Barbara Howard (born 1956) is an American

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

and retired actress, who remains best known for her roles in the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' and in the

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

series ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' as Melissa Agretti's cousin Robin Agretti. She retired from acting in 2000 to pursue her current career in psychotherapy.

Early life

Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in

Palatine, Illinois Palatine () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 67,908. As of the 2010 Census, it was the seventh-largest community in Cook Coun ...

. She graduated from

William Fremd High School William Fremd High School, or Fremd (initially Palatine High School South), is a public four-year high school located in Palatine, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District ...

in 1974, and later graduated from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree before going to England to study acting at

Richmond, The American International University in London Richmond American University London is a private university in London, United Kingdom. Richmond was founded in 1972,by British educator Cyril Taylor. The university awards US degrees from the American state of Delaware, where Richmond is accr ...

Career

Howard began her career in Chicago area theater before moving to Los Angeles in April 1983 to pursue a career in acting there. She made her film debut in

Racing with the Moon ''Racing with the Moon'' is a 1984 American drama film starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, and Nicolas Cage. It was directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Steve Kloves. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin. The film's t ...

before landing a more significant role in '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter''. In 1985 she landed the role of Robin Agretti on ''

'' but opted to leave the following year to pursue more film roles and Broadway roles in New York.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* Living people American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from Chicago American psychotherapists 1956 births 21st-century American actresses {{US-tv-actor-stub