Cathy Lee Crosby (born December 2, 1944) is an American actress and former professional

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

player. She achieved TV and film success in the 1980s and was a co-host of the television series ''

That's Incredible! ''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984. In the tradition of '' You Asked for It'', ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' and '' Real People'', the show featured people p ...

Early life

Crosby was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, the middle daughter of three. Her father, Louis Clayton Crosby, was a scriptwriter-songwriter (he was also the National Commercial Spokesman for

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Automobiles on ''

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1955 t ...

''), and her mother, Linda Hayes, was "an RKO contract actress in the 1940s". Her family is not related to

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. Her parents eventually separated, and her father relocated to Australia. She excelled at

as a youth, starting the game at age 12. She was ranked as high as #7 in singles in US junior tennis competition and #4 in doubles, which she often played with her elder sister, Linda Lou, as her partner. She graduated in 1968 from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

with a degree in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

, although she originally was

pre-med Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med course ...

Career

Crosby was a professional tennis player who played at Wimbledon twice, quitting the sport professionally sometime between 1967 and 1970. As an actress, her first TV appearance was as Susan in the episode "The Lay of the Land" in the first season of '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968). Her first movie role was as Ann Chris in

Michael Shurtleff Michael Shurtleff (July 3, 1920, in Oak Park, Illinois – January 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, California) was a major force in casting on Broadway during the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote ''Audition'', a book for actors on the audition process. He also ...

's film version of his play '' Call Me by My Rightful Name'' (1972), opposite Don Murray and Otis Young. The following year she played Kay Butler in the

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

'' The Laughing Policeman'' (

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

) with Oscar winners

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), '' King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

and Louis Gossett Jr. In 1974, she starred as the title character in the

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...

'', a year before

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of th ...

popularized the role in the weekly series ''

''. In 1975, she guest starred as

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

in the scifi/horror series '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker''. Crosby starred in the movie '' Trackdown'' (1976) with

James Mitchum James Mitchum (born May 8, 1941) is an American actor. Mitchum was born in Los Angeles, California, the elder son of actor Robert Mitchum (whom he closely resembles) and his wife, Dorothy Spence. His brother is actor Christopher Mitchum, and he ...

, the TV movie ''Keefer'' (1978) with

William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...

, and in ''

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

'' (1978) with

Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in '' The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...

, in which she played the coach of a high school basketball team who falls for one of her players. She starred in the horror movie '' The Dark'' (1979), opposite

William Devane William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial dramas '' 24'' (2001–2010) and '' ...

, the 1982 TV miniseries ''

World War III World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...

'', with

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

and

David Soul David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series '' Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ...

, and the TV movie ''Intimate Strangers'' (1986), starring

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

and

Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...

. She also played herself in cameo roles in '' The Last Horror Film'' (1982) and

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

's 1992 film '' The Player''. Crosby was a co-host of the TV series ''

'' from 1980 to 1984 on ABC, which remains in world-wide syndication. In 1986, she was a guest commentator for the nationally televised special of

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

(WWF)'s ''

WrestleMania 2 WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 7, 1986 (a Monday), making it the only WrestleMania that was not ...

''. Crosby starred as Judith Main in the 1994 TV miniseries '' North and South: Book III''. The same year she appeared in the Lifetime movie ''Untamed Love'' (1994), based on Torey Hayden's '' One Child'', and later starred in the film '' Ablaze'' (2001), opposite Ice-T and Tom Arnold.

Personal life

Crosby was married at age 21 to Alexander Wilfred Ingle on July 30, 1966; they divorced in 1968. She dated actor

Richard Roundtree Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942) is an American actor. Roundtree is noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film ''Shaft'', and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2 ...

during the mid 1970s. She was in a relationship with football star

Joe Theismann Joseph Robert Theismann (born September 9, 1949) is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, corporate speaker and restaurateur. He rose to fame playing quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadia ...

throughout the early 1980s. Their romantic relationship ended in 1991, after which she sued him for $4.5 million because he "abandoned his promise to financially support her". Theismann responded with a countersuit, ultimately leading to both settling out of court. She was briefly a follower of

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data i ...

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Cathy Lee 1944 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Television personalities from Los Angeles American women television personalities Living people Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Kansas City, Missouri University of Southern California alumni American female tennis players Tennis people from Missouri 21st-century American women