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Veronica Hamel

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Veronica Hamel
Hamel as Joyce Davenport on Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)
Born (1943-11-20) November 20, 1943 (age 81)
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active1971–2010
Spouse
(m. 1971; div. 1981)
[1][2]

Veronica Hamel (born November 20, 1943) is an American actress and model.[3] She was nominated five times for an Emmy Award for her role as attorney Joyce Davenport in the TV police drama Hill Street Blues.[4]

Biography

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The daughter of a Philadelphia carpenter and a housewife, Hamel graduated from Temple University. She worked as a secretary for a company that manufactured ironing board covers. She began a fashion modeling career after being discovered by Eileen Ford. In her first film role, she played a model in 1971's Klute, followed by roles in the disaster films Beyond the Poseidon Adventure and When Time Ran Out.

She was the model in the last[5] cigarette commercial televised in the U.S. (for Virginia Slims, aired at 11:59 pm on January 1, 1971, on The Tonight Show).[6] Hamel had been a model in print advertisements, not just for Slims, but also for Pall Mall Gold cigarettes.[7]

Hamel started appearing in TV series in 1975. She was considered for the role of Kelly Garrett on Charlie's Angels, but reportedly declined the role. Producer Aaron Spelling cast Jaclyn Smith, instead. Hamel is best remembered for playing Joyce Davenport, the dedicated public defender, who also happened to be the love interest of police captain Frank Furillo, on the long-running TV series Hill Street Blues from 1981-87. She was a five-time Emmy nominee for that role.[3]

Alan Alda's 1988 film A New Life cast Hamel in a leading role as his doctor and love interest. She was cast as Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Grodin's character in the movie Taking Care of Business in 1990. She was named on Us magazine's "Best Dressed" list for 1983.[citation needed]

In 2002, she also appeared on Hill Street Blues creator Steven Bochco's legal drama Philly. In the late 2000s, Hamel had a recurring role in the NBC television series Third Watch and appeared as Margo Shephard, Jack's mother, in the ABC series Lost.[8]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 Klute Model Uncredited
1976 Cannonball Linda Maxwell
1976 Apple Pie Artist
1979 Beyond the Poseidon Adventure Suzanne Constantine
1980 When Time Ran Out Nikki Spangler
1988 A New Life Kay Hutton
1990 Taking Care of Business Elizabeth Barnes
1998 The Last Leprechaun Laura Duvann
2002 Determination of Death Virginia 'Ginny' Halloran

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1975 Kojak Elenora "How Cruel the Frost, How Bright the Stars"
1976 The Bob Newhart Show Rosemary "Peeper Two"
1976 Switch Nabilla "Round Up the Usual Suspects"
1976 Starsky & Hutch Marianne Tustin "Tap Dancing Her Way Right Back into Your Hearts"
1976 The Rockford Files Sandy Lederer / Marcy Brownell "A Bad Deal in the Valley", "Return to the 38th Parallel"
1977 Family Vicki Webber "Change of Heart"
1977 79 Park Avenue Laura Koshko TV miniseries
1977 The Gathering Helen TV film
1978 Starsky & Hutch Vanessa "Hutchinson for Murder One"
1978 Ski Lift to Death Andrea Mason TV film
1978 The Eddie Capra Mysteries Janet Wilde "The Intimate Friends of Janet Wilde"
1979 Dallas Leanne Rees "Call Girl"
1979 The Gathering, Part II Helen TV film
1980 Eischied Shannon Marshall "Powder Burn"
1980 The Hustler of Muscle Beach Sheila Dodge TV film
1981 Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls Jennifer North TV film
1981–1987 Hill Street Blues Joyce Davenport Main role
1983 Sessions Lee / Randy Churchill TV film
1985 Kane & Abel Kate Kane TV miniseries
1989 Twist of Fate Deborah "Part II"
1990 She Said No Elizabeth 'Beth' Early TV film
1991 Stop at Nothing Nettie Forbes TV film
1991 Deadly Medicine Kathleen Holland TV film
1992 Baby Snatcher Bianca Hudson TV film
1993 The Disappearance of Nora Nora Freemont TV film
1993 The Conviction of Kitty Dodds Kitty Dodds TV film
1994 Stalker: Shadow of Obsession Rebecca Kendall TV film
1994 A Child's Cry for Help Dr. Paula Spencer TV film
1995 Secrets Etta Berter TV film
1995 Here Come the Munsters Lily Munster TV film
1996 In the Blink of an Eye Micki Dickoff TV film
1996 Talk to Me Sadie TV film
1997 Home Invasion Georgia Patchett TV film
1997 Stranger in My Home Jennifer TV film
1998 Touched by an Angel Judge Dolores Chaphin "The Wind Beneath My Wings"
2001 The Division Myrna Roberts "Mother's Day"
2001 The Fugitive Dr. Diana Thayer "Flesh and Blood"
2001–02 Philly Judge Marjorie Brennan Recurring role
2002–03 Third Watch Beth Taylor "Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Days", "The Price of Nobility", "My Opening Farewell"
2004–2010 Lost Margo Shephard "White Rabbit", "There's No Place Like Home: Part 1", "Lighthouse"
2008 Bone Eater Commissioner Hayes TV film

References

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  1. ^ "1981 Press Photo Actress Veronica Hamel and Actor Michael Irving". Historic Images. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "HILL STREET BLUES -- "Blood Money" Episode 202 -- Pictured: (l-r) Michael Irving as Lance, Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport -- (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)". Getty Images. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Veronica Hamel- Biography". Yahoo!. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  4. ^ Gritten, David (February 22, 1982). "'Hill Street Blues', the cop show that couldn't get arrested, hits with a sexy trio". People. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  5. ^ Vesperae Lux (March 20, 2009). "January 1, 1971: Virginia Slims Cigarettes U.S. Television Commercial 16 / 1968-1971". Internet Archive. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  6. ^ Hilliard, Robert L.; Keith, Michael C. (2010). The Broadcast Century and Beyond (5th ed.). Focal Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-240-81236-6. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ wclynx.com Archived March 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ ""Lost": Episode 12, "There's No Place Like Home," Part 1". Variety. May 16, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
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