# Debra Sandlund

Debra Sandlund (Debra Stipe) (born May 29, 1962, in Geneseo, Illinois) is an American television and film actress. She's a graduate of Northwestern University where she studied both Opera & Theatre. She won the Miss Dream Girl USA 1987 Pageant and had a recurring role as Cindy on Full House opposite Bob Saget. Since marrying Greg Stipe in 1991, she is usually billed as "Debra Stipe." She and her daughter Sarah run an acting coaching studio in Cumming, Georgia.

## Career
### '80s career

After winning the Miss Dream Girl USA 1987 Pageant she garnered attention and dove into acting in film and television. 1987 She got a role in the independent movie Tough Guys Don't Dance earning a nomination for Best Female Lead from the Independent Spirit Awards. She guest starred in several well-known series including NBC action-adventure series The A-Team, Fox's police crime drama 21 Jump Street starring Johnny Depp, NBC's legal drama L.A. Law, NBC and later ABC legal drama/mystery series Matlock starring Andy Griffith, ABC's Moonlighting starring Cybil Shepherd and Bruce Willis, and ABC's sitcom Who's the Boss? starring Tony Danza.

### '90s career

She continued success in television guest starring on popular series ABC's Head of the Class, NBC's sitcom Blossom starring Mayiam Bialik, ABC's sitcom Full House opposite Bob Saget, NBC and later CBS police procedural/crime drama In the Heat of the Night opposite Alan Autry in two episodes serving as the backdoor pilot for what would have been a spin-off series, but it was never picked up. She guest starred on Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose.

### Later career

She hit an acting dry spell in the 2000s with a single acting credit guest starring on single episode of the Lifetime drama series Army Wives. In the 2010s she returned to television guest starring in Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Devious Maids, Satisfaction, Queen Sugar, and acted, produced and wrote the series Life @ Stipes.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Tough Guys Don't Dance | Patty | Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead |
| 1989 | Murder by Numbers | Leslie | |
| 1990 | Victimless Crimes | Louise | |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Charlene | |
| 2017 | Father Figures | Karen Bradshaw | |
| 2022 | The Mulligan | Stephanie St. Paul | |
| 2023 | Divine Influencer | Lilianne Lee | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Miss Hollywood 1986 | Herself | TV Special |
| 1986 | The A-Team | Tram Guide | "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" |
| 1987 | Crime Story | Joanne Goldman | 4 episodes Season 1 (3 episodes) — 1.18 "The Survivor" — 1.19 "The Pinnacle" — 1.20 "Top of the World" Season 2 (1 episode) — 2.1 "The Senator, the Movie Star, and the Mob" |
| 1987 | Ohara | Judy Fisher | "The Sparrow" |
| 1987 | Private Eye | Desi France | "High Heels and Silver Wings" |
| 1988 | 21 Jump Street | Penny Able | "A Big Disease with a Little Name" |
| 1988 | Hotel | Melissa Robinson | (Uncredited) "Power Play" |
| 1988 | L.A. Law | Jane Lauderbach | "Romancing the Drone" |
| 1988 | Hunter | Susan Stevens | "Presumed Guilty" |
| 1989 | Heartbeat | Nina | "Paradise Lost" |
| 1989 | Matlock | Kelly Manning / Ann Wilson | "The Black Widow" |
| 1989 | Day by Day | Monica | "Harmless Harper" |
| 1989 | Moonlighting | Claudette | "Those Lips, Those Lies" |
| 1989 | Jake and the Fatman | Sireen | "Poor Butterfly" |
| 1989 | Peter Gunn | Sheila | TV Movie |
| 1989 | Who's the Boss? | Vickie | "Sex, Lies and Exercise Tape" |
| 1990 | Open House | Chloe | "Who Framed Roger McSwain?" |
| 1990 | Macusco, FBI | Julia Hack / Sherry London | "Daryl Ross & the Supremes" |
| 1990 | Head of the Class | Linda Bassler | "Teacher's Pet" |
| 1990 | Blossom | Mrs. Young | "Pilot" |
| 1990 | Lifestories | Sadie Maxwell | "Beverly Whitestone, Dan Drabowski, Sadie Maxwell, Lois Barnes" |
| 1990 | Full House | Cindy | Season 4 (3 episodes) — 4.10 "Terror in Tanner Town" — 4.11 "Secret Admirer" — 4.13 "Happy New Year" |
| 1990 | Iran: Days of Crisis | Debra Scott | TV Movie |
| 1991 | In the Heat of the Night | Pat Day | 2 episodes Season 4 (1 episode) — 4.20 "Just a Country Boy" Season 5 (1 episode) — 5.6 "Unfinished Business" |
| 1991–1992 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Christie Morgan / Sally Bates | 2 episodes Season 7 (1 episode),br/>— 7.16 "From the Horse's Mouth" (1991) Season 9 (1 episode) — 9.2 "Family Secrets" (1992) |
| 1992 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Rebecca | "Dance of Romance" |
| 1992 | Madame Montand and Mrs Miller | Marilyn Monroe | TV Movie |
| 1996 | The Cape | Kathy Blake | "Judgment Call" |
| 2009 | Army Wives | Mrs. Decker | "Operation: Tango" |
| 2011 | House of Payne | Estelle Rodgers | "Roommate Paynes" |
| 2012 | Let's Stay Together | Annie | "Beauty and the Birthday" |
| 2013 | Devious Maids | Delia | "Totally Clean" |
| 2014 | Being Mary Jane | Female Therapist | "Mixed Messages" |
| 2014 | Satisfaction | Irene | "...Through Partnership" |
| 2014–2017 | If Loving You Is Wrong | Dr. Raston | 3 episodes Season 1 (1 episode) — 1.8 "14 Weeks" (2014) Season 3 (2 episodes) — 3.14 "A Fatal Attraction" (2017) — 3.19 "Don't Lose Your Deposit" (2017) |
| 2015 | Running | Joyce Dunham | "Pilot" |
| 2016 | Queen Sugar | Lisa | "The Darker Sooner" |
| 2018 | The Quad | Annie Folsom | "#TheColorPurple" |
| 2019 | Tales | Renee | "XO Tour Llif3" |
| 2019 | Life @ Stipe | Debra Stipe | Actress / Producer (3 episodes), Writer (1 episode) — "Road to Love" — "Negotiation Station" (written by) — "Christmas in the South" |
| 2023 | Will Trent | Reese Fox | "Should I Go Get My Tin Foil Hat?" |