SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 23 – Our Interview with Catherine Hicks from Star Trek: The Voyage Home

SciFi Diner Classic Ep. 23 Our Interview with Catherine Hicks from Star Trek: The Voyage Home Shore Leave 32  

In our twenty-third episode of the SciFi Diner Classic, we interview actor interview Catherine Hicks from Star Trek: The Voyage Home. Since we do a news and interview show, it goes without saying that the news portion of our episodes often date themselves fast. And while the interviews with the people that make Science Fiction happen remain relevant and in our opinion important, most listeners will not listen back 100 episodes and wade through old news just to get to the interview. So what the SciFi Diner Classic aims to do is to share these interviews with you. If you have been with us from the beginning, then bear with us as we introduce some of our newer listeners to voices from the past. We're bringing you just the interview and nothing else.

Hicks was born in New York City, the daughter of Jackie, a homemaker, and Walter Hicks, an electronics salesman.She has Irish and English ancestry. Her family moved toScottsdale, Arizona during her childhood. She was a cheerleader at Gerard Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona and a member of The National Honor Society (NHS). She graduated in 1969. After attending Saint Mary's College (Indiana), where she studied English Literature and Theology, Hicks won a prestigious acting fellowship to Cornell University. While at Cornell, she was a member of the Ithaca Repertory Theater Company.

After graduating from Cornell University with a Masters of Fine Arts degree, Hicks headed to New York in August 1976, where she immediately got work in television commercials. Two weeks after arriving in New York, she landed her first major TV role as the newly recovered pediatrician Dr. Faith Coleridge #3 on ABC soap opera, Ryan's Hope. A year and half later, she left her role on Ryan's Hope when she was cast to star alongside Jack Lemmon (as Scottie) in Bernard Slade's 1978 Broadway play, Tribute,[7] in which she played the young model Sally Haines, who Scottie sets up with his estranged son (Robert Picardo). That same year, she starred as Valerie in the CBS TV movie and TV series pilot called Sparrow.

When Tribute ended, Hicks moved to California and co-starred on the 1979–80 CBS sitcom, The Bad News Bears as junior high school principal and psychologist, Dr. Emily Rappant. She had roles in a few TV movies, playing an escort, Annie, in ABC's Love For Rent (1979), and as Beth, a camp counselor in CBS's 1980 film To Race the Wind, based on the Harold Krents' autobiography.

In 1980, Hicks beat out hundreds of actresses for the lead role of Marilyn Monroe in ABC's $3.5 million dollar production, Marilyn: The Untold Story, based on the Norman Mailer best seller. She earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-series or Movie for her portrayal of the legendary star.

In 1981, Hicks starred in CBS's remake of Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls, as Ann Wells, an entertainment lawyer, and James Corburn's protege. She made her feature film debut in the 1982 comedy Better Late Than Never. That same year, she starred as Peter Billingsley's mom, Sally, in the thriller, Death Valley.

She took the lead role as Amanda Tucker in the 12-episode detective series Tucker's Witch opposite Tim Matheson as Rick Tucker. The program aired on CBS from October 6, 1982, sporadically into August, 1983. In 1983, she played Lisa Sage and co-starred with John Schneider in CBS's romantic comedy movie, Happy Endings.

In Sidney Lumet's 1984 film, Garbo Talks, Hicks was aspiring-actress Jane Mortimer. Hicks also played Bill Murray's socialite finacee, Isabel, in the 1984 remake of The Razor's Edge. For her work in 1986'sStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Hicks received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she played Carol Heath in Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married. In 1987's Like Father Like Son, Hicks played Dr. Amy Larkin.

In 1988, she played businesswoman Ella Frazier in a Yugoslavian comedy Tajna manastirske rakije (also released under the titles Cognac and Secret Ingredient). Hicks co-starred with Christopher Plummer, as his estranged daughter, Tina Boyer, in the Showtime movie channel's 1988 movie, Souvenir. She played Karen Barclay in the 1988 horror film, Child's Play. Her performance won her a 1988 Best Actress Saturn Award. In 1989, she starred opposite Tony Danza in She's Out of Control, as his girlfriend, Janet Pearson.

In 1991, She co-starred in the FOX-TV comedy-fantasy movie, Hi Honey - I'm Dead as Carol Stadler. She played Allison Ploutzer in the 1992, Jeff Franklin ABC comedy pilot, Up To No Good.  She starred with John Bedford Lloyd in the 1993 ABC comedy pilot, The Circle Game as the mother, and schoolteacher, Nancy.  Catherine played Julia Riordan, opposite John Lithgow and Lea Salonga, in the 1995 ABC Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Redwood Curtain.

In 1996, she was cast as Annie Camden on The WB's family drama 7th Heaven. In 1997, Hicks played flight attendant, Maggie, one of Ray Liotta's victims in Turbulence. The same year, Hicks played next door neighbor, Ms. Lewis, in Michael Davis' coming-of-age film, Eight Days a Week.

In 2008, Hicks also starred in the Lifetime channel's movie Poison Ivy: The Secret Society as Dean Elisabeth Graves. Also in the 2009 Lifetime Movie Network film, Stranger with My Face, she played the widowed mother Shelley Stratton. She plays Mom in the 2009 independent short film You're a Wolf, co-starring with Michael Gross and Jesse Bradford. Hicks is featured in My Name Is Jerry, an independent film shot mostly in Muncie, Indiana. Hicks won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role from the 2009 International Filmmakers Festival for her portrayal as Dana.

In 2010, Hicks received positive reviews for her role as Hildegarde, in playwright Christopher Durang's Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood. She was Texas family court Judge Harriet Krammer in the 2011 Hallmark Channel movie, A Valentine's Date, (which was also released under the video title Your Love Never Fails). She played Jean in the 2011 Lifetime Movie Network movie, Borderline Murder. Hicks co-starred as Anna Walker in the 2011 Walmart and Procter & Gamble Family Movie Night drama on NBC called Game Time: Tackling the Past with Beau Bridges and Ryan McPartlin. Catherine joined actors Noah Wyle, Virginia Madsen, Mike Farrell, and others, in a September, 2011 reading of Windows on the World, by Colette Keen, at Hollywood's Stella Adler Theatre, commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. In November 2011, she starred as Irene Livingston in the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada's Las Vegas production of the Moss Hart play Light Up the Sky. Hicks played Ellen in the 2011 Hallmark Channel movie A Christmas Wedding Tail.

In May, 2012, Hicks played Annette Bramble in the Lifetime Network movie Shadow of Fear. Also in May, 2012, and into June, she performed in the play Princess, in The Blank Theatre Company's 20th Annual Young Playwrights Festival at The Stella Adler Theatre.