father, Dr. Jerry Wayne Bernard, was a televangelist who traveled across the United States preaching and singing.[2] She became an entertainer at a young age, singing gospel songs with her elder sister, Robyn, also an actress. One recording of the two that has survived from those years is a song called "The Monkey Song" (an objection to evolution), on Feudin' Fussin' and Frettin' recorded when Crystal was 8 years old,[3] a recording of a 1972 Thomas Road Baptist Church service led by Jerry Falwell. She has two younger sisters, Scarlett[4] and Angelique Bernard.

Crystal and one of her sisters sang the "Monkey Song" many years ago in the 1980s at the First Assembly of God church in Slidell Louisiana when she was traveling with her father who was an evangelist.

Bernard studied acting at Alley Theatre while growing up in Houston, Texas. She attended Spring High School and continued her education at Baylor University, where she briefly dated Richard Wayne Kennedy, and where she studied acting and international relations.[5]

Career

Television

Bernard at the 1991 Emmy Awards

Bernard got her start in prime-time television on the sitcom Happy Days, playing "K.C. Cunningham" during season ten (1982–83). Then, after various guest appearances on other shows, she joined the cast of the resurrected, syndicated version of the sitcom It’s a Living,[6] playing waitress Amy Tompkins. She played strong-willed airport lunch-counter operator Helen Chappel Hackett on the sitcom Wings for the show’s entire duration (1990–97).

Film

Early in her film career, she appeared in Young Doctors in Love, along with her Happy Days co-star Ted McGinley. She starred in the Roger Corman-produced direct-to-video film Slumber Party Massacre 2.

In the 21st century, her work has included a role in the film Jackpot and starring roles in Welcome to Paradise and Grave Misconduct.

In 1999, she starred in the TV movie To Love, Honor, and Betray opposite David Cubitt and James Brolin.

She has also starred in two Hallmark Channel movies, Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and its sequel, Meet the Santas.

In 1989, she starred in a TV-series pilot, Chameleons, created by Glen A. Larson. She played Shelley, a self-proclaimed crazed heiress who discovers that her eccentric millionaire uncle Jason Carr has been murdered. She sets out on a quest to find the truth behind his murder.

Theatre

Bernard has appeared in the following stage productions since the end of Wings:

Music

In addition to acting, Bernard has a music career as a singer-songwriter. Albums include The Girl Next Door (1996) and Don't Touch Me There (1999). The latter includes a gospel track she recorded with her father and one sung with country artist Billy Dean.

She co-wrote the song "If I Were Your Girl" with Rhett Lawrence, which appeared on the Paula Abdul album Head over Heels in 1995.

Bernard did a duet with Peter Cetera called "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight," released on Cetera's One Clear Voice album.

She also appeared in the video for the song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants.

She also sang a duet with Jimmy Messina called "Watching the River Run".[9]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Young Doctors in Love Julie
1987 Slumber Party Massacre II Courtney Bates
1999 Gideon Jean MacLemore
2001 Jackpot Cheryl
2007 Welcome to Paradise Debbie Laramie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Gimme a Break! Kelly Episode: "Hot Muffins"
1982–83 Happy Days K.C. Cunningham 16 episodes
1983 Fantasy Island Ally Miller Episode: "The Devil Stick/Touch and Go"
High School U.S.A. Anne-Marie Conklin Movie
1983/85 The Love Boat Wendy 'Minerva' Pryor / Susie Epshaw 2 episodes
1984 The Master Carrie Brown Episode: "State of the Union"
1985–89 It's a Living Amy Tompkins 93 episodes
1989 My Two Dads Liz Schaefer Episode: "The Courtship of Nicole's Fathers"
Paradise Laura Clark Episode: "A Proper Stranger"
Chameleons Shelly Movie
1990 Without Her Consent Marty Movie
When Will I Be Loved? Julie Weston Movie
1990–97 Wings Helen Chappell 172 episodes
1992 Lady Against the Odds Dol Bonner Movie
1993 Miracle Child Lisa Porter Movie
1994 Siringo Kaitlin Mullane Movie
1995 As Good as Dead Susan Warfield Movie
1996 Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Peña Story Ellen Hart Peña Movie
1999 The Secret Path Marie Foley Movie
A Face to Kill for Allison Bevens Movie
To Love, Honor & Betray Melissa Brennan Movie
2003 According to Jim Lisa Christie Episode: "The Ring"
2004 Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus Beth Sawtelle Hallmark Channel movie
2005 Meet the Santas Beth Sawtelle Hallmark Channel movie
2007 Welcome to Paradise Debbie Laramie Movie
2008 Grave Misconduct Julia London Movie

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions
US Country US Heat
Girl Next Door 47 36
Don't Touch Me There
  • Release date: February 2, 1999
  • Label: River North
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
US Country US AC US Pop
1995 "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight" (with Peter Cetera)" 22 86 One Clear Voice (Cetera)
1996 "Have We Forgotten What Love Is" 56 Girl Next Door
1997 "State of Mind" 70
"You're Gonna Miss a Whole Lotta Love"
1999 "Don't Touch Me There" 25 Don't Touch Me There
"Hey"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
1996 "Have We Forgotten What Love Is" Steven R. Monroe
1997 "State of Mind"
1999 "Hey"

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crystal Bernard.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.