Quinn Cummings
Quinn Cummings is an American former child child actress. She played Lucy McFadden in Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl and had a recurring role as Annie Cooper on the television series Family. Since quitting acting, she has become an entrepreneur and published several books.
Quinn Cummings | |
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Quinn Cummings in 2015 | |
Born | 1967/1968 (age 52–53) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Author, humorist, actor |
Years active | 1975-present |
Partner(s) | Donald DiPietro |
Personal life
Cummings was born in Los Angeles. Her father, Sumner, was a businessman who died when she was still a child. Her mother, Jan, was a bookkeeper. In 2000, Cummings gave birth to a daughter, Anneke DiPietro, by her partner Donald DiPietro.[1]
Career
Film and television
Quinn Cummings began her career after being discovered by cinematographer James Wong Howe. She soon began landing roles in numerous television commercials, eventually winning the role of Marsha Mason's daughter, Lucy McFadden, in the 1977 film The Goodbye Girl.[1] Cummings' performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.[2] In 1978, Cummings had a recurring role on the drama series Family. In 1985, Cummings appeared in the short-lived ABC sitcom Hail to the Chief as the daughter of the first female president of the United States, played by Patty Duke.[1] During the late 1980s, Cummings acted occasionally and worked as a casting agent. She quit acting because she was not comfortable living her life in the public eye. She attended UCLA for two years and had a stint recruiting writers to publish short stories online.[1] Her last acting role was a 1991 episode of Blossom.
Other ventures
Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Cummings created the HipHugger, a sling-type device for carrying a baby.[1] She was the president of the HipHugger company before selling it in 2006.
In February 2005, Cummings started a blog, The QC Report, which discussed the ironies of modern life from the point of view of a career mother in her 30s.[3] Cummings' first book, Notes From The Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life was published in July 2009.[4] Her second book, The Year of Learning Dangerously, which explores the current state of home schooling in America, was published by Perigee Books in August 2012.[5] Pet Sounds, a collection of humorous stories relating to animals and pet ownership was released in the summer of 2013. In 2019, she launched a podcast: "Quinn Cummings Gives Bad Advice[6]" in which she responds to listener questions on any advice topic, highlighting the fact that she has no particular knowledge or expertise in the subject being raised.
Filmography
- The Goodbye Girl (1977)
- Listen to Me (1989)
Television
- Big Eddie (Unknown episodes, 1975)
- Jeremiah of Jacob's Neck (1976)
- The Six Million Dollar Man (1 episode, 1976)
- Night Terror (1977)
- Visions (1 episode, 1977)
- Intimate Strangers (1977)
- Starsky and Hutch (1 episode, 1978)
- Baretta (1 episode, 1978)
- CBS Library (1 episode - The Incredible Book Escape, 1980)
- Family (36 episodes, 1978–1980)
- The Babysitter (1980)
- Darkroom (1 episode, 1981)
- Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1983)
- Remington Steele (1 episode, 1984)
- Hail to the Chief (Unknown episodes, 1985)
- The Love Boat (1 episode, 1986)
- Blossom (1 episode, 1991)
Awards and nominations
- Academy Award
- Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, The Goodbye Girl (1978)
- Golden Globe
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role, The Goodbye Girl (1978)
- Young Artist Award
- Nominated: Best Juvenile Actress in a TV Series or Special, Family (1980)[7]
- Won: Best Young Actress in a Television Series, Family (1981)[8]
- Nominated: Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television, Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1984)[9]
References
- Horsburgh, Susan (February 18, 2002). "Getting the Hang of It". People. Vol. 57 no. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- "The Goodbye Girl (1977)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- "BLOGWATCH". Newsweek. May 15, 2005. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- "Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life". Publishers Weekly. June 29, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- http://www.quinncummings.com/bad-advice
- "Second Annual Youth in Film Awards 1978–1979". Young Artist Award. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015.
- "Second Annual Youth in Film Awards 1979–1980". Young Artist Award. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015.
- "Fifth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1982–1983". Young Artist Award. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011.