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Debbie Zipp (born 28 June 1952 in
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, USA) is an American actress, author, and producer. She is best known for her roles in the film ''
Double Exposure In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be ide ...
'' (1982) and television series '' Murder, She Wrote'' and ''
Small & Frye ''Small & Frye'' is an American television sitcom that was produced by The Walt Disney Company and broadcast on CBS in 1983. This series, which starred Darren McGavin and Jack Blessing as the title characters, lasted for only one season of six e ...
.''


Career


Film and television

Zipp's film roles include ''
Double Exposure In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be ide ...
'' (1982) and '' Like Father Like Son'' (1987). She had a recurring role on '' Murder, She Wrote'' playing Donna Mayberry, who became the wife of main character Jessica Fletcher's nephew, Grady Fletcher. In real life, Zipp is married to Michael Horton, who played Grady in the series. Zipp also portrayed a character called Terry in an earlier episode of the show. She played Phoebe Small in ''
Small & Frye ''Small & Frye'' is an American television sitcom that was produced by The Walt Disney Company and broadcast on CBS in 1983. This series, which starred Darren McGavin and Jack Blessing as the title characters, lasted for only one season of six e ...
''. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' said that the character she played looked and sounded like "Squeaky Georgette on the old '' Mary Tyler Moore Show''." She also appeared as Katherine in episodes of ''
Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American Comedy drama, comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and beca ...
.'' Other roles include guest-starring roles in shows like '' Malcolm in the Middle,
L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
, Magnum, P.I,
The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...
, One Day at a Time,'' and '' The Paper Chase''. She also appeared in lead roles in two pilots which later became TV movies: ''The Cheerleaders'' (1976) and ''There's Always Room'' (1977).


Theatre

Her theatre roles include starring stage roles in Los Angeles plays like "Sirens of Seduction", "Let's Call The Whole Thing Gershwin" and "The Good One". In their review of "Sirens of Seduction", ''
The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' said that Zipp was a "sheer delight as the gangly, confused, adorable Judy."


Later career

Zipp was head of In The Trenches Productions, where she produced, directed, acted in, edited and wrote many short films. In the late 1990s, she was co-chair of the Los Angeles-based group Actresses @ Work for actresses aged 35 and older. She ran an entertainment website for women over 40 with three other women, becoming the West Coast writer/editor/producer and the third tomato for The Three Tomatoes website, writing "A Lifestyle Guide for Women Who Aren't Kids" and their weekly newsletters. Zipp appeared in over 300 commercials, including one with
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
. She is the co-author of and ''The Aspiring Actor's Handbook,'' which was co-written with
Molly Cheek Molly Cheek (born March 2, 1950) is an American actress. A Connecticut College graduate she worked in ‘dinner-theater productions and summer stock’ before finding television and film work. Cheek is best known for her roles in the televisio ...
and published by Bettie Youngs Books in 2014.


Personal life

Zipp studied acting at
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
and graduated with a master's degree. She married actor (and ''Murder, She Wrote'' co-star) Michael Horton in 1975, several years before they appeared on the show together. They have two children and live in Los Angeles, California.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zipp, Debbie 1952 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Living people