Claudia Christian Biography

Claudia Ann Christian (born Claudia Ann Coghlan; August 10, 1965) is an American actress, writer, singer, musician and director, known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction television series Babylon 5. Publicising the Sinclair Method to cure alcoholics is her main charity work.

Early life

Christian was born in Glendale, California, the daughter of Hildegard (née Christian), who worked as the director of Giorgio in Beverly Hills, and James Michael Coghlan. Her mother is from Germany and her father has Irish ancestry. She was raised in Connecticut and England. She has two older brothers and currently resides in Los Angeles, California and London, England,

Career

Christian's first role on television was a guest appearance on Dallas, followed by a series regular role as Melody Hughes on the short-lived drama Berrenger's. She performed feature film roles such as a stripper possessed by an alien serial killer in The Hidden (1987), a police department psychologist Susan Riley in Maniac Cop 2 and as model Hexina in Hexed (1993).

In 1994–1998, she appeared as Commander Susan Ivanova, one of the series leads, in the first four seasons of Babylon 5. She left unexpectedly when contract negotiations for the fifth and final season — aggravated by the possibility that there would not be one — broke down. J. Michael Straczynski, the series' creator, maintains that she chose to leave on her own. However, Christian stated that she did wish to return for season 5, but was rebuffed and let go when she requested a small reduction in the number of episodes she would appear in. She appeared in the fifth season's series finale, which had been filmed during the fourth season, when it seemed likely that the series would end prematurely.

She posed nude for Playboy magazine in October 1999, appeared in two episodes of Freaks and Geeks in 2000, and appeared in the 2002 She Spies episode, "Spy vs Spy". In 2004, she returned to the live stage (and to Laguna Beach, California, where she had attended high school), starring in the United States Premiere of Michael Weller's play What the Night is For, with Kip Gilman, directed by Richard Stein, at the Laguna Playhouse. She starred in the BBC comedy series, Broken News in 2005. She also plays Janine Foster, mother of Peri Brown, in the Doctor Who audio drama "The Reaping", produced by Big Finish Productions released in the United Kingdom in September 2006.

She voices Anne Manx in the full cast recordings for the Radio Repertory Company of America. The science fiction series is currently shown as in pre-production for "Anne Manx 6". In 2010, Christian appeared in the Showtime series LOOK: The Series.

She also had a music career, having released a solo album, Once Upon a Time, a single, "Taboo", a collaboration with Claudia Cummings, Claudia Squared, and a collaboration with some of the other cast members of Babylon 5 on the album The Be Five.

Claudia Con UK

Christian conceived her own convention, Claudia Con UK, which took place in the United Kingdom on August 13"14, 2011.

"After years of attending conventions where fans were mistreated, told not to touch, photograph, film, eat or breathe?. I decided to throw what I call the 'anti-convention.' My theory is that if you give people freedom and respect they will in turn give you freedom and respect."

Charity work

Christian has been publicizing the Sinclair Method, a means for curing alcoholism, through her book Babylon Confidential, in which she recalls her own experiences with the disease. She is making a documentary titled 'One Little Pill' about the method under the auspices of the 'C3 Foundation,' which she founded.

Filmography

Film

• The Hidden (1987).... Brenda Lee Van Buren
• Never on Tuesday (1988).... Tuesday
• Clean and Sober (1988).... Iris
• Tale of Two Sisters (1989).... Liz
• Mad About You (1990).... Casey
• Maniac Cop 2 (1990).... Susan Riley
• Think Big (1990).... Dr. Irene Marsh
• The Dark Backward (1991).... Kitty
• Arena (1991).... Quinn
• A Gnome Named Gnorm (1990).... Samantha
• Hexed (1993).... Hexina
• The Chase (1994).... Yvonne Voss
• Mercenary II: Thick & Thin (1997).... Patricia Van Lier
• Snide and Prejudice (1998).... Renate Muller
• Haunting of Hell House (1999)....Lucy
• Running Home (1999)....The Mother
• Love & Sex (2000)
• True Rights (2000).... Elaine Kilgore
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)....Helga Sinclair
• Half Past Dead (2002)....EZ Williams
• The Failures (2002)....Anna
• The Garden (2005).... Dr. Cairns
• The Dot Man (2006).... Lieutenant Colonel Dunst
• Serbian Scars (2008) Meggie....Co-Producer
• Overnight (2008).... Sandy
• Rise of an Exile (pre-production, est. 2012)....Hannah Benedict

Television movies

• Calendar Girl Murders (1984).... Kara
• A Masterpiece of Murder (1986).... Julia Forsythe
• Houston: The Legend of Texas (1986).... aka Gone to Texas (1986)
• The Highwayman (1987).... Dawn ... aka Terror on the Blacktop (1987)
• Police Story: Monster Manor (1988).... Officer Babs Altoon
• Shannon's Deal (1989)
• Kaleidoscope (1990).... Meagan ... aka Danielle Steel's 'Kaleidoscope'
• Lies of the Twins (1991).... Felice
• The Woman Who Sinned (1991).... Judy Reinhardt
• Strays (1991).... Claire Lederer
• Lancelot: Guardian of Time (1997).... Katherine Shelley
• A Wing and a Prayer (1998).... Shelley Lowe
• Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998).... Susan Ivanova
• Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998).... Susan Ivanova
• Running Home (1999).... Jules Daniels
• The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999).... Andy
• Final Voyage (1999).... Max
• Meteor Apocalypse (2010).... Kate Dematti

Television series

• Blacke's Magic (1986) Series Regular....Laurie
• Berrenger's (1985) Series Regular....Melody Hughes
• Babylon 5 (1994"1997) Series Regular....Commander Susan Ivanova
• Freaks and Geeks (1999) Recurring....Gloria Haverchuck
• Star Hyke (2005) Series Regular.....Captain Belinda Blowhard
• Broken News (2005) Series Regular.... Julia Regan
• Look: The Series (2010) Series Regular

Guest appearances

• T. J. Hooker (1982) Betty MacRae in episode: "The Lipstick Killer" (1984)
• Dallas (1978) in episode: "Some Do...Some Don't" (1984)
• Falcon Crest (1981)...Kate Mars in episode: "Tests of Faith" (1984)
• Riptide (1984)....Marion Gordon in episode: "Where The Girls Are" (1984)
• The A-Team (1983)....Cathy Rogers in episode: "Trouble Brewing" (1985)
• Hunter (1984)....Roxanne Hoffmeyer in episode: "Love, Hate, and Sporty James"
• Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1984) in episodes: "Elegy for a Tramp", "Shots in the Dark"
• Jake and the Fatman (1987)....Lt. Alex Walker
• It's Garry Shandling's Show (1986)....Sylvia in episode: "Dial L for Laundry"(1987)
• Quantum Leap (1989)....Allison in episode: "Play It Again, Seymour" (1989)
• Matlock (1986)....Mickey Alder in episode: "The Blackmailer"(1990)
• Murder, She Wrote (1984)....Bonnie Jenks Hastings in episode: "Prodigal Father, (1991)
• L.A. Law (1986)....Susan Convers in episode: "Speak, Lawyers, for Me" (1991)
• Dark Justice (1991)....Dana Hollister Harrison (1991)
• Space Rangers (1993)....Marla Baker in episode: "Death Before Dishonor"
• Relentless: Mind of a Killer (1993).... Leeann Hardy
• Columbo: It's All In the Game (1993).... Lisa
• Total Security (1997)....Cheryl Bankston in episode: "Pilot"
• Highlander: The Series ....Katherine in episode: "Two of Hearts" (1997)
• Family Law (2000) in episode: "Are You My Father?"
• Relic Hunter (2001)....Carson Inez in episode: "All Choked up"
• NYPD Blue (2002)....Catherine Lowell in episode "Better Laid Than Never"
• She Spies (2002)....Tanya in episode "Spy vs Spies"
• Everwood (2003)....Young Edna
• Nip/Tuck (2007)....Gwen
• Grimm (2011) .... in episode "Let Your Hair Down"
• Criminal Minds (TV series) (2013).... in episode "Alchemy"

Video games

• Pizza Morgana (2009) voice of Abbie Positive
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) voice of Adrianne Avenicci, Aela the Huntress, Bryling, Laila Law-Giver, Legate Rikke, Sorli the Builder and Wolf-Queen Potema, among others.
• Guild Wars 2 voice of female Norn PC
• Darksiders 2 - Muria

Writing

• "Revenge is a Bitch to Swallow." Short story. Published in Forbidden Love Issue 2: Wicked Women.
• My Life With Geeks and Freaks. Autobiography. Published by Yard Dog Press.
• "Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction" Autobiography.

Discography

• Claudia Squared with Claudia Cummings (1996)
• Trying to Forget by The Be Five (1998)
• "Taboo" single (1998, Zard)
• Once Upon a Time (2001, Zard)