Darlanne Fluegel

Darlanne Fluegel (November 25, 1953 – December 15, 2017) was an American actress, fashion model, film producer, and professor. Fluegel graduated from Binghamton Central High School in Binghamton, New York, in 1971, the year after her father died.

Career Modeling Fluegel started modeling at 16 and moved to New York City at 18 to start her professional modeling career, saying it was "a quick way out of Binghamton" so she would "not ...be a burden" on her mother.

In 1971, Fluegel was hired as a model by Eileen Ford, initially earning $100 per hour and ended her modeling career in 1981 earning $300 per hour . She was represented for 15 years by Ford Models and then with the Zoli Agency in New York while studying acting at Stella Adler. Discussing her debut, she said "I wasn't ready after Laura Mars. Let's just say that it wasn't much of a stretch to portray a New York model being chased by a weirdo. But when I was 25 I decided to go for it. What the hell, right? I was always determined to succeed at whatever I did and I figured Hollywood was a tough nut to crack—but one that could be broken."

She was featured in Tough Guys (1986) as Kirk Douglas' girlfriend.

In 1985, she appeared in To Live and Die in L.A. as Ruth Lanier, an undercover informant, heroin addict, and a woman whose relationship with Secret Service Agent Richard Chance, portrayed by William Petersen, is primarily physical and transactional.

Fluegel had a primary role during the first season of Michael Mann's NBC film noir drama series Crime Story playing Julie Torello, Detective Michael Torello's (portrayed by actor Dennis Farina) wife in 11 episodes from 1986 to 1987. Fluegel described her character as "a woman trying to come to terms with the 60s. She wants the American dream—a nice home, a husband, a family—but those things are falling apart."

At the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles in 2011, Fluegel encouraged the audience to be receptive to their life experiences. She said "it could be the greatest thing you could do. Just being in your life, talking to people, just doing what you're doing, let it bring into you. Bring it back in."

Film producer Fluegel co-produced the 2010 documentary film The Land of the Rising Fastball, an examination of Japan's interest in baseball and the sociological role it has held throughout that nation's growth, from its introduction in 1872, through World War II, to today.

Personal life Fluegel said she was pressured into changing her surname when she started her acting career. "There was a lot of pressure from agents, publicists and even Gene Shalit on The Today Show asked why I (kept) it, but I want my family to be proud of me. And I find that once people hear the name, they don't soon forget it." They had two children, a daughter and a son. Fluegel's body was cremated and her ashes were given to family members.

Accolades 2010 – LAPD 100 Years: Celebrating the Women Sworn to Protect and to Serve: The Los Angeles Police Department honored Fluegel and her Hunter predecessor Stepfanie Kramer for their portrayals of LAPD Officer Joanne Molenski and LAPD Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, respectively, in an event celebrating female Los Angeles police officers.

Filmography Films

Television