American actress and fashion model (born 1951)
Randi Oakes
|
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Born
| Betty Lee Oakes
(
1951-08-19
)
August 19, 1951
(age 72)
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Occupation(s)
| Actress, model
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Years active
| 1970s?1985
|
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Spouse
|
|
---|
Children
| Emma Lee Harrison (b. 1985)
Lily Anne Harrison (b. 1989)
Kate Harrison (b. 1991)
Quinn Edgar Harrison (adopted)
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Betty Lee "Randi" Oakes
(born August 19, 1951) is an American actress and fashion model. Active in the 1970s and early 1980s, she is probably best known for her role as Officer Bonnie Clark on the television series
CHiPs
, a role she played from 1979 to 1982. After marrying actor
Gregory Harrison
in 1980, she retired from acting after the birth of her first child in 1985.
Early life
[
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]
Oakes was born in Sumner, Iowa and grew up in Randalia, Iowa. While in high school, she went to Des Moines, Iowa twice per week to attend modeling school. Oakes was named Miss Iowa Model of the Year and moved to New York City with a modeling contract at age 17.
[1]
She quickly became one of the top fashion models in the United States.
[2]
While modeling, she was in a relationship with pro football star
Joe Namath
for seven years and was sometimes referred to as "Joe's fiancee".
[3]
[4]
[5]
Oakes began a shift from modeling to acting when, at the age of 23, she overheard one model tell another, "You know, you're kind of a young Randi Oakes."
[1]
Acting career
[
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]
Oakes was a frequent guest star on television series during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including roles on
McCloud
,
Delvecchio
,
Switch
,
B.J. and the Bear
,
Barnaby Jones
,
The Love Boat
and
Fantasy Island
. She also starred as Sally in the 1978 theatrical crime drama
Acapulco Gold
and had recurring roles as Georgia on the 1977 television series
Rosetti and Ryan
and as a
young Taurus woman
on the original
Battlestar Galactica
.
[6]
A guest role as a car thief in the episode "Down Time" on
CHiPs
led to the featured role as the blonde police officer Bonnie Clark.
[1]
[6]
[7]
She appeared on the series from the beginning of its third season until the end of its fifth season. Along with costar
Larry Wilcox
, Oakes left the show in 1982.
[8]
According to a 1983 article that appeared in
People
, a lack of time spent with husband
Gregory Harrison
led to the actress's departure from
CHiPs
.
[9]
Oakes appeared on multiple editions of
Circus of the Stars
, and she was a frequent competitor on (and one-time host of)
Battle of the Network Stars
.
[10]
[11]
She was "dunked" more times than any other competitor in the Baseball Dunk event. She retired from acting to be a full-time mother after the birth of her first child in 1985.
[12]
In a 1992 interview, Harrison told the
Toronto Star
, "[Randi has] been busy mothering, designing our home, overseeing the construction. She's glad not to be in the business. It gave her a pay cheque, period. She never studied, suffered or sacrificed to be an actress. It didn't fulfill dreams and if it doesn't fulfill dreams, it's hard to take this business. It has an ugly underbelly."
[13]
As of 2015, Oakes returned to television, with other notable
CHiPs
stars, for a series of introductions and interviews for MeTV's weekly
CHiPs
reruns.
Family
[
edit
]
While competing on a 1979 edition of
Battle of the Network Stars
, Oakes (on the NBC team) met her future husband, actor Gregory Harrison of
Trapper John, M.D.
fame (playing for the CBS team).
[1]
Oakes and Harrison were married on December 21, 1980, but their marriage was kept secret from the public for several years.
[5]
[14]
They have three daughters, Emma Lee (born 1985), Lily Anne (born 1989), and Kate (born 1991).
[15]
The couple also adopted a son, Quinn Edgar. The couple originally lived together in Sherman Oaks, California,
[16]
but since the early 1990s, the family has lived in Southern Oregon; first in Gold Beach, Oregon for 15 years, then Eugene, Oregon.
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
Filmography
[
edit
]
- Acapulco Gold
(1976) - Sally Cantrell
- Battlestar Galactica
(1978) -
Blonde Taurus
- CHiPs
(1977?1982, TV Series) - Officer Bonnie Clark / Kim Balford / Blonde Secretary
- Fantasy Island
(1983) - Season 6 Episode 16. "Eternal Flame" / "A Date with Burt" March 5, 1983. Eternal Flame: A couple are obsessed with finding the Fountain of Youth. Randi Oakes Diana Weston; Linwood Boomer Alex Weston.
- Barnaby Jones
(1980) - Season 8 Episode 14 “The Killing Point” Ursula
- Love boat
(1981) - Season 5 Episode 5 "Daddy's Little Girl", Marcy Crane.
- McCloud
(1975-1976) - Season 6 Episode 5 "Our Man In Harem" Margo
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Randi Oakes was there when the CHiPS fell"
.
Lakeland Ledger
. July 27, 1980
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
"Feminine Clothes Will Make A Come-Back"
.
Natchez News Leader
. Natchez, Mississippi. January 21, 1973. p. 15C
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Gilman, Kay (August 18, 1974).
"Sports Sex Symbols; Women of All Ages Are Tirned On by Pro Athletes--and Joe Namath Is No. 1"
.
Los Angeles Times
. p. C1
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Sasso, Joey (October 8, 1976).
"People"
.
Telegraph Herald
. p. 2
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Randi Oakes, Greg Harrison deny wedding bell rumors"
.
Lakeland Ledger
. December 24, 1980. p. 2A
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Buck, Jerry (July 6, 1980).
"Randi Oakes Stars As Officer"
.
Daytona Beach Morning Journal
. Associated Press. p. TV19
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Lane, Lydia (November 16, 1979).
"Only a Farmer's Daughter, But..."
Los Angeles Times
. p. F18
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
Randi Oakes' success story is an inspiring one. After two guest appearances on NBC's "CHiPs," she was invited to become a regular.
- ^
Maksian, George (May 19, 1982).
"Randi Oakes Dropped"
.
Toledo Blade
. Knight Ridder News Service. p. P4
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Wallace, David. People, vol. 20, no. 15, Oct. 1983, p. 137. EBSCOhost,
https://search-ebscohost-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=54140022&site=ehost-live
.
- ^
"Ark of triumph"
.
Ocala Star-Banner
. May 1, 1982. p. 62
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
"Stars Perform Circus Feats"
.
Mid-Cities Daily News
. November 30, 1984. p. TV3
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
"Judds Planning TV Pilot"
.
The Dallas Morning News
. November 16, 1986
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
Gregory Harrison says his wife, Randi Oakes, who played Officer Bonnie Clark on CHiPs, doesn't want to act anymore. 'She doesn't enjoy acting, has no interest in pursuing it. She just enjoys being a mother,' he says.
- ^
Rita Zekas, TORONTO S. "Gregory Harrison Goes from Gonzo to 'Sicko' Psycho." Toronto Star, 18 Oct 1992, pp. C2.
ProQuest
436710936
- ^
Mills, Nancy (March 8, 1985).
"Trapper's Sidekick Steps Out"
.
The Vancouver Sun
. Vancouver, British Columbia. p. TV42
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
"Harrison, Oakes are parents again"
.
Lewiston Journal
. Knight Ridder News Service. February 11, 1989. p. 6D
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Gelt, Gary (December 21, 1980).
"Actress finds bit of Iowa in Sherman Oaks; 'CHIPs' co-star loves seclusion"
.
Los Angeles Times
. p. L1
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Brady, James (February 25, 1990).
"In Step With: Gregory Harrison"
.
Parade
. p. 18
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Goldsborough, Bob (April 2, 2008).
"Actor Gregory Harrison and his retired actress wife, Randi Oakes, list their estate in southeast Oregon for $5.9M"
.
Big Time Listings
. Retrieved
December 3,
2011
.
- ^
Smith, Azenith (December 18, 2007).
"Hollywood actor speaks to area Rotarians"
. KCBY (CBS 11)
. Retrieved
November 30,
2011
.
- ^
Ryon, Ruth (March 30, 2008).
"Hot Property"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
December 1,
2011
.
External links
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]