Pamelyn Ferdin

Pamelyn Wanda Ferdin (born February 4, 1959) is an American animal rights activist and a former child actress. Ferdin's acting career was primarily during the 1960s and 1970s, though she appeared in projects sporadically in the 1980s and later years. She began her career in numerous television series, and gained renown for her work as a voice actress supplying the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), as well as in two other Peanuts television specials.

Pamelyn Ferdin
1972 portrait of Ferdin
Born
Pamelyn Wanda Ferdin

(1959-02-04) February 4, 1959
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress, public relations director, activist
Years active1959–2009
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1986; div. 2008)

She had supporting roles in The Beguiled (1971) with Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page, and a lead role in the exploitation film The Toolbox Murders (1978) with Cameron Mitchell. She also supplied the voice of Fern Arable in Charlotte's Web (1973). She was to be the voice of Penny in the 1977 Disney film The Rescuers, but was replaced by Michelle Stacy. Ferdin distanced herself from acting in the late 1980s, and shifted her career to animal rights activism, working as an activist and protester in animal protection programs in New York City and Los Angeles.

Early life

Born in Los Angeles on February 4, 1959,[1] Ferdin began her career at age four, appearing in a hair product commercial.[2] She has two older sisters, Valerie and Wendy.[2] Ferdin attended Herbert Hoover High School, graduating in 1977.

Career

Acting
Ferdin in a promotional shot for Blondie (1968)

Ferdin played the Bumsteads' daughter Cookie in the 1968–1969 CBS revival series Blondie. She was subsequently cast Felix Unger's daughter Edna in the 1970s ABC series version of The Odd Couple[1] and Paul Lynde's daughter Sally on the short-lived The Paul Lynde Show.

She appeared on Star Trek in 1968 as one of a group of orphaned children led by an alien with sinister motives in the episode "And the Children Shall Lead"[3] and in the 1977 series Space Academy as Laura Gentry.[4]

Ferdin's distinctive voice soon secured her voice roles,[1] and she was cast to provide the voice of Lucy van Pelt in three Peanuts cartoons: the 1969 TV special It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, a 1969 feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown and the 1971 TV special Play It Again, Charlie Brown.[5] Ferdin was a frequent guest star on episodic television in the 1960s and 1970s, with appearances on Bewitched, Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show, Branded, Daniel Boone, Custer, The Monkees, The Flying Nun, The Second Hundred Years, Gunsmoke, Shazam!, The High Chaparral, Mannix, The Brady Bunch, Family Affair, Love, American Style, Marcus Welby, M.D., Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Apple's Way, The Streets of San Francisco, Baretta, CHiPS, and 240-Robert.[3]

She had a brief and uncredited role in The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) and was featured in the Walt Disney musical The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968). She appeared as Mary Constable in the supernatural thriller Daughter of the Mind and as Abby Clarkson in the horror film The Mephisto Waltz (1971) with Alan Alda. The same year, Ferdin appeared in The Christine Jorgensen Story, based on the life of the first trans woman in the United States to undergo sex reassignment surgery,[6] and in The Beguiled[7] alongside Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. She then appeared in the Kurt Vonnegut adaptation Happy Birthday Wanda June,[8] and in the exploitation horror film The Toolbox Murders (1978).

She voiced Fern Arable, the little girl who raises Wilbur the pig, in the 1973 animated film Charlotte's Web.[9][10]

Ferdin was considered for the role of Regan MacNeil, the demon-possessed girl in the 1973 William Friedkin film The Exorcist, but casting directors decided she was too well-known and cast the less familiar actress Linda Blair.

She withdrew from acting in the mid-1980s, but did voice the character of Shelley Kelley in the Kids' WB series Detention in 1999.

In January 2020, Pamelyn became the co-host of the television entertainment talk show, "Ken Boxer Live," on TVSB TV originating in Santa Barbara, California with host Ken Boxer.

Activism

After leaving her job as a public relations director in the mid-1990s, Ferdin began working for the Center for Animal Care and Control in New York City.[11] In August 2004, Ferdin accepted the presidency of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), according to statements filed under oath in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. The incumbent, Kevin Kjonaas, resigned after being indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate stalking.[12] When Kjonaas and six other SHAC activists were jailed in 2006, Ferdin vowed to continue the campaign. According to salon.com, she defined her role as "a squeaky-clean representative for SHAC USA," but warned that if the SHAC seven were convicted, "[P]eople, I think, are going to get hurt. There's going to be a lot of violence."[13]

In 2004, she accused the parents of Kelly Keen, a three-year-old child killed in a coyote attack, of murdering their daughter and using the story of an animal attack to cover up the crime. This was part of her protest against public efforts to control the coyote population near suburban homes.[14]

On June 22, 2006, Ferdin was sentenced to 90 days in jail for trespassing and "targeted demonstration" outside the home of an employee of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services. She stated that the conviction "is not going to affect my speaking out and exposing the atrocities occurring at our six city shelters".[15] She served 36 hours and was released before serving the full sentence due to prison overcrowding.

In December 2006, Ferdin's group, the Animal Defense League, Los Angeles (ADLLA), announced that it had been awarded $75,000 against the city of Los Angeles for an anti-strategic lawsuit against public participation motion.[16]

In 2008, Ferdin was found in contempt of court, after allegedly violating an injunction. The conviction was overturned and she filed a federal lawsuit against UCLA for harassment.[17]

Personal life

According to a 2017 post on Ferdin's official blog, she is working on writing an autobiography.[18]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1964 What a Way to Go! Geraldine Crawley (age 4)
1967 The Reluctant Astronaut Mary
1968 The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band Laura Bower
1969 A Boy Named Charlie Brown Lucy van Pelt (voice)
1970 The Christine Jorgensen Story Dolly (child)
1971 The Beguiled Amy
1971 The Mephisto Waltz Abby Clarkson
1971 What's the Matter with Helen? Kiddie M.C.
1971 Happy Birthday, Wanda June Wanda June
1973 Charlotte's Web Fern Arable (voice)
1978 The Toolbox Murders Laurie Ballard
1982 Heidi's Song Klara (voice)

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1964 The Littlest Hobo Cindy Clark "The Babysitter"
1965 The Andy Griffith Show Corlis "The Bazaar"
1965 Branded Abigail "A Proud Town"
1965–66 The John Forsythe Show Pamela "The Little Old Matchmaker", "Super Girl", "Anyone for a Fat Lip?"
1966 The Legend of Jesse James Rosey Bryant "A Burying for Rosey"
1966 And Baby Makes Three Linda Jayne TV film
1966 Family Affair Melissa "Mrs. Beasley, Where Are You?"
1966 My Three Sons Roseann "Fly Away Home"
1967 Valley of Mystery Penny TV film
1967 Custer Irene Maloney "To the Death"
1967 Family Affair Wendy "Birds, Bees and Buffy"
1967 The Second Hundred Years Nancy "Luke's First Christmas"
1968 Green Acres Molly Mullen "Instant Family"
1968 Mad Mad Scientist Sally Springer TV film
1968 Star Trek Mary "And the Children Shall Lead"
1968 Gunsmoke Annie Jarvis "The Money Store"
1968 The Flying Nun Linda Shapiro "The Reconversion of Sister Shapiro"
1968–69 Blondie Cookie Bumstead Main role
1969 Family Affair Jennifer "No Uncle Is an Island"
1969 The Flying Nun Violetta "Cousins by the Dozen"
1969 The High Chaparral Jennie Simmons / Charity "No Bugles, No Drums", "For the Love of Carlos"
1969 It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown Lucy van Pelt (voice) TV short
1969 Daughter of the Mind Mary Constable TV film
1970 Smoke Susie TV film
1970 Mannix Dana "Fly, Little One" (Season 3, Episode 21)
1971 The Brady Bunch Lucy Winters "Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?"
1971 Family Affair Shirley Dixon "The Joiners"
1971 The Cat in the Hat Sally (voice) TV short
1971 Play It Again, Charlie Brown Lucy van Pelt (voice) TV short
1971 Curiosity Shop Pam "Special"
1971 The Odd Couple Cindy "Bunny Is Missing Down by the Lake"
1971 The Forgotten Man Sharon Hardy TV film
1971 Night Gallery Frances Anne Emsden "Brenda"
1971 Marcus Welby, M.D. Felicia "A Portrait of Debbie"
1971–72 The Odd Couple Edna Unger "Surprise! Surprise!", "Good, Bad Boy"
1972 Young Dr. Kildare Julie Loomis "The Night of the Intern"
1972 The Delphi Bureau Alice "Pilot"
1972 The Roman Holidays Precocia (voice) TV series
1972 Sealab 2020 Sally Murphy (voice) TV series
1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Louisa / Lilibit (voice) "Oliver and the Artful Dodger: Parts 1 & 2"
1972 Lassie: Joyous Sound Lucy Baker TV film
1972–73 The Paul Lynde Show Sally Simms Main role
1972–73 Lassie Lucy Baker Main role (seasons 18–19)
1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Amy "The Tall Tree"
1973 Sigmund and the Sea Monsters Peggy "Puppy Love"
1974 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Francie Nolan TV film
1974 These Are the Days Kathy Day (voice) Main role
1974 Shazam! Lynn Colby "Thou Shalt Not Kill"
1974 Apple's Way Sally "The Flag"
1975 Miles to Go Before I Sleep Lisa TV film
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Chris Cavanaugh "Runaway"
1977 Baretta Judy "The Runaways"
1977 Space Academy Laura Gentry Main role
1978 CHiPs Susie "Rustling"
1978 Vegas Katie Howard "Serve, Volley and Kill"
1978 Project U.F.O. Cindy Harper "Sighting 4023: The I-Man Incident"
1979 240-Robert Nikki "The Apology"
1985 It's Your 20th Television Anniversary, Charlie Brown Herself TV documentary
1999 Detention Shelley Kelley (voice) Main role
2004 Penn & Teller: Bullshit! Herself "P.E.T.A." (season 2, episode 1)
2009 Elf Sparkle Meets Christmas the Horse Christmas the Horse (voice) TV film
gollark: What if I go around kicking things with my shin, as is sometimes convention? WHAT THEN?
gollark: Please heal me at some point, as my... legs... hurt?
gollark: Can you heal the people you set on fire then?!!?!??!
gollark: I kick a nearby tree, d6.
gollark: Your general pyromaniac tendencies.

References
  1. Leszczak 2014, p. 49.
  2. Witbeck, Charles (July 30, 1972). "Lassie's Got A New TV Pal". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1F – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Pamelyn Ferdin". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. "Space Academy". www.70slivekidvid.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008.
  5. Inman, David (November 3, 2002). "Trudi Ames, Pamelyn Ferdin Were Teen Stars 30 Years Ago". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. p. 143 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "The Christine Jorgensen Story (1970) Directed by Irving Rapper". LETTERBOXD.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. "THE BEGUILED (1971)". AFI.com. American Film Institute. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  8. "Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971) Directed by Mark Robson". LETTERBOXD.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  9. "IMDb".
  10. "Pamelyn Ferdin".
  11. Tuchman, Gary (December 23, 1995). "Why NOT to give a pet for Christmas". CNN. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  12. "Radical Animal Rights Group Convicted of Inciting Violence and Stalking". ADL. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008.
  13. Cook, Jon (February 7, 2006). "Thugs for puppies". Salon. Archived from the original on April 17, 2008.
  14. , "This just in: U.S. is 500 years old"], Glendale News Press by Jeff Keating, April 19, 2004.
  15. "Former Child Actress Sentenced to Jail". ABC News. June 22, 2006. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  16. Milionis, Allison. "Los Angeles CityBeat – SLAPPing Back". www.lacitybeat.com. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  17. "Judge: To protect and to unnerve': animal rights activists accuse UCLA of intimidation tactics". LA Activist. February 3, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2011.
  18. Ferdin, Pamelyn (June 14, 2017). "My Autobiography is in the works". Archived from the original on April 24, 2020.

Sources
  • Leszczak, Bob (2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-1-476-61539-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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