Celebrity Nooz: Karen Valentine

Karen Valentine (Actress) - Room 222

Updated: 2/12/20

Name: Karen Valentine

Birth Name: Karen Lynne Valentine

Born: May 25, 1947 in Sebastopol, California, USA

Claim To Fame: Karen Valentine is an American actress best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series Room 222 from 1969 to 1974; she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1970, and received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1971.

Family Life: Valentine married Carl Bird McLaughlin Jr. in 1969, they later divorced in 1973. 4 years later, Valentine married Gary Lewis Verna and the two have been together since 1977.

Info: Valentine is of Portuguese heritage, and her grandfather changed the family name from Valentin before her birth.

She was the Apple Blossom Queen of Sebastopol, California when she was a teenager.

Worked as a model, waitress and switchboard operator.

She was a contestant on "Miss Teenage America" and when Ed Sullivan saw her talent he called in and said, "I want that girl on my show."

She was nominated twice for an Emmy and once for a Golden Globe, winning an Emmy in 1970 for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role.

Trivia: She was discovered by Gene Reynolds, the director of Room 222, who saw her lip-synching in rehearsal and realized she was funny.

In 1966-1967, she made her television debut as "The Resident Dream Girl" on The Dream Girl of 1967, replacing Beverly Adams from the first weekday broadcast opposite hosts Dick Stewart and Wink Martindale.

She also appeared on another Chuck Barris show, The Dating Game.

Valentine was a semi-regular on The Hollywood Squares from 1971 to 1977 on both NBC-TV and in syndication, often trading quips with Paul Lynde.

She credits Michael Constantine as her favorite acting mentor/best friend.

She has starred on stage in many productions, including Romantic Comedy on Broadway (1980) and National Tour, Breaking Legs Off-Broadway and National Tour, and the Los Angeles production of Steel Magnolias (2003).

Where Are They Now: It would appear that Valentine has retired from acting, which is a shame. Her bubbly personality always seemed to enliven any production she was involved with. I hope she returns to television. It would be a real treat to see her on the screen again, but if retirement is treating her well, then I guess...live it up, Karen Valentine!

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