# Karen Austin

Karen Austin is an American actress. She played Lana Wagner on the sitcom Night Court in 1984. Her film appearances include Summer Rental (1985), Far from Home (1989), and The Rum Diary (2011).

## Career

Austin first gained notability in the late 1970s with a string of television guest appearances on highly rated programs such as Happy Days, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, and Dallas.
In the 1980s, she was a regular on the first season of the successful NBC comedy series Night Court, where she played court clerk Lana Wagner for 10 episodes before being asked to leave the series due to her Bell's palsy. Her character was replaced by Mac Robinson (Charles Robinson) for the remaining eight seasons.
Austin had a lead role as the wife of John Candy's character in Summer Rental (1985).

## Personal life

Austin was married to Kris Slava at age 19; the couple divorced seven years later.

## Filmography and TV credits

| Year | TV/Film Credit | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | The Ottawa Valley | Lena | TV short film |
| 1978 | Happy Days | Peggy Clark | Episode: "Kid Stuff" |
| 1978 | The Rockford Files | Veronica Teasedale | Episode: "White on White and Nearly Perfect" |
| 1978 | The American Girls | | Episode: "Little Girl Lost" |
| 1978 | Dallas | Dailey | Episode: "Survival" |
| 1979 | Fish Hawk | Mrs. Gideon | Feature film |
| 1979 | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Lily | Episode: "Dean Martin and the Moonshiners" |
| 1979 | Hart to Hart | Karen Shields | Episode: "A New Kind of High" |
| 1979 | Soap | Chester's Woman | Episode #3.10 |
| 1980 | Family | Emily | 2 episodes |
| 1980-1982 | Three's Company | Jennifer / Denise | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | West Virginia | 3 episodes |
| 1981 | CHiPs | Woman with Rabbit | Episode: "A Simple Operation" |
| 1981 | S.O.B. | Piano Girl | Feature film (Uncredited role) |
| 1982 | The Quest | Carrie Welby | Main role (9 episodes) |
| 1982 | A Piano for Mrs. Cimino | Alice Cimino | TV movie |
| 1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Rachael Kane | Episode: "The Shadow of Death" |
| 1983 | The Taming of the Shrew | Katherina | Feature film |
| 1983 | Trauma Center | Julie | Episode: "Trauma Center (Pilot)" |
| 1984 | Celebrity | Ceil Shannon | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Night Court | Lana Wagner | 10 episodes |
| 1984 | London and Davis in New York | Adrienne Crow | Television pilot |
| 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Mary Woodley | 5 episodes |
| 1985 | Summer Rental | Sandy Chester | Feature film |
| 1985 | Jagged Edge | Julie Jensen | Feature film |
| 1985 | Our Family Honor | Detective Sgt. Sharon Howland | Episode: "End of the Line" |
| 1985 | A Letter to Three Wives | Kate | TV movie |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | June Wright | Segment: "A Matter of Minutes" |
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Hillary Mishkin | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | The Ladies Club | Joan Taylor | Feature film |
| 1986 | Penalty Phase | Julie | Feature film |
| 1986 | Assassin | Mary Casallas | TV movie |
| 1987 | Jake and the Fatman | Rebecca Warfield | Episode: "Fatal Attraction" |
| 1988 | Laura Lansing Slept Here | Melody Gomphers | TV movie |
| 1989 | Columbo | Dr. Paula Hall | Episode: "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" |
| 1989 | Dolphin Cove | Lisa Ruddick | Episode: "The Initiation of Lisa Ruddick" |
| 1989 | The Case of the Hillside Stranglers | J.D. Jackson | TV movie |
| 1989 | Far from Home | Louise | Feature film |
| 1990 | Hunter | Lt. Megan Malone | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 1990 | A Girl to Kill For | Karen / Shopper | Feature film |
| 1991 | Midnight Caller | Jenna Holloway | Episode: "Her Dirty Little Secret" |
| 1991-1992 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Sheila Crane / Suzanne | 6 episodes |
| 1992-1994 | The Commish | Linda Scott | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Moment of Truth: Murder or Memory? | Connie Frawley | TV movie |
| 1994 | Lightning Jack | Mama Wheeler | Feature film (Uncredited role) |
| 1995 | Live Shot | Helen Forbes | 8 episodes |
| 1995 | The Marshal | Ellen Christopher | Episode: "Time Off for Clever Behavior" |
| 1995-1999 | Sliders | Amanda Starr / Lydia the Secretary | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Haley Rodgers Johnson | Episode: "The Big Easy Episode" |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Jessica Herman | Episode: "The Nutty Confessor" |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Dr. Kalandra | Episode: "...Nor the Battle to the Strong" |
| 1996 | Lazarus | Anne | Feature film |
| 1997 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Cimmarron Kilkenny (voice) | Episode: "Showdown/Internal Affairs" |
| 1997 | Breast Men | Dr. Tammy | TV movie (Uncredited role) |
| 1997 | House of Frankenstein | Irene Lassiter | TV miniseries |
| 1997 | Murder One | Lynette Parker | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer | Lynette Parker Banks | TV miniseries |
| 1997 | Step by Step | Patti Roberts | Episode: "Just Say Maybe" |
| 1998 | Best Friends for Life | Violet Evans | TV movie |
| 1998 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Anita | Episode: "Auto Eurodicka" |
| 1998 | JAG | Dr. Inge | Episode: "The Martin Baker Fan Club" |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Elaine Caranza | Episode: "How Sammo Got His Groove Back" |
| 1998 | The Battery | Sandy | Short film |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Candace | Episode: "Last Dance" |
| 1999 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Bobbi Kincaid | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Profiler | Candice Harding | Episode: "Original Sin" |
| 1999 | Rescue 77 | Ruth Caraway | Episode: "The Wedding" |
| 1999 | Star Trek: Voyager | Miral, B'Elanna Torres' Mother | Episode: "Barge of the Dead" |
| 2000 | Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel | Pierrepont Summers | Feature film |
| 2001 | The Division | Helen | Episode: "Redemption" |
| 2002 | ER | Mrs. Carlson | Episode: "Bygones" |
| 2002 | Taken | Nun #2 | TV miniseries |
| 2002-2004 | Girlfriends | Sandy Bickie | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Terri Maxwell | Episode: "Volunteers" |
| 2004 | Kingdom Hospital | Mrs. Powell | Episode: "Black Noise" |
| 2004-2008 | Rodney | Patsy | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Freddie | Mrs. Reyerson | Episode: "I'll Be Homeless for Christmas" |
| 2005 | Wanted | Taffy Dibortello | Episode: "Sex Pistols" |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Hilda | Episode: "Second Sight" |
| 2005 | Desperate Housewives | Lois McDaniel | Episode: "Your Fault" |
| 2006 | Amber's Story | Glenda Whitson | TV movie |
| 2006 | The Evidence | Mrs. Vicarrio | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007 | Crossing Jordan | Sarah Fulton | Episode: "Falling From Grace" |
| 2008 | Battlestar Galactica | Lilly | Episode: "Escape Velocity" |
| 2008 | Palisades Pool Party | Desiree | TV movie |
| 2009 | Bitch Slap | Narrator | Feature film |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Judge Gloria Stets | Episode: "Dissolved" |
| 2009 | Sink or Swim | Judge Stets | Feature film |
| 2009 | Big Days Ahead | Carol Glass | Short film |
| 2010 | Better People | Jacquie | TV movie |
| 2010 | Order of Chaos | Sherri | Feature film |
| 2011-2012 | Fresh Hell | Valerie | 4 episodes |
| 2011-2015 | Whole Day Down | DeWitt | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | The Rum Diary | Mrs. Zimburger | Feature film |
| 2013 | Sweet Talk | Newsvendor / Nurse | Feature film |
| 2014 | Infamous Second Son | Betty (voice) | Video game |
| 2015 | The Wicked Within | Jean | Feature film |