WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO: Jennifer Runyon

If you recognize the name Gwendolyn Pierce, you probably remember actress Jennifer Runyon. When it came to sitcom actresses, Jennifer Runyon was one of the most memorable of the 80’s.


Jennifer began her career in a film called TO ALL A GOODNIGHT in 1980, a slasher film set in a boarding house where the killer is dressed as Santa. It was a pretty terrible debut, think of it as a really bad episode of FACTS OF LIFE that turns horror film, only deadly dull. Jennifer plays the lead, the “final girl”. Having watched it recently for this story, I can’t even say it is worth writing anything more about.

This was followed by a role on the soap opera ANOTHER WORLD, and playing the Diane Lane role in the failed pilot of the Kenny Rogers film SIX PACK. Since the cast of that pilot also included Don Johnson (in the Kenny Rogers role), Markie Post, and Joaquin Phoenix, it actually sounds interesting.


Even if you weren’t a CHARLES IN CHARGE fan, you may remember Jennifer as the female lead in the white water rafting comedy UP THE CREEK, with Tim Matheson (see FORGOTTEN FILM story here). This was a cable and video favorite for many in the 80’s. Jennifer received an “introducing” credit even though she had appeared in TO ALL A GOODNIGHT a few years before. She, probably like the audience, wanted to forget that film existed.



Next came CHARLES IN CHARGE. While she made appearances in the later syndicated years, she had a larger role as Charles’ love interest in season one when it was a network show. Charles and Buddy repeated her name “Gwendolyn Pierce” so many times that her name was as much of a character as she was.




Here is Jennifer Runyon being interviewed by Merv Griffin in the mid 80's.


You may also remember her from the opening of GHOSTBUSTERS, as the college student being tested by Bill Murray. I remember seeing her in the film theatrically and wondering why she had such a small role. I already knew who she was, why didn’t casting directors in Hollywood?

Later on, she appeared in the mini series SPACE (I watched all 13 hours of this for her probably five minutes of screen-time, I was such a fan at the time), she had small roles in big films like THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN, and a lot of TV work. There were larger roles in smaller films like THE IN CROWD and 18 AGAIN.


In 1988 she had a rather substantial role, replacing Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady in A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS. She appeared with most of the original cast. The film was such a hit that the dramatic series THE BRADYS was spun off, but Susan Olsen returned for that, and Jennifer was out.

There were a few more roles, including two episodes of MURDER SHE WROTE, an episode of BEVERLY HILLS 90210 until her final credit, the JURASSIC PARK ripoff CARNOSAUR.

And, in 1993, she retired.

So, what ever happened to her?

Jennifer married Todd Corman, son of CARNOSAUR producer Roger Corman. I don’t know if they met during the making of that film, but it is possible. Todd is the women’s basketball coach of Concordia college. They have two children.

She had a decade long run in the entertainment business, along the way creating one of the more memorable sitcom characters of the era. That isn’t a bad legacy.

Jennifer Runyon on DVD



Jennifer Runyon on VHS