Melinda Culea (born May 5, 1955) is an American actress.
Melinda Culea | |
|---|---|
 Culea in Dear Teacher, her first television role, 1981 | |
| Born | May 5, 1955 |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editCulea was born on May 5, 1955, in Western Springs, Illinois. She worked as a model before acting.[1]
Career
editThe A-Team
editCulea is best known for playing Amy (Amanda) Allen in the 1980s hit TV series The A-Team.[2] Her role was as a newspaper reporter who joined the team for the first season and half of the second season.[3]
Introduced in the feature-length pilot episode "Mexican Slayride",[3] her character was presented as feisty. However, Culea soon started to realize that her character had very little to do. Reportedly, star George Peppard did not like a female lead being part of the show, and made his feelings clear. Culea asked for her character to be involved in the team's fights, suggesting that Amy try to help, but she gets in the way – adding some comic relief. The producers resisted.[4] Culea was ultimately dropped from the series in 1983,[5] and her final appearance was in Season 2 Episode 12, "The White Ballot", although her character continued to be mentioned by the team during the show shortly thereafter. She could still be glimpsed briefly on one of the shots in the show's opening titles sequence. This scene was used for most of the show's run.[6]
Other television roles
editCulea acted in a number of other TV roles, mainly during the 1980s and 1990s.
Shortly after leaving The A-Team, Culea gained a leading role as Terry Randolph in the short-lived series Glitter. Another substantial role was playing the recurring character Paula Vertosick on Knots Landing for two seasons from 1988 to 1990. She also co-starred as Joey Lawrence's step-mother for two seasons on Brotherly Love from 1995 to 1997 on NBC and the WB.
She also made appearances on many other notable television series including Fantasy Island; Family Ties; St. Elsewhere; The X-Files; Star Trek: The Next Generation;[7] Brotherly Love;[8] Beverly Hills, 90210; and Murder, She Wrote.
Movie roles
editCulea played the role of Constance Taylor in the movie Wagons East! (1994),[9] directed by her future husband Peter Markle, and played Anna in Dying on the Edge (2001). She was an executive producer of Peter Markle's film Odds Are... (2018).[10][11]
Other
editAs of 2016[update], she is working as an author and artist. Her first book Wondago is an illustrated mystery novel published in January 2016 by Griffith Moon Publishing.[12]
Selected filmography
edit- Dear Teacher (1981) (TV – pilot) as Annie Cooper
- Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother (1982) (TV Special) as Dallas Davis
- The Rules of Marriage (1982) (TV) as Holly Stone
- Fantasy Island (TV) as Shelley James (1983)
- The A-Team as Amy Allen (24 episodes, 1983)
- Hotel as Adrianna Dupre (1984)
- Glitter as Terry Randolph (1984–1985)
- Dear Penelope and Peter (1986) (TV) as Judy Berlin
- Family Ties as Rebecca Ryan (1986)
- St. Elsewhere as McPhail (1986–1987)
- Knots Landing as Paula Vertosick (1988–1990)
- Beverly Hills, 90210 as Dr. Natalie Donner (1991)
- Jake and the Fatman as Ellen Webster (1991)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation as Soren (1992)
- Murder, She Wrote as Nicole Gary (1990–1992)
- Through the Eyes of a Killer (1992) (TV) as Alison Rivers
- Wagons East (1994) as Constance Taylor
- Moment of Truth: Murder or Memory? (1994) (TV)
- Down, Out & Dangerous (1995) (TV) as CeCe Dryer
- Brotherly Love as Claire Roman (1995-1997)
- Buried Secrets (1996) (TV) as Laura Vellum
- C-16: FBI (2 episodes, 1997)
- Target Earth (1998) (TV) as Allison, Emmett's Gang
- The X-Files as Karin Berquist (episode "Alpha", 1999)
References
edit- ^ Dangaard, Colin (1983) "Melinda Culea: The Struggle Goes on", Milwaukee Journal, September 4, 1983
- ^ Jet, vol 64, 1983, p. 55
- ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1985) Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present, Penguin Books Australia; ISBN 978-0-14-007377-5, p. 10
- ^ Jeff Jarvis (January 1984). "The A-Team Draws Fire". People Magazine. 21 (4). Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ "'A-Team's' Disgruntled Melinda Culea Will Be Replaced", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 18, 1983.
- ^ "The A-Team: Season Two". DVD Box Set. Universal Studios.
- ^ Roush, Matt (March 18, 1992). "'Star Trek' focuses on sexuality". USA Today.
- ^ "Joey Lawrence's New Show a Family Affair". Chicago Tribune. August 29, 1995.
- ^ Wilmington, Michael (1994) "Pitiful `Wagons East!' is a Sorry Farewell for John Candy", Chicago Tribune, August 26, 1994
- ^ "Melinda Culea". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Dying on the Edge". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ Culea, Melinda (2016). Wondago : an illustrated mystery novel. Santa Monica, California. ISBN 9780988283169. OCLC 1302553348.
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