Biography
Who is Morgan Fairchild?
Early life and background
Morgan Fairchild was born Patsy Ann McClenny on February 3, 1950, in Dallas, Texas. Her parents were Martha Jane Hartt, a high school English teacher, and Edward Milton McClenny. She has a younger sister named Cathryn Hartt, who also pursued a career in acting.
During her childhood in Texas, she appeared on the Mr. Peppermint Show on WFAA. As a teenager, she spent time in the audience of the Sump'n Else bandstand show. She also auditioned for the show's dance troupe, known as The Little Group, and appeared in several local television commercials in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Starting her acting career
Her first experience in professional acting involved working as a double for Faye Dunaway during the filming of the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. She was specifically needed for driving scenes because Dunaway could not drive a stick shift vehicle. She later adopted the professional name Morgan, inspired by the 1966 film Morgan - A Suitable Case for Treatment.
After moving to New York City, she secured her first credited role on television. She played the character Jennifer Pace on the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1973 until 1977. This role helped launch her career, leading to various appearances in episodic primetime television series such as Kojak, Happy Days, and Police Woman.
Television success and soap operas
In 1978, she appeared on the popular soap opera Dallas as the first actress to play the character Jenna Wade. That same year, she also had a recurring role on the sitcom Mork and Mindy. Her first regular primetime role followed in 1980 when she was cast as Constance Weldon Carlyle on the soap opera Flamingo Road. For this performance, she received a Golden Globe Award nomination.
The actress continued to build her resume with roles in the primetime drama Paper Dolls in 1984 and the soap opera Falcon Crest, where she played attorney Jordan Roberts from 1985 to 1986. She also appeared in the miniseries North and South and its sequel. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, she made guest appearances on major television comedies including Murphy Brown, Roseanne, Cybill, Friends, and Two and a Half Men. In 2023, she joined the ensemble cast of the Lifetime film Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas.
Personal life and advocacy
Morgan Fairchild was married to Jack Calmes from 1967 to 1973. She was also in a long-term relationship with Mark Seiler, beginning in 1987, until his death on July 7, 2023. She has publicly stated that she was kidnapped twice during the early 1970s.
Beyond her acting work, she has been an active member of the labor union SAG-AFTRA, serving on the board and various committees. She is also known for her activism regarding environmental causes and AIDS awareness. She has shared that she lives with a mild form of the chronic illness ME/CFS and has spoken publicly about her experience with the condition at the National Academy of Medicine.
Birthday and age
Morgan Fairchild was born on February 3, 1950, which makes Morgan 76 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Morgan shares the date with 27 other famous people.
Explore more
