Mary Crosby is best remembered by viewers of classic television for the role of Kristin Shepard on Dallas; Kristin Shepard is perhaps one of primetime television's most unforgettable characters. Crosby's name preceded any appearance she made thanks to her connection with her father, Bing Crosby, who was perhaps one of the most famous singers of all time. But Crosby has her own legacy apart from her family, and that is of being a star of television shows that were full of drama.
Biography of Mary Crosby
Mary Elizabeth Crosby was born on September 14, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, where she grew up. Crosby came from an entertainer family whose members were all quite accomplished in their fields - her mother Kathryn Crosby was a movie and theater actress. So for Mary Crosby there was no escape from watching entertainment stars develop their craft. And as an adult Crosby has proven to have a knack for it herself.
Growing up in the spotlight may prove to be tough; it means there is less leeway to develop as an actor. Yet in Crosby's case that challenge seemed overcome successfully, because despite growing up in such an environment, she eventually managed to achieve a status on her own merits, not just through connections.
Career beginnings
In Crosby's young life there was an opportunity to get used to screen appearances - her first one was as a newborn baby in a film with another well-known Hollywood star, Cary Grant. She started to perform in minor acting jobs quite young; by the late sixties, her acting experience included a few roles in commercials and other similar parts that did not demand much acting skill. Yet those experiences certainly helped her hone those very skills.
By the time her career started, she had gained something else crucial: the ability to carry a scene - an attribute that made her a good fit for any acting job on a TV drama show. With a proper style, timing and ability to play complicated and intriguing characters, Crosby proved to be quite a promising actress.
Career as a television drama actress
Crosby started appearing in small TV and film roles in 1976. The first truly breakthrough part came to the actress two years later when she joined Dallas as Kristin Shepard - one of the recurring roles in the hit television show. By joining Dallas, Mary Crosby stepped onto the threshold of stardom - in 1979, Dallas was arguably the most watched program of all.
The reason for its success lay in its plot - Dallas was based on the story of the wealthy but contentious Ewing family living in Texas. Among the characters was Kristin Shepard, whom Crosby portrayed; she was quite popular with viewers.
That character gained immense popularity when, in 1980, the writers constructed one of TV series' most memorable story arcs around the character Kristin Shepard; namely, who had shot the main character, J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman).
This made Mary Crosby one of the key personalities of Dallas. And although the storyline was solved quite quickly, the name of actress Mary Crosby remained quite popular among viewers as well.
In her portrayal Crosby managed to present a complex image of a vulnerable person who would not hesitate to commit the most outrageous deeds when necessary. It is precisely this complexity of image, as well as its memorability, that ensured the actress lasting fame, especially given the fact that this part was featured in quite an influential show.
The Dallas part cemented the actress's screen reputation as a performer who could cope with any acting situation thrown her way. This is quite important for a show such as Dallas, which relied on performers who could perform melodramas credibly.
Career after Dallas
In 1980 Mary Crosby appeared in her first feature role - in film The Big Brawl; an action movie that revolved around martial arts fights. Later Crosby also worked in several different projects of that kind as well as performed in several minor TV roles. She performed in a number of films; however, all of them are mostly remembered because she starred in them and usually did so successfully.
As a result of the actress having starred in such an iconic part as Kristin Shepard, it became difficult for her to perform in some other type of roles as her public persona and image as a talented soap opera performer were firmly planted in viewers' memories.
So to continue her screen career successfully, Mary Crosby needed to keep performing in a variety of genres, and she did.
Mary Crosby today
Mary Crosby belongs to that generation of female performers who brought to TV melodrama a good deal of talent and personality of their own, thus making such genre really popular among viewers in its prime-time incarnation.