Biography
Daytime-drama addicts first became aware of American actress Gail Strickland when she was cast as Dorcas Trilling in the Gothic soaper
Dark Shadows (1966-71). Strickland made her movie debut as villain
Murray Hamilton's put-upon spouse in
The Drowning Pool, sharing the film's soggy "thrill" highlight with star
Paul Newman. She later played significant character roles in films like
Norma Rae (1979) and
Uncommon Valor (1981). On TV, she has been a regular on The Insiders (1985),
What a Country (1986) and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (1992-). In the 1988 weekly series
Heartbeat, Strickland played nurse-practitioner Marilyn McGrath, the first lesbian continuing character in Prime Time television. Gail Strickland continued to tote up impressive film credits into the 1990s, notably
How to Make an American Quilt (1995) and An American President (1995). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide