Even though she had acted as a child and appeared briefly in the George Lucas classic, American Graffiti, it was her first major role in the film, Breezy, that put Kay Lenz on the map. It's a star making performance, but this interesting little film about love and loneliness never quite caught on with the critics or public.
Had Breezy been more successful it could have sky rocketed Kay Lenz to instant fame. Instead it left her to fend for herself in a sea of mediocre made-for-television movies and episodic TV.
She has managed to land a few mainstream film roles in between her many television gigs like House and Death Wish 4, but unfortunately some of her her best work is in movies few people have seen, like Fast-Walking, A Gun, A Car, A Blonde and the aforementioned Breezy.
She is still working today and if you should happen to catch her name in the credits, it will be worth your time to watch whatever she's in, as she has the ability to turn an average show into a good one. Kay Lenz is a heavyweight performer with a lightweight resume and under different circumstances she would not be featured in this blog.
Had Breezy been more successful it could have sky rocketed Kay Lenz to instant fame. Instead it left her to fend for herself in a sea of mediocre made-for-television movies and episodic TV.
She has managed to land a few mainstream film roles in between her many television gigs like House and Death Wish 4, but unfortunately some of her her best work is in movies few people have seen, like Fast-Walking, A Gun, A Car, A Blonde and the aforementioned Breezy.
She is still working today and if you should happen to catch her name in the credits, it will be worth your time to watch whatever she's in, as she has the ability to turn an average show into a good one. Kay Lenz is a heavyweight performer with a lightweight resume and under different circumstances she would not be featured in this blog.
Thanks Mike. It's amazing how some of these actors and actresses were heralded as up and coming stars in their earlier careers and were seen in films and in constant TV exposure for a few years and then sort of dropped out of sight. Then years later when you look them up on IMDb to see what happened to them you see they've been working steadily for all this time. Karen Valentine is another actress that comes to mind. She and Kay were seen all over the place back in the '70s and then disappeared only to show up in direct to video or DVD releases or unrecognizable parts in smaller films.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Tom. Kay Lenz and Karen Valentine are two of those actors that many people may have heard of, but only a few can actually name some of their movies.
DeleteKay is superb in the cute Corman-produced STRIPPED TO KILL, alongside another ´quasi´-star, Greg Evigan.
DeleteYour blog absolutely rules, Mike...I mean that with all my heart.
And she was married to David Cassidy
ReplyDeleteBreezy has been one of my favorite movies since the '70s I'm watching it right now as I type. Remember Kay from the Rod Stewart video for "Infatuation"?
ReplyDeleteat that time she was eastwood's girl friend
DeleteBeing around the same age, I remember her distinct voice, look and presence in TV shows throughout my life, blending in, yet unique. I recently caught a key yet brief performance in Bones Season 9 episode 13, where this individual was embodying a rock star promoter, with textured brilliance, very subtle force. It got under my skin that I "knew" this individual and just had to retrieve her name from years ago. Digging, digging, digging, there she was, Kay Lenz, a named in my archive memory. BRAVO!, ALWAYS delivering an interesting performance.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great and smart idea for a blog, is it Mike?
Kay is an excellent actress..she is a star !!!!
ReplyDeleteHollywood is not kind to women over 40! And, mostly, nowadays over 35! It's a crying shame! However, when you speak about Kay Lenz, she does not have a light weight resume! Yes, she did a bunch of crappy TV shows and movies-of-the-week, but that's what was available then. The point is: She kept working! If you've ever been in showbiz, to be a "working" actor is a HUGE accomplishment.I It's a crap shoot and women have it the worst. Once you're over a certain age, no matter how talented you are, they don't want you. A real pity! In England it's not so bad, but here it's a horrible tragedy to lose so many talented women who are just hitting their stride. Kay Lenz won two Emmys and a Golden Globe. How many people can say that!
ReplyDeleteShe's still red fucking hot.
ReplyDeleteHot for sure I thought she was the hottest woman in Hollywiid
DeleteHere's some more on Kay:
ReplyDeletehttp://bmoviebabes.blogspot.com/2014/11/99-kay-lenz.html
Thanks for the info Cliff.
ReplyDeleteShe was everywhere in the mid to late 70's and I remember having seen her in 'Breezy' on TV back then. I somehow ran across the film on youtube the other day, watched it, and was all of a sudden mesmerized by her naturally believable performance in a very good film that somehow didn't take off. I've watched it again twice since. Lenz is a woman who at 19 clearly already had the goods - and why her career didn't end up stratospheric is beyond me too. But she's been able to make a life long living acting - something few can boast of. An she's still a dish!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I've watched Breezy. I'll have to check it out again. Every time I watch that film she mesmerizes me as well.
DeleteAlways very beautiful...
ReplyDeleteYou forgot about her amazing appearance in Rich Man Poor Man which made Nick Nolte a star released in 1976 and the last couple episodes she played his girlfriend where they found her in Paris actually Cannes and brought her aboard Toma's charter vessel, and she plays the rest of the series as Tom's Jordasce/Jordans love interest then girlfriend and then gets pregnant with his child. She was phenomenal with a great body really interesting face. Always loved her and I caught her on an episode of NCIS probably season 9-1 Cote de Pablo is still there. I hope she keeps working! Kay; you're still a hottie... I'd take you sailing any day. And I remember Breezy and everything she ended up being on. She was one of those faces you could never forget and she had such a small part in the NCIS gig it kind of blew me away. One of those girls from the seventies that I've had a crush on since high school . Blessings and praises!!! Some people still remember... xo Gregg Greenwich, Ct.
ReplyDeleteKay Ann Lenz IS the most beautiful woman in the world ever period!
ReplyDeleteno other woman makes me feel this way, i physically shake in my upper body, my heart bounces all around my chest at mach 7
id still marry her in 2017/18
You missed one of the bigger movies she was in, White Line Fever, where she co-starred with Jan Michael Vincent.
ReplyDeleteI recently saw a Streets of San Francisco with he in it. She was great and I wondered what where she went.
ReplyDelete