Helen Reddy - Film, Theatre and Television

Film, Theatre and Television

A frequent guest on talk shows and variety programs of the 1970s and early 1980s – with credits including The Bobby Darin Show, The Carol Burnett Show and The Muppet Show – Reddy helmed the 1973 summer replacement series for The Flip Wilson Show (Reddy had become friends with Flip Wilson when she'd worked the Chicago club circuit early in her career); the series, The Helen Reddy Show, provided early national exposure for Albert Brooks and the Pointer Sisters. Also in 1973, Reddy became the semi-regular host of the NBC late night variety show The Midnight Special, a position she retained until 1975.

Her film career includes an extended cameo as a nun in Airport 1975 – singing her own composition "Best Friend" – and a lone starring role in Walt Disney's Pete's Dragon, introducing the Oscar-nominated song "Candle on the Water". For her part in Airport 1975, Reddy was nominated for a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Reddy was one of many musical stars featured in the all-star chorale in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and has since played cameo roles in the films Disorderlies (1987) and The Perfect Host (2010).

Despite her late 1970s chart decline, Reddy still had sufficient star power in 1979 to host "The Helen Reddy Special" broadcast that May, on ABC-TV; Jeff Wald was the producer. In September 1981, Reddy announced she would be shooting the pilot for her own TV sitcom, in which she would play a single mother working as a lounge singer in Lake Tahoe. However, this project was abandoned. Reddy has been an occasional television guest star as an actress, appearing on the series The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Jeffersons (as herself), Diagnosis: Murder, and BeastMaster.

In 2007, Reddy had a voice cameo as herself in the Family Guy television show's Star Wars parody, "Blue Harvest". She played a 'red'-themed ('Red'-dy) member of the Red Squadron, alongside Red Five (Chris Griffin), Red Buttons, Redd Foxx, Big Red, Red October, Simply Red and others. In 2010 she guest starred on Family Guy again singing the opening theme song for the show's fictional Channel 5 News telecast.

In the mid-1980s, Reddy embarked on a new career in the theatre. Reddy mostly worked in musicals including Anything Goes, Call Me Madam, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and – both on Broadway and the West End – Blood Brothers. She also appeared in four productions of the one-woman show Shirley Valentine.

Notable stage roles include:

• Shirley Valentine – as Shirley
  • Stage West, Canada (June, 1997)
  • 12 U.S. City Tour (February – April 1996)
  • Theatre by the Sea, R.I. (1995)

• Blood Brothers – as Mrs. Johnstone
  • West End (1997)
  • Music Box Theatre, Broadway (January – May 1995)
  • Empire Theatre, Liverpool (1995)

• Love, Julie – as Gail Sinclair
  • Sharon Stage, Connecticut (August, 1996)
  • Cape Cod (July 1996)
  • Westport Country Playhouse (June 1996)

• The Mystery of Edwin Drood – as Edwin Drood/Miss Alice Nutting
  • Sacramento Music Circus (July, 1988)

• Call Me Madam – as Mrs. Sally Adams
  • Sacramento Music Circus (August, 1986)

• Anything Goes – as Reno Sweeney
  • Long Beach Civic Light Opera (July, 1987)
  • Sacramento Music Circus (July, 1985)