The Solely Actors Nonetheless Alive From The Bionic Girl | Jive Update

The Solely Actors Nonetheless Alive From The Bionic Girl






To grasp “The Bionic Girl” heroine Jaime Sommers, you first need to get on board with “The Six Million Greenback Man.” The younger tennis star turned partially cyborg superhero was first launched on “The Six Million Greenback Man” within the present’s second season as a feminine counterpart to the collection’ male bionic hero. Jaime, the present informed viewers, was severely injured in a skydiving accident, however cutting-edge know-how allowed her to not solely dwell by it, but additionally achieve new abilities. She had extra-strength listening to, superstrength, and the power to run at prime speeds, all of which got here in helpful for her new life as a schoolteacher-slash-spy.

A high-concept storyline like this one could not thrive on TV right this moment (until it was made by DC or Marvel), however within the ’70s, audiences ate it up. Jaime’s eventual loss of life in “The Six Million Greenback Man” was so poorly acquired that she was not solely introduced again to life, but additionally given her personal spinoff collection. “The Bionic Girl” ran for simply 58 episodes on ABC starting in 1976, but the present left a powerful cultural imprint. As long as the sphere of biomedical prosthetics and implants nonetheless exists, it looks like there’ll all the time be loads of “bionic girl” jokes to go round. The present’s surviving solid members have additionally spent a lifetime getting acknowledged for his or her work on the collection. This is what they have been as much as within the years because it ended.

Lindsay Wagner (Jaime Sommers)

Because the bionic girl of the present’s title, actor Lindsay Wagner broke new floor with the collection, profitable an Emmy for her position because the ultra-powered Jaime Sommers regardless of the award physique’s historic aversion to recognizing sci-fi and fantasy reveals. Wagner appeared in all three seasons of the collection, however her burgeoning profession was nearly lower quick when, in response to an interview she as soon as did with Superstar Drop, she practically boarded American Airways Flight 191, which crashed and killed everybody on board in 1979. On the final minute, Wagner did not get on the airplane.

The actor continued to look because the Bionic Girl in spinoff movies, and labored pretty steadily on movie and TV within the a long time to observe. Within the ’80s, she led the short-lived reveals “Scruples,” “Jessie,” and “A Peaceful Kingdom,” and she or he extra lately appeared in recurring roles on “Warehouse 13” and “Gray’s Anatomy.” (She performed Alex Karev’s mother within the latter.) Her most notable movie credit embrace a significant position within the 1981 actioner “Nighthawks” and a component within the Denzel Washington-led flick “Ricochet.” Extra lately, she’s appeared in Christmas movies like “Christmas on the Ranch” and “Mingle All The Manner,” and in response to her IMDb biography, Wagner acted in a number of TV films about powerful subjects like youngster abuse and capital punishment. She additionally did voice appearing for the acclaimed online game “Dying Stranding.”

Wagner has additionally labored in different industries, authoring books, educating at San Bernardino Valley Faculty (per The SB Solar), and dealing as an activist. In line with IMDb, she serves because the honorary chair of the Inter-Company Council on Baby Abuse and Neglect and at one level even co-facilitated a neighborhood counseling group for convicted home violence offenders. (Wagner as soon as informed Smashing Interviews she survived home violence earlier in life) The actor has additionally spoken brazenly about her curiosity in different drugs, giving statements which have ranged from quirky (she informed Celeb Drop she healed her abdomen ulcers through visualization and meditation) to, in a single case, horrifying. In 2016, she informed ABC7 Information {that a} concoction containing parts of bleach –- one the FDA has deemed toxic –- cured her full-body hives.

Lee Majors (Colonel Steve Austin)

Lee Majors could have solely appeared in a handful of “Bionic Girl” episodes, however he is the star of the collection that first impressed the present. The unique “Six Million Greenback Man” grew to become an motion hero with the favored ’70s collection, reprising his position as Colonel Steve Austin in each “The Bionic Girl” and the follow-up movies that got here after it. Majors took a second action-heavy main position within the decade that adopted, taking part in stunt man turned bounty hunter Colt Seavers for 5 seasons of “The Fall Man.”

Throughout a 2015 fan conference, Majors was refreshingly nostalgia-free in his recollections of the reveals that made him well-known whereas chatting with Den of Geek. “Typically I feel fondly of it, then numerous occasions I feel, ‘Boy, that was numerous laborious work. They ran my butt off!'” Majors informed the outlet. “I did most likely 85% of my very own stunt work, and so right this moment I feel I am getting near a knee alternative, it is giving me a little bit bother.” Majors has had a multi-pronged profession which, along with appearing, has included government producing titles like “Mission From Outer Area” and “CBS Summer time Playhouse” and even singing the theme track to “The Fall Man.” He additionally grew to become half proprietor of a Los Angeles soccer staff within the ’80s, in response to UPI.

Majors has had an eclectic movie profession, showing as himself in “Scrooged” and reprising his “Fall Man” position within the latest Ryan Gosling film of the identical title. He is additionally appeared within the Frankie Muniz household movie “Large Fats Liar,” the Bob Odenkirk-directed movie “The Brothers Solomon,” and ’90s teen rom-com “Trojan Struggle,” amongst different films. On TV, he starred within the high-concept motion collection “Raven” and appeared in key recurring roles in reveals like “The Recreation,” “Weeds,” and “Ash vs Evil Lifeless,” taking part in Ash’s father within the latter. Majors had his title added to the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 1984.

Sam Chew Jr. (Mark Russell)

Mark Russell was a recurring character on “The Bionic Girl” who popped up periodically. An Workplace of Scientific Intelligence agent, Mark was performed by Sam Chew Jr, an actor who had already popped up in two “Planet of the Apes” movies by the point the present rolled round (and who performed Jack Kennedy in a TV film throughout the present’s run). Chew continued appearing after the collection, showing in “The Unimaginable Hulk” and “Petticoat Junction” in addition to films just like the Charles Bronson-led thriller “10 To Midnight” and John Landis’ “Oscar.”

Chew largely took minor roles all through the ’80s and ’90s, and he hasn’t acted on display screen since 1998, when he appeared within the little-known movie “Hyacinth.” In line with his self-written IMDb biography, Chew nonetheless works within the industrial appearing house, which is house to his most well-known (if unrecognizable) position: Chew has voiced reveals and promos on Discovery Channel, and his voice finally grew to become synonymous with the community’s well-liked Shark Week occasion. In line with the Radnor Historic Society, Chew has additionally completed prolific work narrating documentaries and audiobooks, taught educating, appearing, and public talking, and labored as a radio DJ and speak present host.

Jennifer Darling (Peggy Calahan)

Because the secretary to OSI chief Oscar Goldman (the late Richard Anderson, who died in 2017), Peggy Calahan stored issues working for the heroes of “The Bionic Girl.” Darling performed the receptionist in a number of episodes of the present, and it is nonetheless her most well-known on-screen position so far. After the collection got here to a detailed, Darling continued appearing on display screen, however she additionally efficiently crossed over into the voice appearing world. After showing in 5 seasons of live-action sitcom “Eight is Sufficient,” Darling took key roles in animated ’80s reveals like “Trollkins,” “Centurion,” “The Smurfs,” and “My Little Pony.”

Darling has completed in depth supporting voice work in a number of animated reveals through the years, together with 12 reveals within the ’80s alone. She’s additionally contributed her vocal skills to beloved films like “Aladdin,” “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Discovering Nemo,” “Lilo & Sew,” and “Monsters, Inc.” Darling has offered dubbed voiceover work for anime, together with the “Tenchi Muyo!” franchise. Plus, she’s labored in video video games, too, with roles in “Remaining Fantasy Kind-O HD” and the unique “Baldur’s Gate.”

Notably, Darling carried out as a stage actor for many years, juggling her voiceover work with appearances in musical productions and showing on Broadway earlier than her activate “The Bionic Girl” (per IMDb). As of 2019, Darling appears to have retired from display screen and voice appearing.


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