Connie Sellecca

Sellecca was born Concetta Sellecchia in The Bronx to Italian parents, Primo Sellecchia and Marianna Acampora, who were married from 1952 until Primo's death in 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/marianna-sellecchia-obituary?pid=196469769|title=Marianna Sellecchia Obituary (2020) New York Times|website=Legacy.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=tullio-ubaldo-sellecchia&pid=150060317#fbLoggedOut|title=Tullio Ubaldo Sellecchia Obituary|publisher=The Journal News|date=January 23, 2011|accessdate=July 24, 2020}} At age 12, she moved to Pomona, Rockland County, New York, and attended Pomona Junior High School. While attending Ramapo High School in Spring Valley, she first became interested in the performing arts. Although she attended Boston College, she withdrew to pursue a career in acting.{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/64435/Connie-Sellecca/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813093600/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/64435/Connie-Sellecca/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-08-13|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|author=Jason Buchanan|date=2013|title=Connie Sellecca - About This Person|accessdate=2012-05-29}}

Sellecca first worked as a fashion model before making her acting debut in the 1978 television film The Bermuda Depths. She starred in a short-lived CBS comedy-drama series, Flying High, about the misadventures of three airline flight attendants, from 1978 to 1979. In 1979, she starred in Captain America II: Death Too Soon, a television movie starring Reb Brown in the title role, and slasher film She's Dressed to Kill alongside Jessica Walter. In 1980, she starred in another short-lived series, Beyond Westworld.

From 1981 to 1983, Sellecca starred as lawyer Pam Davidson in the ABC comedy drama series The Greatest American Hero, which starred William Katt and Robert Culp. After Hero ended, she was released from her contract in time to audition for the part of promotions manager Christine Francis on another ABC television drama, Hotel, which starred James Brolin. She appeared in the series from 1983 to 1988.{{Cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/connie-sellecca/biography.html|title=Connie Sellecca- Biography}} For her performance, she received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1987. In 1989, she starred in the high-rated miniseries Brotherhood of the Rose.

Sellecca played leading roles in a number of made-for-television films in 1980s and 1990s. From 1991 to 1992, she starred along with Greg Evigan in the CBS crime drama series P.S. I Luv U. From 1993 to 1994, she starred in a CBS drama series, Second Chances. Sellecca worked in two films in 2000s, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2001) and The Wild Stallion in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1214676-wild_stallion|title=The Wild Stallion|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}

File:John Tesh, Connie Sellecca and Prima.jpg premiere]] Sellecca met Howard Platt in 1978, when they starred together on the television series Flying High; the couple became engaged, and moved in together, when the show's filming schedule caused a conflict, they cancelled their original December 1978 wedding date.{{cite magazine |title=Their Series May Get Canned, but Howard Platt and Connie Sellecca Keep on Flying High—and United |first=Peter |last=Lester |magazine=People |date=1979-02-05 |url=http://people.com/archive/their-series-may-get-canned-but-howard-platt-and-connie-sellecca-keep-on-flying-high-and-united-vol-11-no-5/ |access-date=2021-05-05 |quote=But a week before the wedding, the show was renewed and we only had one day off... We’re just living together and it’s very comfortable}} The relationship ended before any renewed wedding date could take place.{{cite news |title=TV veteran Platt delighted to be one of McCourt brothers |first=Bill |last=Buell |newspaper=The Daily Gazette |date=2014-09-25 |url=https://dailygazette.com/2014/09/25/tv-veteran-platt-delighted-be-one-mccourt-brothers/ |access-date=2021-05-05 |quote=Well, the truth is she was 18 years younger than I was, and I felt like we were from two different generations}} Sellecca was married to actor Gil Gerard from 1979 to 1987, and they share a son, Gib.{{cite journal|url=https://people.com/archive/stranded-in-orbit-by-his-addictions-former-buck-rogers-gil-gerard-battles-his-way-back-to-e-a-r-t-h-vol-34-no-15/ |last1= Reed |first1= JD |last2= Alexander|first2=Michael |title= Stranded in Orbit by His Addictions, Former Buck Rogers Gil Gerard Battles His Way Back to E.A.R.T.H. |journal= People|volume=34 |issue=15 |page =95 |publisher= Meredith Corporation |date=October 15, 1990}}{{Cite web |last=Basilan |first=Rebelander |date=2019-08-14 |title=Connie Sellecca of 'Hotel' Was Married Twice |url=https://news.amomama.com/166345-connie-sellecca-hotel-was-married-twice.html |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=news.amomama.com |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.amomama.com/194248-connie-selleccas-daughter.html|title='Hotel' Star Connie Sellecca's Daughter Is All Grown-Up and Has Become a Gifted Dancer|first=Manuela|last=Cardiga|date=February 19, 2020|website=news.amomama.com}} On April 4, 1992, she married pianist and then-Entertainment Tonight host John Tesh. They have one daughter, Prima.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/23/garden/at-home-with-john-tesh-the-discreet-charm-of-a-new-age-sport.html?src=pm|title=AT HOME WITH: John Tesh; The Discreet Charm Of a New-Age Sport|date=March 23, 1995|work=The New York Times|accessdate=August 19, 2011}} Like Tesh, Sellecca is a Christian.{{cite web|url=http://www.atlantachristianweb.com/celeb_features/tesh.asp|title=John Tesh: A Deeper Faith|accessdate=2007-06-20|work=Atlanta Christian Magazine|author=Crosswalk.com|archive-date=2007-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021082040/http://www.atlantachristianweb.com/celeb_features/tesh.asp|url-status=dead}}

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Category:1955 births

Category:Actresses from New York (state)

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Category:21st-century American actresses