"You can never be too rich or too thin." This elegant lady defined
the TV version of the rich, sophisticated businesswoman who knows
what she wants, and will do whatever it takes to get it. She was
born Patsy Ann McClenny on February 3, 1950, in Dallas, Texas. A
native of Dallas, Morgan began acting as a child, when her mother
enrolled her in drama lessons after she was too shy to give a book
report in class. From the age of 10, she performed in children's
plays. Later she would do dinner theatre and stock productions in
Dallas. She chose Morgan as a stage name. In 1973, Morgan decided
to pursue a career in television; just 6 weeks after moving to New
York she landed the key role of Jennifer in the daytime series
"Search For Tomorrow"; she stayed on until 1977. Morgan moved to
Los Angeles, where in 1978 she originated the role of Jenna Wade on
the wildly popular nighttime soap "Dallas" (Jenna would later be
portrayed by Priscilla Presley). Morgan made numerous guest
appearances on TV series. Morgan landed the key role of Constance
Semple in "Flamingo Road" in 1980, and she was nominated for a
Golden Globe for Best Actress; that was her breakout show that
propelled her to stardom. In 1981, Morgan tried her hand at science
fiction in the TV-movie "The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite" in
which a stopwatch could stop time (this was an uncredited swipe
from the 1963 "Twilight Zone" episode: "A Kind of Stop Watch").
Morgan continued to perform in live theatre, her acclaimed
portrayal of Skye in the off-Broadway comedy "Geniuses" helped make
it one of the "Top Ten Plays" of the year according to Time
Magazine and the New York Times. Other stage appearances have
included productions of "Good-bye Charlie" and "Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes." On TV she played the naughty Racine in the series "Paper
Dolls" in 1984. Later, Morgan starred in the TV series "Falcon
Crest" from 1985-86, having made a niche for herself playing
ambitious beauties. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for a
special episode of "Murphy Brown." Morgan has shared some of her
beauty secrets by authoring the book "Super Looks, " which is a
complete guide that includes makeup, exercise and diet tips. Morgan
is a member of the Entertainment Industry AIDS Task Force. She is
an active speaker on environmental issues of all kinds, and helped
found the Environmental Communications Office, which encourages
entertainment industry professionals to become better educated and
more active on environmental issues. Onscreen, Morgan has movie
projects lined up for 2000 and beyond. Offscreen, Morgan is a
collector of movie memorabilia (particularly anything about Marilyn
Monroe) and antique clothing. She is a ballet fan and is also
interested in anthropology and paleontology; Morgan is truly a
brainy beauty.
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