# Glynnis O'Connor

Glynnis O'Connor (born November 19, 1955) is an American actress. She made her big screen debut starring in the 1973 romantic drama film, Jeremy. She later starred in the short-lived CBS drama series Sons and Daughters (1974) and the television version of Our Town (1977). She starred in films Ode to Billy Joe, Baby Blue Marine (both 1976), California Dreaming (1979), Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980), The White Lions (1981), Night Crossing, Melanie (both 1982) and Johnny Dangerously (1984).

## Personal life

O'Connor was born in New Rochelle, New York, and is the daughter of actress Lenka Peterson and film producer Daniel Patrick O'Connor. She is married to Douglas Stern, a New York City native, and they have two daughters together, Lindsay (b. 1990) and Hana.

## Career

In 1973, O'Connor made her screen debut and also sang the title song for the romantic drama film Jeremy in which she co-starred with Robby Benson. Soon after her big screen debut, O'Connor was cast as a female lead opposite Gary Frank in the CBS drama series, Sons and Daughters. On January 8, 1974, she starred in the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre production of "Ring of Roses" and then co-starred with John Travolta in the 1976 TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. The same year, she portrayed Bobbie Lee Hartley, co-starring again with Robby Benson, in the drama film Ode to Billy Joe, a tragic romance produced and directed by Max Baer Jr., and the drama film Baby Blue Marine opposite Jan-Michael Vincent The following year she starred in the Western film Kid Vengeance and the made-for-television version of Our Town. In 1978, she starred in the made-for-television biographical film, Little Mo playing Maureen Connolly, the 1950s American tennis player who was the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year, before an accident ended her tennis career at age 19. In 1979, she returned to big screen starring in the comedy-drama film, California Dreaming.
In 1980, O'Connor starred opposite Tom Hulce in the romantic comedy film, Those Lips, Those Eyes receiving positive note from critic Roger Ebert. The following year she starred opposite Michael York in the drama film, The White Lions. In 1982 she had supporting role in the thriller film Night Crossing and the leading role in the drama film, Melanie. Ned Powers of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix wrote that "a compelling performance by O'Connor and a surprisingly fluid effort by Cummings lift the picture beyond the fair-to-middling category", adding that "the music, most written and performed by Cummings, is a strong selling point". Bruce Bailey of The Montreal Gazette echoed Powers' praise of Glynnis O'Connor, but otherwise found the film to be a calculating melodrama. Calling it "a successful manipulator of emotions", he noted that the crowd erupted into cheers when Melanie finally hit back at her cruel husband, noting that "the morality of encouraging such applause for violence on anybody's part, however, is a little dicey." At the 4th Genie Awards, she won the Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress for her performance in Melanie. In 1984, she was featured in the crime comedy film, Johnny Dangerously making her final big screen appearance in 1980s.
Since the mid-1980s, O'Connor has been in a string of made-for-television movies. In 1984, O'Connor starred as Leola Mae Harmon in the biographical film Why Me?, about United States Air Force nurse Harmon's trauma and series of facial reconstruction surgeries after a horrifying car accident. In 1986, O'Connor performed in the miniseries The Deliberate Stranger. Her other notable film credits include Love Leads the Way: A True Story (1984), To Heal a Nation (1988), Police Story: Cop Killer (1988) and Kojak: Flowers for Matty (1990). She starred in an 1986 episode of The Twilight Zone and from 1992 to 1993 had a recurring role in the NBC police drama Reasonable Doubts as Mark Harmon's character ex-wife. From 1993 to 1994, she replaced Ellen Dolan in the role of Margo Hughes on the CBS daytime soap opera, As the World Turns. In 1995 she made her return to prime time starring opposite Richard Thomas in the true crime television film, Death in Small Doses. She later starred in Summer of Fear (1996), Ellen Foster (1997) and Saint Maybe (1998).
O’Connor played defense attorney Anne Paulsen in five episodes, from 1998 through 2004, on the NBC drama series, Law & Order. She also guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2002 she made her first big screen appearance since 1980s, in the mystery thriller film, New Best Friend. In 2007, she appeared in the independent feature film P.J., directed by Russ Emanuel. She later appeared in films Angelica (2015), Diane and A Bread Factory (2018). In 2020 she had a recurring role in the Epix thriller series, Condor and later was cast as Shirley Beaumont in the Starz crime drama series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | Jeremy | Susan Rollins | |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | Rose | |
| 1976 | Ode to Billy Joe | Bobbie Lee Hartley | |
| 1977 | Kid Vengeance | Lisa Thurston | |
| 1978 | Getting It Over With | Ruthie | short |
| 1979 | California Dreaming | Corky | |
| 1980 | Those Lips, Those Eyes | Ramona | |
| 1981 | The White Lions | Jeannie McBride | |
| 1982 | Night Crossing | Petra Wetzel | |
| 1982 | Melanie | Melanie | Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress |
| 1984 | Johnny Dangerously | Sally | |
| 2002 | New Best Friend | Connie Campbell | |
| 2007 | Graduation | Mary | |
| 2008 | P.J. | Evelyn | |
| 2012 | The Trouble with Cali | Avie Bluejones | |
| 2012 | Album | Adult Trish | short |
| 2014 | The Historian | Dean Jan Messer | |
| 2015 | Angelica | Older Constance | |
| 2018 | Diane | Dottie | |
| 2018 | A Bread Factory | Jan | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | As the World Turns | Dawn "Dee" Stewart | TV series |
| 1974 | Love Is Not Forever | Anita | TV film |
| 1974 | Insight | Laura | "Resuscitation" |
| 1974 | Sons and Daughters | Anita Cramer | main role |
| 1975 | All Together Now | Carol Lindsay | TV film |
| 1975 | Someone I Touched | Carrie | TV film |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Ellen | "Cliffy" |
| 1976 | Harry O | Gayle | "Mister Five and Dime" |
| 1976 | The Boy in the Plastic Bubble | Gina Biggs | TV film |
| 1977 | Insight | Laura | "She's Waiting for Us" |
| 1977 | Our Town | Emily Webb | TV film |
| 1977 | Rosetti and Ryan | Angel | "Bedeviled Angel" |
| 1978 | Black Beauty | Phyllis Carpenter | TV miniseries |
| 1978 | Little Mo | Maureen Connolly | TV film |
| 1979 | The Chisholms | Elizabeth Chisholm | TV miniseries |
| 1980 | My Kidnapper, My Love | Geegee | TV film |
| 1983 | The Fighter | Rindy Banks | TV film |
| 1984 | Why Me? | Leola Mae Harmon | TV film |
| 1984 | Love Leads the Way: A True Story | Lois | TV film |
| 1985 | Sins of the Father | Kevan Harris | TV film |
| 1986 | The Deliberate Stranger | Cas Richter | TV film |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Dorothy Livingston | "The Storyteller" |
| 1987 | A Conspiracy of Love | Marcia Woldarski | TV film |
| 1988 | To Heal a Nation | Becky Scruggs | TV film |
| 1988 | Too Good to Be True | Ruth Berent | TV film |
| 1988 | Police Story: Cop Killer | Lynn Lewis | TV film |
| 1990 | Kojak: Flowers for Matty | Molly Fitzimons | TV film |
| 1992 | Nightmare in Daylight | Sloan Evans | TV film |
| 1992–93 | Reasonable Doubts | Jo | recurring role |
| 1993–94 | As the World Turns | Margo Hughes | TV series |
| 1995 | Death in Small Doses | Nancy Lyon | TV film |
| 1995 | Past the Bleachers | Harper Parish | TV film |
| 1996 | Summer of Fear | 'Cat' Marshall | TV film |
| 1997 | Ellen Foster | Charlotte Nelson Hammond | TV film |
| 1998 | Saint Maybe | Claudia Bedloe | TV film |
| 1998–2004 | Law & Order | Anne Paulsen | recurring role |
| 2000 | Young Americans | Donna Banks | "Will Bella Scout Her Mom?" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Raquel Kurtz | "Damaged" |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Rev. Poole | "On Fire" |
| 2012 | Behind the 8 Ball | Guest | "Matty" |
| 2021 | Sand Dollar Cove | Nana | Hallmark movie |
| 2023-2024 | Power Book III: Raising Kanan | Shirley Beaumont | TV Series |