Diana Muldaur Bio
Diana Muldaur (born August 19, 1938) is an American film and television actress whose career spans stage, screen, and television. Known for her versatility, she has played a wide range of dramatic roles across series television and feature films. Diana Muldaur is widely recognized for portraying Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law and Dr. Katherine Pulaski on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and she has appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series. Born in Brooklyn and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, she studied acting in New York and Virginia before building a steady career beginning in the early 1960s. She earned Emmy nominations for her work on L.A. Law in 1990 and 1991, and she has held leadership roles within major industry organizations.
Early Life and Background
Diana Muldaur was born on August 19, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. She was raised on Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, where she first discovered her interest in performance. She began acting in high school and continued training through her college years, building the foundation that would support a long professional career. Her early environment, split between urban New York and the close-knit island community, exposed her to a wide variety of people and stories that later informed her acting choices.
After completing her preparatory schooling, Diana Muldaur attended Sweet Briar College, a small, private women’s liberal arts college in central Virginia. She graduated from Sweet Briar College in 1960. While in college and shortly afterward, she studied acting under the respected teacher Stella Adler. She also made her name on the New York stage during this period, performing in live theater productions that sharpened her craft. Diana Muldaur is the older sister of singer-songwriter Geoff Muldaur, who was married to singer Maria Muldaur, and she is the aunt of musicians Jenni Muldaur and Clare Muldaur-Manchon.
Path to Acting
Diana Muldaur began her professional career in 1962, building credits in television during a particularly active era for the medium. Her early television appearances included guest spots on shows such as Bonanza, I Spy, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, The Invaders, Mannix, Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, The F.B.I., and The Virginian. These roles helped her develop a reputation as a reliable and skilled guest performer, capable of stepping into a variety of dramatic situations. A collaboration with actor Burt Reynolds began when she appeared in the 1966 series Hawk, and the two later worked together on The F.B.I. and Dan August.
In 1965, Diana Muldaur landed a role as Ann Wicker on the CBS daytime soap opera The Secret Storm. She followed that with a five-episode arc as Jeannie Orloff in the final season of the NBC medical drama Dr. Kildare. Her early years were marked by steady work and growing recognition, including a 1967 guest appearance on the western Gunsmoke alongside James Arness. By the end of the 1960s, she had established herself as a versatile presence on American television and was ready to take on larger projects.
Diana Muldaur Career
Early Career (1960s)
Diana Muldaur’s first major role came as Belle in the ABC primetime serial Harold Robbins’ The Survivors (1970). The series, which was intended as a comeback vehicle for Hollywood star Lana Turner, was cancelled early in the 1970 season after 15 episodes. Despite the short run, the role placed her in a high-profile primetime slot and gave producers a clearer view of her abilities. In 1968, she appeared in two episodes of the original Star Trek, playing astrobiologist Lieutenant Commander Dr. Ann Mulhall in “Return to Tomorrow” and psychologist Dr. Miranda Jones in “Is There in Truth No Beauty?” Her work on those episodes led to a lasting friendship with series creator Gene Roddenberry, who later cast her in additional projects.
Following the cancellation of The Survivors, Diana Muldaur accepted a series of supporting roles in motion pictures. These included The Swimmer (1968) with Burt Lancaster, the football film Number One (1969), the psychological thriller The Other (1972) with Uta Hagen, Sidney J. Furie’s The Lawyer (1970), One More Train to Rob (1971) with George Peppard, and the John Wayne crime drama McQ (1974). She also appeared in the ensemble apocalypse thriller Chosen Survivors (1974) with Jackie Cooper, Richard Jaeckel, and Barbara Babcock. In 1977, she played Elaine Mati, the wife of a mentally unstable doctor played by Telly Savalas, in the independent film Beyond Reason.
Breakthrough (1970s–1980s)
Throughout the 1970s, Diana Muldaur built a strong roster of recurring and guest television roles. She had a recurring role on the seven-season Dennis Weaver mystery series McCloud as Chris Coughlin, McCloud’s love interest, appearing in the 1970 pilot and making 16 appearances through April 1977. She reprised the role for the 1989 reunion movie The Return of Sam McCloud. She played Judge Eleanor Hooper on The Tony Randall Show from 1976 to 1978, and she guest-starred on shows including The Rockford Files, Police Woman, Quincy M.E., The Streets of San Francisco, The Love Boat, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, and The Incredible Hulk, where she played Helen Banner, the sister of David Banner, in 1979.
In 1974, Diana Muldaur was cast as conservationist Joy Adamson in the NBC television drama Born Free, a series about Elsa the Lioness. Filming took place in Kenya with co-star Gary Collins, and the series lasted one season. She also starred with David Huddleston in the short-lived 1979 NBC sitcom Hizzonner, playing the mayor’s secretary, Ginny, for seven episodes. She appeared as Dr. Alice Foley on the NBC drama A Year in the Life, a critical success that also featured Richard Kiley and Sarah Jessica Parker. In 1973, she co-starred in the television film Call to Danger as Carrie Donovon, and in 1974 she starred in The Wonderful World of Disney presentation of Hog Wild!.
For the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry chose Diana Muldaur specifically to replace the outgoing Gates McFadden. She was cast to play Dr. Katherine Pulaski, the new chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise, appearing in 20 episodes during the 1988–1989 season. Producer Rick Berman explained the choice by saying the show “needed someone with a little more of an edge,” and described Pulaski as “a strong, confident woman with an edge who can hold her own with Captain Picard.” Diana Muldaur found the syndicated experience difficult and left after one season, though she later said the role gave her a loyal fan base.
Diana Muldaur earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for her role as the lawyer Rosalind Shays on the NBC drama L.A. Law. The character was created by prolific writer David E. Kelley and became one of the show’s most talked-about figures. A surprising scene in which Roz and Leland are seen in bed together was ranked as the 38th-greatest moment in television in an issue of EGG magazine, and the character’s fatal exit from the show, falling down an elevator shaft, became a defining television moment. Castmate Jill Eikenberry later said the L.A. Law company loved the dynamic between Diana Muldaur and Richard Dysart and were sad to see her leave.
Notable Works and Milestones
Diana Muldaur’s signature works include L.A. Law, Star Trek: The Next Generation, McCloud, and the television drama Born Free. She earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1990 and 1991. She was also the first woman to serve as president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, holding the position from 1983 to 1985, and she served at one point as a board member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Diana Muldaur Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Diana Muldaur has earned recognition from major television industry organizations for her supporting performances. She received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law, in 1990 and 1991. These nominations reflect her standing within the television community during a competitive era for drama series.
Diana Muldaur Awards Won
Diana Muldaur’s career has been marked by industry recognition and leadership rather than a large collection of competitive on-screen awards. Beyond her Emmy nominations, she made history as the first woman to serve as president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, holding the position from 1983 to 1985. She also served at one point as a board member of the Screen Actors Guild, contributing to the governance of her profession.
Diana Muldaur Family
Diana Muldaur is the older sister of singer-songwriter Geoff Muldaur, who was the former husband of singer Maria Muldaur. She is also the aunt of singer-songwriters Jenni Muldaur and Clare Muldaur-Manchon. Her family has produced several generations of musicians and performers, and she has spoken about the close ties that connect them.
Personal Life
Diana Muldaur was married to actor James Vickery, her co-star on The Secret Storm, until his death from cancer in 1979. She later married writer and producer Robert Dozier, the son of producer William Dozier, who died of prostate cancer in 2012. She lived in Los Angeles from 1970 to 1991, the city where she built much of her television career. She is a former Airedale Terrier breeder and owner, and she has spoken about her ambition to play great women’s roles, including Lady Macbeth.