Lynn-Holly Johnson

Lynn-Holly Johnson
Johnson in 2026
Born
Lynn Holly Johnson

(1958-12-13) December 13, 1958
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupations
  • Figure skater
  • actress
Years active1974–2010
SpouseKelly Givens
Children2
Websitelynnhollyjohnson.com

Lynn-Holly Johnson (born December 13, 1958)[1] is a retired American figure skater and former actress.[2] Raised in suburban Chicago, Johnson worked as a child model in local commercials, and began training in figure skating at age five. In 1969, she was cast as Helen Keller in a local production of The Miracle Worker, starring opposite Rita Moreno.

Johnson achieved some success as a figure skater in the mid-1970s and competed in the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. After sustaining a leg fracture, she quit competitive skating and began performing as a figure skater with the Ice Capades. She made her feature film debut in the drama Ice Castles (1978) opposite Robby Benson, portraying a teenage figure skater who goes blind. Johnson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her performance. She was subsequently cast as a lead in the Walt Disney-produced horror film The Watcher in the Woods (1980), and as Bibi Dahl in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.[3]

She continued to work as an actress until the mid-1990s, when she began studying to become a physician assistant.[4]

Early life

Johnson was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 13, 1958,[1] to Margaret, a housewife, and Alan Johnson, a general contractor.[5][6] She has one older brother, Gregg, a pilot for United Airlines,[7] and an older sister, Kimberlee.[8]

Johnson was raised in the Chicago suburb of Glenview and began training in figure skating at age four.[9] She began skating competitively at age eleven.[10] In addition to figure skating, Johnson also worked as a child model in Chicago, appearing in over one hundred local commercials.[11] She graduated from Niles North High School in Skokie, Illinois.[12]

Johnson added the hyphen to her name after a roommate wrote Johnson's name that way.[5]

Career

Figure skating

Johnson competed in the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and won the silver medal at the novice level.[13] After sustaining a fracture in her left leg while attempting a double axel jump, she quit skating temporarily.[13][11] She subsequently gave up competitive skating in 1977 to turn professional and join the Ice Capades.[13]

Acting

Johnson performed in some theater as a child, including a lead role as Helen Keller in a Chicago-based production of The Miracle Worker, opposite Rita Moreno, which ran between 1969 and 1970.[11][14][15]

She was cast in her feature film debut in Ice Castles (1978), in which she portrayed Alexis "Lexie" Winston, a figure skater who is blinded after experiencing an ischemic stroke.[13] Johnson was performing with the Ice Capades when she was cast in the production, which had been seeking out a professional ice skater who also had acting potential.[13] The film, a romantic drama co-starring Robby Benson, was released in December 1978, and grossed $18 million in the United States.[16] Johnson, who was described as "an appealing young woman who actually happens to be a good skater who can act" by film critic Roger Ebert,[17] was nominated for a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for her performance in the film.[18]

Johnson was subsequently cast in the lead role of the Disney horror drama The Watcher in the Woods. The film received a limited release in April 1980, but it was soon withdrawn and not given a wider release until October 1981.[19] Also in 1981, Johnson had a supporting role as Bibi Dahl in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only . In For Your Eyes Only, she played a figure skater who has a crush on James Bond, played by Roger Moore. In 1984, Johnson starred in Where the Boys Are '84, a remake of the 1960 film of the same name.[20] The film was a critical and box-office failure.

In 1996, Johnson retired from acting to concentrate on her family.[21] In 2007, she returned to acting in a community theater production of It's a Wonderful Life with the Newport Beach Repertory Theater.[22][21]

Personal life

Johnson is married to architect Kelly Givens,[11][23] with whom she resides Los Angeles, California.[24] The couple have one son and one daughter.[11]

Between 1993 and 1996, Johnson studied to become a physician assistant and served as a medical missionary in Mexico and Guatemala.[4]

In January 2010, Johnson suffered a stroke while on a flight from Florida to California.[24] The stroke left her with temporary expressive aphasia and loss of motor control in her left arm.[24] Upon landing at John Wayne Airport, Johnson fell three times in the airport terminal and was unable to speak.[24] She was immediately hospitalized, where it was determined that the stroke had been brought on by a patent foramen ovale, a congenital heart defect that had gone undiagnosed.[25] She subsequently underwent open heart surgery to treat the condition.[24][25] Her father also suffered from the condition,[24] and, after her diagnosis, Johnson's brother, Gregg, was also diagnosed with it.[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1978 Ice Castles Alexis "Lexie" Winston [26]
1980 The Watcher in the Woods Jan Curtis [2]
1981 For Your Eyes Only Bibi Dahl [6]
1984 Where the Boys Are '84 Laurie Jameson [20]
1984 More Than Murder Sandy Television film [26]
1986 Angel River Jensie
1987 Alien Predators Samantha Alternative title: The Falling
1988 The Sisterhood Marya Alternative title: Caged Woman
1989 Hyper Space Arias Christensen Alternative title: Space Rangers
1990 Out of Sight, Out of Mind Kathy Jordan Alternative titles: Sight Unseen
Out of Sight, Out of Her Mind
Diggin' Up Business Tesia Papadapacropolis Alternative title: Say Bye-Bye
1993 The Criminal Mind Mrs. Augustine
1996 Fugitive X: Innocent Target Kara Television film

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1982 CHiPs Ellen Getraer Episode: "Fallout" [26]
1983 Matt Houston Cindy Gaines Episode: "A Deadly Parlay"
Trapper John, M.D. Dani Piper Episode: "I Only Have Ice for You" [26]
1986 MacGyver Ingrid Bannister Episode: "The Enemy Within" [26]
1987 The Law & Harry McGraw Susan Bishop Episode: "Angela's Secret"
1987 Ohara Becki Dutton Episode: "Hot Rocks"
2009 Tales from Dark Fall Prof. Carlo Episode: "Hit or Miss"

Stage credits

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1969–1970 The Miracle Worker Helen Keller Ivanhoe Theater [14]
2007 It's a Wonderful Life Newport Beach Repertory Theater [21]

Accolades

Award/association Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Golden Globe Awards 1980 New Star of the Year – Actress Ice Castles Nominated [27]
Golden Raspberry Awards 1985 Worst Supporting Actress Where the Boys Are '84 Won [28]

References

  1. 1 2 Rubin, Steven Jay (2020). The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-641-60083-5.
  2. 1 2 Calvert, Jennifer (June 5, 2019). "Life's been an adventure for Lynn-Holly Johnson". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on January 11, 2026.
  3. ↑ Tiansay, Eric (October 16, 1998). "Whatever Happened To: Lynn Holly Johnson". DeLorenzo's Dugout. Archived from the original on February 16, 2001.
  4. 1 2 Farris, Jo Ann Schneider (August 20, 2019). "Biography of Lynn-Holly Johnson, Figure Skater Turned Actress". LiveAbout. People Inc. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Thomas, Bob (February 3, 1979). "Lynn-Holly Johnson Comes By Talent Naturally". Toledo Blade. p. D4 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Brady, Shirley (May 15, 2000). "Good Skate". People. Vol. 53, no. 19. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "The Bond girl and her very public stroke". Hoag. February 11, 2013. Archived from the original on February 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ Stanley, John (November 29, 1981). "Not Even Lynn-Holly Knew What the Watcher Was". San Francisco Examiner. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Lavin, Cheryl (June 15, 1981). "Lynn-Holly: The woman 007 doesn't get". Chicago Tribune. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Zell, Fran (February 2, 1979). "Lynn-Holly is the picture of success–from Ice Capades to 'Ice Castles'". Chicago Tribune. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Koltnow, Barry (November 12, 2008). "The Bond girl who kept her clothes on". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021.
  12. ↑ Williams, Albert (February 8, 1990). "Dance Notes: Amy Rose, a Glenview girl in the ABT". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ice Castles". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 22, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Ellison, Bob (June 26, 1970). "George Keathley: Energy at Ivanhoe". Chicago Tribune. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Chicago Entertainment Calendar". Chicago Tribune. September 7, 1969. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Ice Castles". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025.
  17. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 29, 1979). "Ice Castles". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 26, 2005.
  18. ↑ "Lynn-Holly Johnson". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023.
  19. ↑ Harmetz, Aljean (October 20, 1981). "Watcher in the Woods Revises $1 million Worth, Tries Again". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Maslin, Janet (April 7, 1984). "Film: Lauderdale quartet 'Where the Boys Are'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 Titus, Tom (November 22, 2007). "Theater Review". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Newport Beach Repertory Theater Presents Auditions for 17th Year Production It's a Wonderful Life" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  23. ↑ Aaron, Keith (July 20, 2020). "Coronavirus hits 'Bond girl' from Orange County hard". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sharon, Keith (February 7, 2013). "The Bond girl and her very public stroke". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017.
  25. 1 2 Sharon, Keith (February 7, 2013). "Bond girl, a stroke survivor, takes bigger steps". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lynn-Holly Johnson Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Ice Castles". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on February 7, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Home of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation 1984 Archive". Golden Raspberry Awards. Archived from the original on September 11, 2004.
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