Cheryl Ladd
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Cheryl Ladd was an American film and TV actress who was best known for her role as the crime-fighting private investigator Kris Munro on "Charlie's Angels" (ABC, 1976-1981). Born and raised in Huron, South Dakota, Ladd had a normal childhood: she was a standout cheerleader in high school, and also worked as a waitress at the local diner. Ladd's striking beauty, however, was already evident by the time she entered her teens. So rather than stay in her small hometown, she packed her bags and moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in music. Ladd quickly landed a role as the voice of Melody Valentine on the musical animated series "Josie and the Pussycats" (CBS, 1970-71). Despite the show only lasting a season, Ladd quickly found herself landing more TV guest spots on popular shows like "The Partridge Family" (ABC, 1970-74) and "Happy Days" (ABC, 1974-1984). With her acting career taking off, Ladd promptly put her music aspirations on hold. Her big break came in 1977 when she was cast as Kris Munro in the popular action series "Charlie's Angels." Ladd joined the show in the second season, right after Farrah Fawcett left to purse a film career, and stayed in the cast for the remaining four years. Although her acting career never quite equaled the success of time spent on "Charlie's Angels," Ladd continued acting nabbing parts in both movies and TV shows well into the 2010s. In 2016 she returned to TV with a recurring part on the popular Ryan Murphy drama "American Crime Story" (FX, 2016- ). Ladd played defense attorney Robert Shapiro's wife, Linell, on the series, which chronicled the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Producer (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1968
Member of musical group Music Shop
1970
Made TV debut as the singing voice of Melody Jones in the animated series "Josie and the Pussycats" (CBS), credited as Cherie Moore; Jackie Joseph was the speaking voice
1971
Feature acting debut, "Chrome and Hot Leather"; credited as Cherie Moore
1972
Live action TV series debut, "The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show" (ABC), credited as Cheryl Jean Stoopelmoor
1972
Had a regular role on the NBC series "Search"
1973
TV-movie debut, "Satan's School for Girls" (ABC), co-starred with Kate Jackson
1974
Appeared in "The Treasure of Jamaica Reef/Evil in the Deep"; credited as Cheryl Stoppelmoor (released in 1976)
1977
Replaced Farrah Fawcett for the second season of ABC's "Charlie's Angels" in the role of Kris Munroe, younger sister of Fawcett's then departing character, Jill Munroe; first credited as Cheryl Ladd
1978
Recorded first music album, <i>Cheryl Ladd</i> for Capitol Records
1979
Headlined own ABC variety program, "The Cheryl Ladd Special"
1979
First starring role in a TV-movie, "When She Was Bad..." (ABC), playing a woman abusing her pre-school daughter
1980
Second variety special, "Cheryl Ladd...Looking Back - Souvenirs" (ABC), also executive produced
1982
Headlined third ABC variety special, "Cheryl Ladd: Scenes From a Special"
1982
Cast as a woman whose unfaithful husband is accused of rape in the feature, "Now and Forever"
1983
Played the title role in the ABC biopic "Grace Kelly"
1984
Teamed with Ken Wahl in the Vietnam-era romance, "Purple Hearts"
1985
Offered a fine turn as a Beverly Hills socialite who develops a complex relationship with the man who killed her fiance and brutalized her in the CBS-TV movie, "A Death in California"
1987
Played a nurse spiraling out of control with substance abuse issues in "Deadly Care" (CBS)
1990
Portrayed the title character's mom in the CBS TV movie, "Lisa," about a teenager who unknowingly develops a relationship with a serial killer
1992
Cast as Sara Gilbert's terminally ill mother in "Poison Ivy"
1994
Returned to series TV in the short-lived "One West Waikiki" (CBS)
1996
Played an ex-con who rebuilds her life only to become the prime suspect when her husband turns up dead in the CBS TV movie, "A Tangled Web"
1998
Had supporting role as a TV star in "Permanent Midnight"
1998
Acted with daughter Jordan in "Every Mother's Worst Fear" on the USA Network
1999
Co-starred in the family feature "A Dog of Flanders"
1999
Portrayed Lynn Landon, wife of the actor, in the biopic "Michael Landon, The Father I Knew" (CBS)
2000
Made Broadway debut succeeding Bernadette Peters in the title role of "Annie Get Your Gun"
2003
Cast as Jillian Deline, Ed's (James Caan) wife on NBC's "Las Vegas"
2009
Guest-starred on an episode of CBS's "CSI: Miami" playing a wealthy wife who secretly dates much younger men
2016
Appeared as Linell Shapiro on "American Crime Story"
Family
Companions
