Morgan Brittany (née Suzanne Cupito) is an American actress 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 world ...

. She is known for her role as Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of

Pamela Ewing Pamela Jean "Pam" Barnes Ewing is a fictional character from the CBS primetime soap opera '' Dallas''. Pamela is portrayed by actress Victoria Principal, first appearing on the show in the first episode, entitled "Digger's Daughter", which ...

and

Cliff Barnes Clifford Barnes, played by Ken Kercheval, is a fictional character from the popular American television series ''Dallas''. The Barnes family are competitors and sometimes enemies of the Ewing family. Cliff is the son of Willard "Digger" Barnes ...

, on the

prime-time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

''.

Career

Early child career

Brittany began her acting career as a child under her real name Suzanne Cupito. Brittany appeared on many programs in the 1950s and 1960s. She began her career as a child actress at age five in a 1957 episode of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television network anthology series ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'' (or at that same age in an episode of ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges a ...

''). In January 1960, she displayed her talent as a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

dancer on '' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show''. Three months later, she followed that up with her first of three '' Twilight Zone'' episodes, uncredited as a little girl in "

Nightmare as a Child "Nightmare as a Child" is episode 29 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on April 29, 1960 on CBS. Opening narration Plot A school teacher named Helen Foley finds a strange and very serious youn ...

"; she also portrayed Sissy Johnson in the season four episode "

Valley of the Shadow "Valley of the Shadow" is a 51-minute episode of the American television anthology series '' The Twilight Zone''. In this episode, a reporter is held captive in a small town after he discovers its incredible secret. Opening narration Plot Repo ...

" and Susan in the season five episode "

Caesar and Me "Caesar and Me" is episode 148 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone'' starring Jackie Cooper as a ventriloquist. It is not to be confused with a similar episode " The Dummy", starring Cliff Robertson as a ventriloquist. ...

". She was featured in the musical film '' Gypsy'' (1962), as Baby June. She appeared in the episode "Daughter for a Day" on ABC's ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'' (1962) as Jeannie Hill. She appeared in the episode "Daddy Went Away" on CBS's ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' (May 11, 1963) as Jessica Damon. She appeared uncredited in the birthday party and school house scenes in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' The Birds'' (1963). In 1963, she played the role of Winter Night in the episode "Incident of the Hostages" on CBS's '' Rawhide''. In 1964, she starred as a blind girl named Minerva Gordon in a two-part episode of '' The Outer Limits'' titled " The Inheritors" with

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...

, and Kim Hector, appeared in the Western film '' Stage to Thunder Rock''. In 1966, she appeared in the series finale of the

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

'' Branded'', playing an orphan named "Kellie" in the episode of the same name. She was part of the ensemble cast in the film '' Yours, Mine and Ours'' (1968), which is led by

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

and

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

. Brittany was also in the season eight premiere episode of ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom, situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in colo ...

'' titled "Opie's First Love" as Mary Alice. She did two episodes of ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'', "Lassie and the Swamp Girl" and "Little Dog Lost" as "Mattie" in the mid-1960s. She followed that up with appearances on ''

'' and other shows. At the age of 15, after appearing in ''Yours, Mine and Ours'' (1968), her childhood career came to an end and she concentrated on getting her education at Cleveland High School, Reseda, California.

Adult career

At age 18, Cupito changed her name to Morgan Brittany and then appeared with

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

in his Las Vegas show, ''Gene Kelly's Wonderful World of Girls'', as a dancer. She then moved to New York City, where she modeled for the Ford Modeling Agency, and appeared in several TV commercials and print ads (including a three-year stint as "The

Ultra Brite Ultra Brite is an American brand of toothpaste and tooth-whitener marketed by Colgate-Palmolive in the United States. Marketed as a tooth whitening, whitening toothpaste, its active ingredients are sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide ...

Toothpaste Girl"), and was

spokesmodel A promotional model is a model hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential customers. Most promotional models are conventionally attractive in physical appearance. They serve to m ...

for brands such as L'Oreal, Maybelline,

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, t ...

and

Camay Camay is an American brand of bar soap owned by Unilever. It was introduced in 1926 by Procter & Gamble and was marketed as a "white, pure soap for women," as many soaps of the time were colored to mask impurities. Camay's slogan for many yea ...

. In December 1972, she played Cynthia, a childhood friend of Bridget's (

Meredith Baxter Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom '' Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), ABC drama series ''Family'' (1976–80) and the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1982 ...

), in episode 12, "The Homecoming" on ''

Bridget Loves Bernie ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' is an American sitcom created by Bernard Slade. Depicting an interfaith marriage between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man, ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' was based loosely on the premise of the 1920s Broadway play and 1940s ra ...

''. In 1974, she was hired by the Japanese cosmetics company Kanebo to be the "face" of their product "Ireine", and so moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

from 1974 to 1976 and traveled around the world as the image of "Kanebo Cosmetics". Brittany portrayed actress

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

in ''

Gable and Lombard ''Gable and Lombard'' is a 1976 American biographical film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The screenplay by Barry Sandler is based on the romance and consequent marriage of screen stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The original music score was ...

'' (1976) a biography of

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

. She also has a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

in the

John Schlesinger John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films ('' Darling'' an ...

film ''

The Day of the Locust ''The Day of the Locust'' is a 1939 novel by American author Nathanael West set in Hollywood, California. The novel follows a young artist from the Yale School of Fine Arts named Tod Hackett, who has been hired by a Hollywood studio to do scen ...

'' (1975) as Leigh in the climax of the film. That was followed by TV movies and series, such as ''

The Amazing Howard Hughes ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'' is a 1977 American made-for-television biographical film about American aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, based on the book ''Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes'' by Hughes' business partner Noah Dietrich. Th ...

'' (1977), ''Delta County, U.S.A.'' (1977), ''

The Initiation of Sarah ''The Initiation of Sarah'' is a 1978 American made-for-television supernatural horror film directed by Robert Day. It first aired on ABC on February 6, 1978, and starred Kay Lenz as a shy, withdrawn young woman who discovers that she has psychi ...

'' (1978), ''

Death Car on the Freeway ''Death Car on the Freeway'' is a 1979 American made-for-television crime thriller film starring Shelley Hack. In a plot similar to Steven Spielberg's ''Duel'', this tells the story of an unseen driver who is dubbed "The Freeway Fiddler". The cas ...

'' (1979), ''

The Dream Merchants ''The Dream Merchants'' is an American novel written by Harold Robbins and published in 1949 in literature, 1949. Set in the early 20th century, the book is a "rags-to-riches" story of a penniless young man who goes to Hollywood, Los Angeles, H ...

'' (1980) and '' LBJ: The Early Years'' (1987). She appeared in the

TV movie 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 ...

''The Fantastic Seven'' (aka ''Stunt Seven'') in 1979 with

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

, and

Elke Sommer Elke Sommer (; born Elke Baronin von Schletz, 5 November 1940) is a German actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in '' The Pink Panther'' sequel '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), th ...

. In 1980, while filming an episode of ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...

'', Brittany met her future husband, stuntman Jack Gill. She appeared again as Leigh in the climax of the made-for-TV movie about the search for an actress to star in '' Gone with the Wind's'' film adaptation, ''

The Scarlett O'Hara War ''The Scarlett O'Hara War'' is a 1980 American made-for-television drama film directed by John Erman. It is based on the 1979 novel ''Moviola'' by Garson Kanin. Set in late 1930s Hollywood, it is about the search for the actress to play Scarlett ...

'' (1980), which marked the second of her three portrayals of the British actress. This caught the attention of the producers of ''Dallas'', who were searching for an actress to play Katherine Wentworth, the scheming half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes. She debuted on ''Dallas'' in the 1981–82 season and her role as Katherine continued, on and off, until 1987. In 1985, she returned for a cameo in that season's finale where her character killed Bobby Ewing by running him over with a car, killing herself in the process. She made a brief, final appearance on the series in 1987, after it had been revealed that Bobby's and Katherine's deaths had been a dream. In 1984, Brittany co-starred in the short-lived ABC drama series, ''

Glitter Glitter is an assortment of small, reflective particles that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkle ...

'', as Kate Simpson, a reporter for an entertainment magazine. This was one of several collaborations with producer

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), '' The Love Boat'' (1977–198 ...

throughout her career. Her first show with him had been an appearance in '' Burke's Law'', in 1964 when Brittany was a child. Later, as an adult, she appeared in seven episodes of ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

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 re ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'', ''

Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, i ...

'', and the 1990s revival of '' Burke's Law''. She appeared in ''

The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch ''The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch'' is a 1982 American made-for-television Western romantic comedy film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Priscilla Barnes, Lee Horsley, Joan Collins, Donny Osmond, Morgan Brittany, and Lisa Whelchel. E ...

'' (1982) starring

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

. Brittany and

Bruce Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner; October 28, 1949) is an American media personality and retired Olympic Games, Olympic Olympic medal, gold medal-winning Decathlon, decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland ...

hosted the syndicated sports show '' Star Games''. She later hosted over 100 episodes of the magazine show ''Photoplay'', produced by

Jack Haley Jr. John Joseph Haley III (October 25, 1933 – April 21, 2001), known as Jack Haley Jr., was an American director, producer and writer, and a two-time recipient of the Emmy Award. His credits include directing the 1974 compilation film '' That's En ...

She has guest starred on other series, including '' Married... with Children'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', '' The Perry Mason Mysteries'', '' Dear John'', ''

Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeare ...

'' and ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

''. In film, Brittany starred in '' Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat'' (1989).

Recent years

In the 1990s, Brittany appeared in independent films, including ''Riders in the Storm'' (1995), ''Legend of the Spirit Dog'' (1997), '' The Protector'' (1997), ''

The Biggest Fan ''The Biggest Fan'' is a film featuring the band Dream Street ( Chris Trousdale, Jesse McCartney, Matt Ballinger, Frankie J. Galasso and Greg Raposo). The main characters are Chris Trousdale (playing himself) and his "Biggest Fan" Debbie Wo ...

'' (2002), ''Mothers and Daughters'' (2006) and ''

Americanizing Shelley ''Americanizing Shelley'' is a 2007 Hollywood romantic comedy film directed by Lorraine Senna and starring Beau Bridges, Namrata Singh Gujral, Shaheen Khan, Wil Wheaton, Noureen DeWulf, Tony Yalda, and Ajay Mehta. The film was the closing film of ...

'' (2007). She also appeared in the docudrama, ''

1 a Minute ''1 a Minute'' is a 2010 American docudrama film written and directed by Indian American actress Namrata Singh Gujral. It is based on her own life and the lives of other women who suffered from cancer. Synopsis The film is a hybrid between narra ...

'' (2010), and made a guest appearance on the television series ''

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...

'' and ''

Son of the Beach ''Son of the Beach'' is an American sitcom that aired from March 14, 2000, to October 1, 2002, on FX. The series is a spoof of ''Baywatch'', with much of the comedy based on sexual double entendres, puns, innuendo and the like. A major running g ...

''.

Personal life

As of 2014, Brittany is a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

political commentator and author. She writes a weekly column for ''

WorldNetDaily ''WND'' (formerly ''WorldNetDaily'') is an American far-right fake news website. It is known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. T ...

''. Her first book, with co-authors Ann-Marie Murrell and Dr. Gina Loudon, ''What Women Really Want'', was released September 2, 2014. She is a recurring guest on ''

Hannity ''Hannity'' is an American conservative television political talk program on Fox News hosted by Sean Hannity. Episodes air live at 9:00 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, while episodes that air on Fridays are pre-recorded, with a repea ...

'' (

FOX News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

), and ''The Rick Amato Show'' (One America) and has appeared on '' The Kudlow Report'' (

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...

), ''

Fox & Friends ''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos- ...

'', ''

The Dennis Miller Show ''The Dennis Miller Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Dennis Miller. The show launched in January 1992 and was hosted by the former ''Saturday Night Live'' Weekend Update anchor as an attempt b ...

'' and ''

Huckabee ''Huckabee'', formerly on Fox News, is a TV political commentary program, following the basic format of a late-night talk variety show, on TBN hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered on Fox News on September 2 ...

''. Brittany is a co-owner and anchor for ''PolitiChicks'', an online news site with a conservative perspective. Her second book with co-author Ann-Marie Murrell was released in 2017. ''PolitiChicks: A Clarion Call to Political Activism'' is a compilation book of essays from "PolitiChicks" writers. Brittany now travels the country speaking at major venues like

The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presi ...

and other conservative organizations. Brittany married stuntman Jack Gill in 1981. They are the parents of actress Katie Gill and musician/stuntman Cody Gill.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brittany, Morgan 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American child actresses American film actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses California Republicans Living people Year of birth missing (living people)