Christina Pickles Biography

Fast Facts

• Studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the age of 15, with fellow students like Peter O'Toole and Brian Bedford
• Appeared in a number of commercials in the 1960s for brands like Joy, Stove-Top Stuffing, and Glad
• Her big break came when she was cast in the lead role of "The Way of the World," even though she had auditioned for the maid
• Went with a boyfriend to his audition for John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" in 1961; she was cast but her boyfriend wasn't
• Quote: "Each play I do seems more difficult than the last one․․․But I'm endlessly fascinated by the process and I couldn't do anything else․ It gets harder because․․․you have some idea of the heights you should be reaching․ And you're always falling short․"
• Quote: "You can't really exist in Hollywood by doing guest shots․ You have to have a series in order to be able to survive․ That has only a certain life span, and then you hope you'll get another one․ It's a precarious living․"
• Best known for her role as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in "St․ Elsewhere," as Linell Conway in "Guiding Light," and as Judy Geller in "Friends․"
• Has appeared in a number of Broadway plays, including "Who's Who in Hell," "Hamlet," and "The Misanthrope․"