Crystal Bernard Biography

Crystal Lynn Bernard (born September 30, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is known for her seven-year-long role on the sitcom Wings. While her main work has been on television, she has appeared in some films and has also pursued a music career.

Early life

Bernard was born in Garland, Texas. She was raised in a Southern Baptist home. Her father, Dr. Jerry Wayne Bernard, was a televangelist who traveled across the United States preaching and singing. She became an entertainer at a young age, singing gospel songs with her elder sister, Robyn, also an actress. One recording of the two that has survived from those years is a song called "The Monkey Song" (an objection to evolution), on Feudin' Fussin' and Frettin' recorded when Crystal was 8 years old, a recording of a 1972 Thomas Road Baptist Church service led by Jerry Falwell. She has two younger sisters, Scarlett and Angelique Bernard.

Bernard studied acting at Alley Theatre while growing up in Houston, Texas. She attended Spring High School and continued her education at Baylor University, and where she studied acting and international relations.

Career

Television

Bernard got her start in primetime television on the sitcom Happy Days, playing K.C. Cunningham during season 10 (1982-83). Then, after various guest appearances on other series, she joined the cast of the resurrected, syndicated version of the sitcom It"?s a Living, playing waitress Amy Tompkins. She played strong-willed airport lunch-counter operator Helen Chappel Hackett on the sitcom Wings for the series' entire eight-season duration (1990-97).

Film

Early in her film career, she appeared in Young Doctors in Love (1982), along with her Happy Days co-star Ted McGinley. She starred in Roger Corman's direct-to-video film Slumber Party Massacre 2 (1987).

In the 21st century, her work has included a role in the film Jackpot (2001) and starring roles in Welcome to Paradise (2007) and Grave Misconduct (2008).

In 1999, she starred in the television movie To Love, Honor and Betray opposite David Cubitt and James Brolin.

She has also starred in two Hallmark Channel movies, Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and its sequel, Meet the Santas.

In 1989, she starred in a television pilot, Chameleons, created by Glen A. Larson. She played Shelley, a self-proclaimed crazed heiress who discovers that her eccentric millionaire uncle Jason Carr has been murdered. She sets out on a quest to find the truth behind his murder.

Theatre

Bernard has appeared in these stage productions since the end of Wings:

• 1999: a Los Angeles production of Crimes of the Heart
• 2001: a 1999 Marquis Theatre revival of Annie Get Your Gun wherein she was the last in a series of actresses to play Annie Oakley
• 2005: the West Coast premiere of Barbra's Wedding starring opposite actor/playwright Daniel Stern in a production staged at Falcon Theatre in Burbank, California

Music

In addition to acting, Bernard has a music career as a singer-songwriter. Albums include The Girl Next Door (1996) and Don't Touch Me There (1999). The latter includes a gospel track she recorded with her father and one sung with country artist Billy Dean.

She co-wrote the song "If I Were Your Girl" with Rhett Lawrence, which appeared on Paula Abdul's album Head over Heels (1995).

Bernard sang a duet with Peter Cetera called "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight", released on Cetera's album One Clear Voice (1995).

She appeared in the video for the song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants.

She sang a duet with Jim Messina called "Watching the River Run".

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Young Doctors in Love	Julie
1987	Slumber Party Massacre II	Courtney Bates
1999	Gideon	Jean MacLemore
2001	Jackpot	Cheryl
2007	Welcome to Paradise	Debbie Laramie
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Gimme a Break!	Kelly	Episode: "Hot Muffins"
1982-83	Happy Days	K.C. Cunningham	16 episodes
1983	Fantasy Island	Ally Miller	Episode: "The Devil Stick/Touch and Go"
	High School U.S.A.	Anne-Marie Conklin	Movie
1983/85	The Love Boat	Wendy 'Minerva' Pryor / Susie Epshaw	2 episodes
1984	The Master	Carrie Brown	Episode: "State of the Union"
1985-89	It's a Living	Amy Tompkins	93 episodes
1989	My Two Dads	Liz Schaefer	Episode: "The Courtship of Nicole's Fathers"
	Paradise	Laura Clark	Episode: "A Proper Stranger"
	Chameleons	Shelly	Movie
1990	Without Her Consent	Marty	Movie
	When Will I Be Loved?	Julie Weston	Movie
1990-97	Wings	Helen Chappell	172 episodes
1992	Lady Against the Odds	Dol Bonner	Movie
1993	Miracle Child	Lisa Porter	Movie
1994	Siringo	Kaitlin Mullane	Movie
1995	As Good as Dead	Susan Warfield	Movie
1996	Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pea Story	Ellen Hart Pea	Movie
1999	The Secret Path	Marie Foley	Movie
	A Face to Kill for	Allison Bevens	Movie
	To Love, Honor and Betray	Melissa Brennan	Movie
2003	According to Jim	Lisa Christie	Episode: "The Ring"
2004	Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus	Beth Sawtelle	Hallmark Channel movie
2005	Meet the Santas	Beth Sawtelle	Hallmark Channel movie
2007	Welcome to Paradise	Debbie Laramie	Movie
2008	Grave Misconduct	Julia London	Movie

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US Heat
Girl Next Door	Release date: October 29, 1996 Label: River North	47	36
Don't Touch Me There	Release date: February 2, 1999 Label: River North	"?	"?
""?" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions			Album
		US Country	US AC	US Pop
1995	"(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight" (with Peter Cetera)"	"?	22	86	One Clear Voice (Cetera)
1996	"Have We Forgotten What Love Is"	56	"?	"?	Girl Next Door
1997	"State of Mind"	70	"?	"?
	"You're Gonna Miss a Whole Lotta Love"	"?	"?	"?
1999	"Don't Touch Me There"	"?	25	"?	Don't Touch Me There
	"Hey"	"?	"?	"?
""?" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
1996	"Have We Forgotten What Love Is"	Steven R. Monroe
1997	"State of Mind"
1999	"Hey"