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Cindy Morgan

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This article is about the American actress. For the singer/songwriter, see Cindy Morgan (singer).

Cindy Morgan
Morgan in 2012
Born
Cynthia Ann Cichorski

(1954-09-29)September 29, 1954
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Diedc. December 30, 2023(2023-12-30) (aged 69)
Lake Worth Beach, Florida, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1979–2022
Websitehttp://www.cindy-morgan.com/

Cynthia Ann Cichorski (September 29, 1954 – c. December 30, 2023), known professionally as Cindy Morgan, was an American actress best known for playing Lora/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.[1][2][3][4]

Life and career

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She was born as Cynthia Ann Cichorski on September 29, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents of Polish and German descent.[5] Since her parents survived from the Nazi invasion of Poland during and after World War II and with immigration to the United States, Morgan attended 12 years of Catholic school, and then studied communications at Northern Illinois University, where she was a DJ on the campus radio station.[6] A commercial station in town invited her to report the news for them and she adopted the last name Morgan, from a story she had read about Morgan le Fay when she was 12 years old.[6]

After graduation, Morgan worked at a television station in Rockford, Illinois, where she was a "weather girl". She kept her hand in radio by working the graveyard shift at a local rock station. She returned to Chicago and deejayed on WSDM, until quitting on air during a labor dispute at the station.[7]

Morgan then worked for Fiat Automobiles. She moved to Los Angeles in 1978, and became as an Irish Spring girl in advertisements, while attending acting schools and workshops.[citation needed]

Morgan landed her first screen role in the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, playing the role of sexy bombshell Lacey Underall.[8] In a 2012 interview, Morgan said of the role: "Caddyshack was my first film and I'll say that the end product was so completely different, it was originally about the caddies. So at first, I had nothing to lose to audition. It was fun. All I did was focus on making the person sweat. Look 'em in the eye, do that thing many women know how to ..."[9]

Morgan appeared in the 1982 hit Tron, the first computer-generated film. She played two characters: Lora, a computer programmer in the "real" world, and Yori, her alter-ego in the film's computer-generated flights of imagination.[10]

Morgan has multiple television and film credits, including portraying two roles on the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest, Lori Chapman in season one and Gabrielle Short in seasons six and seven. Morgan also played two characters, in two episodes, on the television series Matlock. Her other credits include guest and minor appearances on The Larry Sanders Show, Amazing Stories, CHiPs, and a co-starring role on Bring 'Em Back Alive.

Morgan was an associate producer on five films produced by Larry Estes.

According to the documentary Caddyshack: The Inside Story, as of 2009, Morgan was a resident of Florida and working on a book about her experiences during the making of Caddyshack, to be called From Catholic School to Caddyshack.[7]

Cindy Morgan at Phoenix Comicon in May 2013, promoting Tron

Morgan did not participate in the making of Tron: Legacy, the 2010 sequel to the 1982 film, nor does she appear in any of the retrospective materials produced in conjunction with the sequel for use in a DVD/Blu-ray reissue of the film in 2011. She did reunite with her costar Bruce Boxleitner in character as Lora, in a mock news conference on April 2, 2010, promoting the release of Tron: Legacy.[11]

Charitable works

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Morgan, whose father fought in Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II, was passionate about supporting the United States military and helping to alleviate the financial hardship felt by those who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She was director of the Caddyshack Reunion Golf Tournament in 2006, which reunited some of the cast of Caddyshack (Morgan included), along with other celebrities. Subtitled "Playing for the Home Team" and hosted at Willow Crest Golf Club in Oak Brook, Illinois, the tournament raised funds (and awareness) to benefit the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, an organization that helps the families of National Guard members and reservists on active duty.

Voice acting

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Morgan voiced Ma3a in Buena Vista Interactive's PC game Tron 2.0 in 2003.[12]

Death

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Morgan was found dead from natural causes at her home in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, on December 30, 2023, at the age of 69.[13] She had last been seen alive on December 19,[14] and had made a final social media post on her personal Facebook page on December 25, 2023.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1979 Up Yours (aka Up Your Ladder) Elaine
1980 Caddyshack Lacey Underall [16][17]
1982 Tron Lora/Yori [18]
1985 The Midnight Hour Vicky Jensen Television movie [1]
1995 Galaxis Detective Kelly
1995 Dead Weekend Newscaster Television movie [1]
1995 Amanda & the Alien Holly Hoedown Television movie [1]
1995 Out There Judith Davis Television movie [1]
2006 Open Mic'rs Cindy Morgan
2009 Summer Waters Mrs. Leeds Short film
2011 Empty Sky Donna Pershing Short film
2016 The Seventh Year Wanda Platt Pre-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 The Love Boat Tracy Cotts Episode: "Clothes Make the Girl"
1981 CHiPs Jennifer 2 episodes
1981 Vegas Margie Jenkins Episode: "Time Bomb"
1981 CHiPs Melanie Mitchell Episode: "Mitchell & Woods"
1982–1983 Bring 'Em Back Alive Gloria Marlowe 12 episodes [19][1]
1982 Falcon Crest Lori Episode: "For Love or Money"
1984 Masquerade — Episode: "Flashpoint"
1984 Hawaiian Heat Sharon Episode: "Picture Imperfect"
1986 The Fall Guy Zoe LeRoy Episode: "No Rms Ocean Vu"
1986 Tough Cookies Maggie Episode: "The Unfantasy"
1986 Crazy Like a Fox — Episode: "The Duke Is Dead"
1986 Amazing Stories Beth Episode: "Hell Toupee"
1987–1988 Falcon Crest Gabrielle Short 15 episodes
1987 Hunter Carol Benson Episode: "Hot Prowl"
1987 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Laura Wells Episode: "The Return of the Shaggy Dog" [1]
1987 Beverly Hills Buntz Randy Episode: "Sid and Randy"
1988 Matlock Jessie Martin Episode: "The Lemon"
1988 The Highwayman Mink Episode: "The Billionaire Body Club"
1988 She's the Sheriff Samantha Episode: "Max's Ten"
1989 Matlock Linda Hansfield 2 episodes
1990 Mancuso, FBI Amanda Episode: "Adamant Eve"
1991 Hunter Paula Allen Episode: "Room Service"
1992 Harry and the Hendersons Julia Episode: "The Green Eyed Bigfoot"
1992 The Larry Sanders Show Karen Jackson Episode: "The Promise"
1994 Under Suspicion Laura Brian Episode: "Father/Daughter Murder" [1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Cindy Morgan - About This Person - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. July 10, 2012. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Rose, Steve (July 5, 2022). "'Frankly it blew my mind': how Tron changed cinema – and predicted the future of tech". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  3. ^ "SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE REVOLUTIONIZING FILM". The New York Times. July 4, 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Canby, Vincent (July 25, 1980). "'CADDYSHACK,' 'ANIMAL HOUSE' SPINOFF". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  5. ^ Thomas, Carly. "Cindy Morgan, 'Caddyshack' and 'Tron' Actress, Dies at 69". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Starlog". Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "In appreciation: Cindy Morgan, almost famous, never a pushover, was forever Lacey Underall in 'Caddyshack'". Chicago Tribune. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  8. ^ The New York Times "Caddyshack (1980) 'CADDYSHACK,' 'ANIMAL HOUSE' SPINOFF review at The New York Times
  9. ^ "DeskofBrian.com interview, 2012". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ Maslin, Janet (July 9, 1982). "DISNEY 'TRON'". Nytimes.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Tron Press Conference: Helicopter Stunts, Protesters And Bruce Boxleitner!". Gizmodo.com. April 3, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Sociallitelife.com". Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  13. ^ "'Caddyshack' & 'Tron' Star Cindy Morgan Dead at 69, Roommate Called Cops". TMZ. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  14. ^ "'Caddyshack' star Cindy Morgan dead at 69". United Press International. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Actress Cindy Morgan, of 'Caddyshack' and 'Tron' fame, dies at her LWB home
  16. ^ "BBC One - Caddyshack". BBC. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  17. ^ "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. May 28, 1984. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Maslin, Janet (July 9, 1982). "DISNEY 'TRON'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  19. ^ Costantinou, Marianne (September 19, 1982). "TELEVISION WEEK". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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