Robin Riker

At A Glance

Two months after her arrival in Hollywood, a television producer, who was a regular patron of the hamburger stand, decided to produce a story on the aspiring actress for his weekly magazine show. A few weeks later, Robin had 15 minutes of the most coveted tool an aspiring film actress can have in her arsenal: actual, professionally produced and shot FILM on herself! She hasn't stopped working since. Being able to say you have an agent and film on yourself only two short months after arriving in town was an amazing gift. "I certainly can't call it an accomplishment," says Robin. "It was as though my immediate good luck was God's way of saying Okay here are a couple of signs that you made the right choice. Now... learn patience."

Robin had been acting on stage since the age of two. She was 'born in a trunk'. (Actually she was almost born in a taxi on the Brooklyn Bridge, but that's another story.) The 'trunk' part refers to her parents, professional actors, who owned and ran theatres. Robin grew up on stage, back stage, in the box office and selling cookies in the lobby. Even after starring in many TV series, films and countless episodics, the stage remains Robin's favorite version of soul food.

The family business took Robin all around the US. From the day she was born until she moved to Los Angeles, she never spent more than two and a half years in one place. The gypsy style of life has served her well as an artist whose calling requires an understanding of human nature, its frailties and of the many ways people try to connect with each other. As a child, Robin performed for two seasons with the prestigious Colorado Shakespeare Festival. As a teenager, she played in several theatres in upstate New York. She interrupted her schooling to travel in Europe (there's that gypsy again!) and after finishing a production of The Cherry Orchard in Northern California, Robin packed her bags, drove to Mexico for 2 weeks and then on to Hollywood, arriving with only a couple of head shots, an old convertible and $45.00 in cash. She had her mind set for a career in film and television and the time was now!

Within a few weeks of her arrival, Robin had an agent, the job at the hamburger stand and a great boss, Larry, who allowed her the flexibility needed for auditions. The tiny stand at the corner of Sunset and Vine was frequented by record and television producers, musicians and directors. Larry, cook and owner, kept telling the customers, "She's an actress. She's fabulous!" which is a tribute to Larry's psychic powers since he'd never seen Robin perform anything other than the act of making change. When Larry sold the stand he went to work at the commissary at Warner Brothers Studios where he handed out Robin's pictures to producers and directors whom he knew. Within two weeks, Robin had her first job on national television.

She appeared throughout the episode but the speaking part of the role was so small that Robin had to audition by reading ANOTHER CHARACTER'S LINES! In her first national appearance Robin played the illustrious role of "Girl Robber." Never the less, she saw this as another amazing blessing and further proof that her choice to come to Hollywood had been a good one.

Not long after, she landed a starring role in a film that became a cult classic, Alligator, written by John Sayles. Robin is constantly receiving calls from family and friends about that movie. "It seems that at all hours of the day, somewhere in the world, Alligator is on television!"

Other films in which she starred include the title role in the comedy. Stepmonster, Disney's Brink and Don't Look Under the Bed and Body Chemistry II: Voice of a Stranger with Gregory Harrison. Films had to be squeezed in between her work as a series regular which, when it finally started coming, kept coming.

One series, of which she is particularly proud, is the ground breaking Showtime comedy Brothers which ran for five years and for which she was nominated twice for ACE AWARDS as 'Best Actress in a Comedy Series." She starred as Ed Asner's daughter in Thunder Alley, Chris Elliott's nemesis in the cult classic Get a Life (an episode of which in which Chris and Robin are rival stars in a community theatre production, was named by T.V. Guide as "One of the fifty funniest T.V. moments of all time"). She starred as Matt Frewer's beleagured wife in "Shaky Ground" and as the late Gregory Hines' best friend in The Gregory Hines Show.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION

The Bold and the Beautiful Beth Logan June 18, 2008 to Present Big Love 2007 Pandemic Sarah Adams Caplan 2007 The Closer Barbara 2006 Read It and Weep Diana 2006 Boston Legal Candi Springtime 2006 Twenty Good Years Helen 2006 NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service Saleena Lockhart 2005 Strong Medicine Elizabeth Perry 2004 L.A. Dragnet Wanda Hanson 2004 Crossing Jordan Frances Pritchard 2004 Cold Case Doreen Denova 2004 Gone But Not Forgotten Nora Sloane/Samantha Reardon 2004 Reba Sue Montgomery 2002-2003 Exit 9 Lynne 2003 What I Like About You Eileen 2002 One on One Connie 2002 Family Law 2001 Dead Last Bunny Cahill 2001 Six Feet Under Chloe Yorkin 2001 Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place 2001 Malcolm in the Middle Tina 2001 Days of Our Lives Maureen Lockhart 2000 Manhattan, AZ Dr. Charles 2000 Any Day Now 2000 Emeril Nora Lagasse 2000 Don't Look Under the Bed Karen McCausland 1999 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Aunt Elaine McGillicutty 1999 Sliders Sela Williams 1999 V.I.P. Jessica Wirth 1999 Clueless Bev 1998 Brink! Maddie Brinker 1998 The Gregory Hines Show Nicole Moran 1997-1998 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Catherine Madison 1997 Christmas Every Day Carolyn Jackson 1996 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Marigold 1996 Murder, She Wrote Colleen Seller 1996 Thunder Alley Bobbi Turner 1994-1995 Diagnosis Murder Det. Claire Van Sickle 1994 Shaky Ground Helen Moody 1992-1993 Get a Life Sharon Potter 1990-1992 The Famous Teddy Z Eileen Meisner 1990 Doctor Doctor Barbara 1990 Without Her Consent Marcia 1990 Empty Nest Janet Majors 1989 Hard Time on Planet Earth Sullivan 1989 Brothers Kelly Hall 1984-1988 Riptide Gloria Burghoff 1985-1986 Highway to Heaven Sherri Johnson 1985 Misfits of Science Sarah 1985 Airwolf Karen Hansen 1984 Moffett's Ghost Karen Hansen 1984 The Fall Guy Leslie Tyler 1983 The Rousters 1983 The A-Team Amanda Huston 1983 The Greatest American Hero Nancy Ratner 1981 The Rockford Files Kathlene O'Meara 1979 Fantasy Island Fran 1979 Welcome Back, Kotter Sexy Nurse 1977 M*A*S*H Nurse Perry 1977 Black Sheep Squadron First Nurse 1976

Acting Portfolio: FILM

The Stoneman Dr. Anna Weston 2002 Mars and Beyond Lt. Fiona Boggs 2000 A Reason to Believe Constance 1995 Dead Badge Joyce Deitz 1995 In the Heat of Passion II: Unfaithful Catherine 1994 Stepmonster Denise Gore 1993 Body Chemistry II: The Voice of a Stranger Brenda 1992 Alligator Marisa Kendall 1980

Awards & Acclaim

CableACE Awards Nomination, Actress in a Comedy Series for Brothers [1984, 1986]

Vital Statistics

DATE OF BIRTH: October 2, 1952

PLACE OF BIRTH: New York, New York