Christopher Norris (born October 7, 1953)[1][2] is a former American Broadway, movie, and television actress. She began acting on Broadway[3] and is probably best known for her portrayal of nurse Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi in the television series Trapper John, M.D.. Early in pregnancy her parents picked the name "Christopher" and decided to name the baby that regardless of its sex.[4] She attended Los Angeles Valley College and, in the 1990s, she broke from acting and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and theater from Antioch University.[5]
Early notable roles include the wild girl Miriam in Summer of '42 (1971),[6] a heroic young flight attendant in the disaster film Airport 1975 (1974), and as a hot girl in Roger Corman's Eat My Dust! (1976).[7] Early in her career, Norris typically played wholesome, "girl next door" types, and, later in her career, she got more "vixen" type roles, including the role of loony Laura Simmons Asher on the daytime soap Santa Barbara. Her other daytime credits include Another World and Guiding Light.
In 1980, Norris married Walter Danley, a businessman and later mystery novelist. They divorced in 1998.[8]
Due to their physical resemblance, Norris is frequently mistaken for Melanie Griffith. Because of this, Griffith was mistakenly interviewed in the 1990s by the British media about acting in Airport 1975.[5]
She designed the exterior and interior of her home, and Christopher Norris nurse uniforms were designed, sold, and proceeds used for nursing scholarships.[4]
