Connie Sellecca (born Concetta Sellecchia; May 25, 1955) is an American actress, producer, and former

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

, best known for her roles on the television series '' Flying High'', ''

The Greatest American Hero ''The Greatest American Hero'' is an American comedy-drama Superhero fiction, superhero television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 1 ...

'', and ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'', for which she was nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1987.

Early life

Sellecca was born Concetta Sellecchia in

The Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York ...

to Italian parents, Primo Sellecchia and Marianna (Acampora) Sellecchia, who were married from 1952 until Primo's death in 1987. At age 12, she moved to Pomona, Rockland County, New York, and attended Pomona Junior High School. While attending Ramapo High School in Spring Valley, she first became interested in the performing arts. Although she attended

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

, she withdrew to pursue a career in acting.

Career

Sellecca first worked as a

fashion model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...

before making her acting debut in the 1978 television film ''

The Bermuda Depths ''The Bermuda Depths'' is a Japanese / American co-production 1978 fantasy film originally broadcast as a made-for-TV movie written by Arthur Rankin Jr. of Rankin/Bass fame. Special effects and creature elements were handled by Tsuburaya Produc ...

''. She starred in the short-lived CBS comedy-drama series, '' Flying High'' about the misadventures of three airline flight attendants from 1978 to 1979. In 1979, she starred in '' Captain America II: Death Too Soon,'' a television movie starring

Reb Brown Common meanings * Johnny Reb, personification of a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War * Reb (Yiddish), an honorific title for a teacher People * Reb Anderson (born 1943), American Zen Buddhist teacher and writer * Reb Beach (born 1963), ...

in the title role, and slasher film '' She's Dressed to Kill'' alongside

Jessica Walter Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...

. In 1980, she starred in the another short-lived series, ''

Beyond Westworld ''Beyond Westworld'' is a 1980 American television series based on the 1973 film ''Westworld,'' which was written and directed by Michael Crichton. It ignored the 1976 film sequel ''Futureworld''. Synopsis Security Chief John Moore of the Delos C ...

''. From 1981 to 1983, Sellecca starred as lawyer Pam Davidson in the ABC comedy drama series, ''

'', which starred

William Katt William Theodore Katt (born February 16, 1951) is an American actor and musician best known as the star of the television series ''The Greatest American Hero''. He first became known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie W ...

and

Robert Culp Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''I Spy'' (1965–1968), the espionage television se ...

. After ''Hero'' ended, she was released from her contract in time to audition for the part of promotions manager Christine Francis on the another ABC television drama ''

'', which starred

James Brolin James Brolin (, born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin; July 18, 1940) is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin. He ...

. She appeared in the series from 1983 to 1988. For her performance, she received

nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1987. In 1989, she starred in the high-rated miniseries '' Brotherhood of the Rose''. Sellecca played leading roles in a number of made-for-television films in 1980s and 1990s. From 1991 to 1992, she starred along with

Greg Evigan Gregory Ralph Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, appearing in the Broadway production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', followed by a stage production of the musical '' Gr ...

in the CBS crime drama series '' P.S. I Luv U''. From 1993 to 1994, she starred in the CBS drama series, '' Second Chances''. Sellecca worked in two films in 2000s, ''

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952. The song has since been covered by many artists, with the Ronettes's 1963 ...

'' (2001), and ''

The Wild Stallion ''The Wild Stallion'' is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD film directed by Craig Clyde and starring Miranda Cosgrove, Danielle Chuchran, Robert Wagner, Paul Sorvino, Connie Sellecca and Fred Ward. It was distributed by Myriad Pictures. In Decem ...

'' in 2009.

Personal life

Sellecca met

Howard Platt Howard Thomas Platt (born June 5, 1938) is an American stage and television actor, singer and director, best known for his role as "Officer Hopkins" on the TV series '' Sanford and Son'' (1972–76). Howard wrote and performed “Riverwinds” fo ...

in 1978, when they starred together on the television series '' Flying High''; the couple became engaged, and moved in together when the show's filming schedule cancelled their original December 1978 wedding date. The relationship ended before any renewed wedding date could take place. Sellecca was married to actor

Gil Gerard Gil Gerard (born January 23, 1943) is an American actor, whose roles include Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–81 television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. Early life Gerard was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkan ...

during the 1980s; they have a son, Gib. On April 4, 1992, she married

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and then-''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'' host

John Tesh John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. He hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 2014, he has hosted ''Intelligen ...

. They have one daughter, Prima. Like Tesh, Sellecca is a Christian.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sellecca, Connie 1955 births Actresses from New York (state) American bloggers American Christians American female models American film actresses American people of Italian descent American television actresses American women bloggers American women podcasters American podcasters Video bloggers Women video bloggers Boston College alumni Living people People from Pomona, New York People from the Bronx 21st-century American actresses