Christopher Norris (born October 7, 1953) is a former American Broadway, movie, and television actress. She began acting on Broadway and is probably best known for her portrayal of nurse Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi in the television series '' Trapper John, M.D.''. Early in pregnancy her parents picked the name "Christopher" and decided to name the baby that regardless of its sex. She attended

Los Angeles Valley College Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC, Valley College, or Valley) is a public community college in Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, ...

and, in the 1990s, she broke from acting and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and theater from

Antioch University Antioch University is a private university with multiple campuses in the United States and online programs. It is the continuation of Antioch College, which was founded in 1852. Antioch College's first president was politician, abolitionist, and ...

. Early notable roles include the wild girl Miriam in '' Summer of '42'' (1971), a heroic young flight attendant in the disaster film ''

Airport 1975 ''Airport 1975'' (also known as ''Airport '75'') is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film ''Airport''. It was directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, executive produced by Jennings Lang, a ...

'' (1974), and as a hot girl in

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

's '' Eat My Dust!'' (1976). Early in her career, Norris typically played wholesome, "girl next door" types, and, later in her career, she got more "vixen" type roles, including the role of loony Laura Simmons Asher on the daytime soap '' Santa Barbara''. Her other daytime credits include '' Another World'' and ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

''. In 1980, Norris married Walter Danley, a businessman and later mystery novelist. They divorced in 1998. Due to their physical resemblance, Norris is frequently mistaken for

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. Born in Manhattan to actress Tippi Hedren, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, 17-year-old ...

. Because of this, Griffith was mistakenly interviewed in the 1990s by the British media about acting in ''

''.Christopher NorrisArchived
June 24, 2024. She designed the exterior and interior of her home, and Christopher Norris nurse uniforms were designed, sold, and proceeds used for nursing scholarships.

Filmography

Film

Television

Broadway

Off Broadway

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Christopher Living people American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from New York City American soap opera actresses 20th-century American actresses Los Angeles Valley College people Antioch University alumni 21st-century American women 1953 births