# Linda Purl

Linda Purl (born September 2, 1955) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Pfister (Fonzie's girlfriend) on Happy Days (she originally played Gloria as Richie’s date in season 2 episode 6), Sheila Munroe in the 1982 horror film Visiting Hours, Pam Beesly's mother Helene in The Office, and Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene Matlock for the first season of the television series Matlock.

## Early life

Purl was born on September 2, 1955, in Greenwich, Connecticut, to chemical-industry executive Raymond Charles Arthur Purl and Marshelline "Marshie" Purl. She has a sister, Mara. The girls' grandmother, Beatrice Saville, was a founder of the Actors' Equity Association. At age five, Purl moved with her family to Japan, where her father worked for Nippon Unicar. She spent her childhood there, and trained in acting at the Toho Geino Academy. While at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Purl performed in several plays, gaining the role of Louis in The King and I, Bet in Oliver!, and Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. Furthermore, she was discovered by Toho and appeared in several films.
At age 15, Purl returned to the United States.

## Acting career
### Film

After playing a small role in Jory (1973), Purl's first major movie role was in Jonathan Demme's 1975 comedy, Crazy Mama. Subsequent movie appearances have included W.C. Fields and Me (1976), Young Pioneers' Christmas (1976), Leo and Loree (1980), Visiting Hours (1982), The High Country (1984), Viper (1988), Natural Causes (1994), Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Perfect Tenant (2000), and Fear of the Dark (2003).

### Television

Linda Purl has played several roles in television series, starting with The Secret Storm – a daytime "soap opera" drama (1973–1974). In 1978, she appeared as newlywed Molly Beaton in the ABC western drama series The Young Pioneers, set in the Dakota Territory of the 1870s and based on the novels of Rose Wilder Lane. She also acted alongside Shaun Cassidy in the 1979 TV movie Like Normal People. Also in 1979, she starred in Women at West Point. On Happy Days she played two different roles: Richie's occasional girlfriend Gloria in season two of the show (1974) and Fonzie's steady girlfriend Ashley eight seasons later (1982–1983). She also played secret agent Kate Del'Amico in the short-lived series Under Cover and played Brett Robin in the 1994–1995 series Robin's Hoods.
She has also featured in many movies made for television, including Testimony of Two Men, The Night the City Screamed, Little Ladies of the Night, and Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs. She voiced Delilah in a 1985 direct-to-video episode of The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible.
Purl appeared in the historical-biographical TV mini-series Eleanor and Franklin, in 1976, broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network. She portrayed Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Purl guest-starred in a 1975 episode of Hawaii Five-O, "The Hostage", as teenage babysitter "Ruth" held captive by a mentally ill veteran. She played two different roles on The Waltons; early in its run, in 1974, when she played sophisticate Alicia in the season three episode, "The Spoilers". In the season five episode, "The Heartbreaker" (1977), she played Mary Ellen's sister-in-law (and Jason's love interest) Vanessa and also sang. In 1981, she starred in Manions of America. In 1984, she played Nydia, the blind flower girl in the miniseries "The Last Days of Pompeii". In 1985, she appeared in a Murder, She Wrote episode entitled "Murder at the Oasis". In 1988, she again made an appearance on Murder, She Wrote in the episode "Mourning Among The Wisterias" and in 1993, appeared for a third time on the series in "Dead Eye". In the first season of Matlock (1986–1987) starring Andy Griffith, Purl played Charlene, Ben Matlock's lawyer daughter. She was cast in the series First Monday (2002) as Sarah Novelli, a real estate agent and Justice Joseph Novelli's wife.
Purl appeared in the role of Pam Beesly's mother on NBC's The Office TV series, starting with the season six episode "Niagara" in 2009–2010. Purl appeared in several more episodes throughout the series and was a romantic interest for Steve Carell's character. In May 2010, she made a guest appearance on Desperate Housewives. In 2011, Purl made guest appearances on Showtime's Homeland, playing Elizabeth Gaines. She played Barbara Pelt, mother of Debbie Pelt, in two episodes of HBO's True Blood in 2012. In 2017, Purl appeared in one episode of Designated Survivor, playing an old college supervisor of President Kirkman who assists in appointing nominees to the Supreme Court in the episode "The Ninth Seat".
She currently plays a recurring character alongside current boyfriend Patrick Duffy on The Bold and the Beautiful.

### Theatre

Purl has been a regular performer (and was in the original cast) of international touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners. In November 2007, she appeared at the Théâtre Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, directed by Marc Sinden, as part of Sinden's British Theatre Season, Monaco.
In 2008, Purl opened at the Cleveland Play House in Cleveland, Ohio in a production of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, playing Amanda.

## Music

Purl launched a jazz music career after leaving Matlock and has released several albums of music, including Out of This World – Live.
She released her fourth full-length album, a collaboration with music director Tedd Firth called This Could Be the Start on Reaching Records, August 2023. Purl is a jazz vocalist, known for imbuing classic show tunes and jazz standards with a distinctive narrative expressiveness.

## Personal life

Purl has been married and divorced four times. Her first marriage was January 13, 1979 to Desi Arnaz Jr., son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. On Jan 3rd 1980, Purl filed for divorce, which was finalized later that year. On November 5, 1988, she married screenwriter William Broyles Jr., whom she later divorced. On July 23, 1993, Purl married British screenwriter and producer Alexander Cary, Master of Falkland, with whom she has a son, Lucius, born February 6, 1995. They later divorced. On July 15, 2006, she married James Vinson Adams whom she divorced in 2011.
Since 2020, she has been in a relationship with Patrick Duffy.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role |
| 1970 | Aru heishe no kake | Rose Allen |
| 1973 | Jory | Amy Barron |
| 1975 | Crazy Mama | Cheryl Stokes |
| 1980 | Leo and Loree | Loree |
| 1981 | The High Country | Kathy |
| 1982 | Visiting Hours | Sheila Munroe |
| 1988 | Viper | Laura Macalla |
| 1992 | Body Language | Norma Suffield |
| 1994 | Natural Causes | Jessie MacCarthy |
| 1996 | Born Free: A New Adventure | Eleanor Porter |
| 1998 | Mighty Joe Young | Dr. Ruth Young |
| 2000 | The Perfect Tenant | Jessica Michaels |
| 2003 | Fear of the Dark | Sandy Billings |
| 2016 | Bender | Mrs. Thomas |
| 2020 | The Swing of Things | Sherry Fairfax-Rothstein |
| 2020 | Broken Halos | Blondie |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1973–74 | The Secret Storm | Doreen Post | TV series |
| 1974 | Lucas Tanner | Diane | "Thirteen Going on Twenty" |
| 1974 | Sons and Daughters | Julie Ashley | "The Pregnancy" |
| 1974 | Happy Days | Gloria | Guest role (season 2) |
| 1974 | The Waltons | Alicia Hanover | "The Spoilers" |
| 1975 | Hawaii Five-O | Ruth | "The Hostage" |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Leslie | "Street Girl" |
| 1975 | Beacon Hill | Betsy Bullock | Main role |
| 1975 | Medical Story | Kim | "Us Against the World" |
| 1976 | The Oregon Trail | Deborah Randal | "Pilot" |
| 1976 | Young Pioneers | Molly Beaton | TV film |
| 1976 | State Fair | Bobbie Jean Shaw | TV film |
| 1976 | Julie Farr, M.D. | Laura Gorman | TV film |
| 1976 | Young Pioneers' Christmas | Molly Beaton | TV film |
| 1976 | Eleanor and Franklin | Alice Roosevelt (age 14-20) | "1.1", "1.2" |
| 1977 | Serpico | Magda | "Sanctuary" |
| 1977 | Little Ladies of the Night | Hailey Atkins | TV film |
| 1977 | The Waltons | Vanessa | "The Heartbreaker" |
| 1977 | Testimony of Two Men | Mavis Eaton | TV miniseries |
| 1977 | Black Market Baby | Anne Macarino | TV film |
| 1978 | The Young Pioneers | Molly Beaton | TV miniseries |
| 1979 | A Last Cry for Help | Sharon Muir | TV film |
| 1979 | Women at West Point | Jennifer Scott | TV film |
| 1979 | Like Normal People | Virginia Rae Hensler | TV film |
| 1979 | The Flame Is Love | Emmaline Nevada 'Vada' Holtz | TV film |
| 1980 | The Night the City Screamed | Brenda Farrell | TV film |
| 1981 | The Adventures of Nellie Bly | Nellie Bly | TV film |
| 1981 | The Manions of America | Deirdre O'Manion | TV miniseries |
| 1982 | Money on the Side | Annie Gilson | TV film |
| 1982–83 | Happy Days | Ashley Pfister | Main role (season 10) |
| 1984 | The Last Days of Pompeii | Nydia | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | The Love Boat | Anne Lester | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Midas Valley | Sarah Corey | TV film |
| 1985 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Lisa Tate | "Revenge" |
| 1985 | The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible | Delilah | "Samson and Delilah" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Terry Shannon | "Murder at the Oasis" |
| 1986 | Outrage! | Arlene Robbins | TV film |
| 1986 | Pleasures | Eve Harper | TV film |
| 1986 | Dark Mansions | Shellane Victor | TV film |
| 1986–87 | Matlock | Charlene Matlock | Main role (season 1) |
| 1987 | In Self Defense | Susan Andrews | TV film |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Judith | "Day to Day" |
| 1988 | Addicted to His Love | Cassie Robbins | TV film |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Crystal Wendle | "Mourning Among the Wisterias" |
| 1988 | Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs | Beverly | TV film |
| 1989 | Trying Times | Laura | "The Sad Professor" |
| 1990 | Timeless Tales from Hallmark | Rapunzel (voice) | "Rapunzel" |
| 1990 | Web of Deceit | Lauren Hale | TV film |
| 1991 | Under Cover | Kate Del'Amico | Main role |
| 1992 | Secrets | Jane Adams | TV film |
| 1992 | Jack's Place | Nicolette | "I See Cupid, I See France" |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Laura Callan | "Dead Eye" |
| 1993 | The Hidden Room | Kate Richards | "Her Life as a Dog" |
| 1994 | Accidental Meeting | Maryanne Bellmann | TV film |
| 1994 | Burke's Law | Kelly Harris | "Who Killed the Legal Eagle?" |
| 1994 | Incident at Deception Ridge | Helen Davis | TV film |
| 1994–95 | Robin's Hoods | Brett Robin | Main role |
| 1996 | Born Free: A New Adventure | Eleanor Porter | TV film |
| 1997 | Crisis Center | Lynn Maxfield | "It's a Family Affair" |
| 1997 | The Absolute Truth | Jean Douglas | TV film |
| 1998 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Barbara Conway | "Crusader" |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Sally | "Flights of Angels" |
| 1999 | Holy Joe | Joan Wolrod | TV film |
| 2000 | Port Charles | Claire Wright | Guest role |
| 2002 | First Monday | Sarah Novelli | Main role |
| 2003 | Frozen Impact | Dr. Christy Blanchard | TV film |
| 2003 | Crossing Jordan | Joan | "Conspiracy" |
| 2004 | Stranger at the Door | Kathleen Norris | TV film |
| 2005 | Cold Case | Diane Moore | "Schadenfreude" |
| 2005 | Criminal Intent | Kirsten Sorensen | TV film |
| 2006 | Maid of Honor | Laci Collins | TV film |
| 2009 | Bones | Mrs. Diana Annenberg | "The Doctor in the Den" |
| 2009–2011 | The Office | Helene Beesly | Recurring role (seasons 6–7) |
| 2010 | Desperate Housewives | Lillian Allen | "A Little Night Music" |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Colleen Everson | "Our Darkest Hour" |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Meredith Spencer | "In the Red" |
| 2011 | Homeland | Elizabeth Gaines | "Semper I", "Achilles Heel", "Marine One" |
| 2012 | True Blood | Barbara Pelt | "Whatever I Am, You Made Me", "We'll Meet Again" |
| 2012 | Stalked at 17 | Lauren | TV film |
| 2014 | Major Crimes | Doris | "Flight Risk" |
| 2014 | Reckless | Barbara Fortnum | "Blind Sides", "Deep Waters", "51%", "And So It Begins" |
| 2017 | Designated Survivor | Julia Rombauer | "The Ninth Seat" |
| 2018 | The Oath | Gwenn Hammond | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Code Black | Madeline Mandel | "Change of Heart" |
| 2022 | General Hospital | Peyton Honeycutt | from Sept.15 to Oct. 17 |
| 2022 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Lucy | |