Susan Howard Bio
Jeri Lynn Mooney, known professionally as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist whose career in television has spanned more than two decades. She is best remembered for her portrayal of Donna Culver Krebbs on the long-running prime-time drama Dallas, a role she held from 1979 to 1987, and for her co-starring turn on the legal series Petrocelli between 1974 and 1976. Beyond acting, she has built a parallel reputation as a screenwriter and a vocal advocate for conservative causes, particularly in the area of gun rights.
Born in Marshall, Texas, and raised in the same community, Howard later relocated to Los Angeles to study acting and ultimately built a career that bridged dramatic television, screenwriting, and public advocacy. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America and contributed teleplays to Dallas itself, making her the only cast member of that show known to have also written for it.
Early Life and Background
Jeri Lynn Mooney was born in 1942 in Marshall, Texas, a small East Texas city that would remain a touchstone throughout her early years. She is the daughter of Cassell C. Mooney and Melba Ruth “Peg” Mooney, and she has an older brother named James. The family is of Irish ancestry, with roots traced to the county of Cork, a heritage that helped shape the close-knit household in which she was raised.
From a young age, Mooney stood out for her acting ability in local school productions. While attending Marshall High School, she won a University Interscholastic League award for Best Actress, an early signal of the dramatic talent she would later refine in professional settings. After graduating from Marshall High School in 1960, she enrolled at the University of Texas, where she spent two years studying drama and joined the Gamma Phi Beta sorority before deciding to pursue acting full-time in Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, she trained at the Los Angeles Repertory Company, sharpening her stage craft and preparing for a career in television. She adopted the stage name Susan Howard because her father had long nicknamed her Susie, and Howard was a family name on her mother’s side.
Path to Acting
Howard’s professional career in television began in 1966, when she started booking guest roles on a string of popular series of the era. Her early credits included appearances on The Flying Nun in 1967 and I Dream of Jeannie in 1968, roles that introduced her to national audiences and to the rhythms of weekly television production.
She also appeared on Star Trek in 1968, playing the character Mara in the episode “Day of the Dove,” a part notable for being the first female Klingon to appear on the original series and the only such Klingon ever to speak. She went on to guest on Bonanza in 1969, Mannix in 1969, Mission: Impossible in 1972, and Columbo in 1972, building a résumé that spanned science fiction, westerns, crime dramas, and adventure shows.
In 1973, she joined the cast of the western drama Griff in the episode “Who Framed Billy the Kid?” alongside a young Nick Nolte. That guest spot led, the following year, to the casting opportunity that would define her early career: the co-starring role on Petrocelli.
Susan Howard Career
Early Career (1966–1973)
During her first years in Hollywood, Susan Howard concentrated on guest appearances across a wide range of network television series. These roles allowed her to work with established casts and crews while demonstrating the dramatic range that would soon earn her a series regular position.
Highlights of this period included her 1968 turn on Star Trek, her performances in two of the most popular fantasy shows of the decade, The Flying Nun and I Dream of Jeannie, and dramatic guest spots on crime series such as Mannix and Mission: Impossible. By the time Petrocelli came calling in 1974, she had already established herself as a versatile and dependable television actress.
Breakthrough (1974–1987)
In 1974, Susan Howard was cast as the female lead opposite Barry Newman on Petrocelli, a legal drama that ran for two seasons. Her performance drew critical acclaim and earned her both a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy nomination. Despite the recognition, the series was cancelled in 1976, ending her first extended run as a series regular.
In 1978, she appeared as Professor Kingsfield’s daughter Susan in season 1, episode 10 of The Paper Chase, a single-season drama based on the John Jay Osborn novel. The following year, in 1979, she guest-starred on Dallas as Donna Culver, a role that the producers expanded into a contract part after they were impressed by her work.
That guest spot grew into an eight-year stint as Donna Culver Krebbs, making Howard a fixture of one of the most-watched dramas of the 1980s. Her time on Dallas also opened the door to a parallel career as a screenwriter, and she wrote two episodes of the series, “Sitting Ducks” and “The Ten Percent Solution.” She remains the only Dallas cast member to have also written for the show. Her contract was not renewed in 1987, a decision she has publicly linked to her opposition to storylines she viewed as sympathetic to abortion.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across the 1970s and 1980s, Susan Howard built a body of work that ranged from genre television to prime-time drama. Her Petrocelli run earned her both a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination, while her eight-year tenure on Dallas cemented her status as a recognizable face of the era. Her dual contributions to Dallas as both actress and writer remain a distinctive milestone in her career.
Susan Howard Award Nominations
During her career, Susan Howard received recognition from both the Golden Globe and Emmy organizations for her performance on Petrocelli. Her work on that series was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy, placing her among the recognized dramatic performers of her era despite the show’s relatively short run.
Susan Howard Awards Won
Publicly verifiable records do not show major award wins for Susan Howard’s television work.
Susan Howard Family
Susan Howard was born into the Mooney family of Marshall, Texas. Her parents are Cassell C. Mooney and Melba Ruth “Peg” Mooney, and she has an older brother named James. The family traces its ancestry to Cork, Ireland, a background that shaped the close-knit community in which she was raised.
Personal Life
Susan Howard was married to actor Charles Howerton from 1962 to 1964. The couple had one daughter, Lynn. In 1974, she married independent film executive Calvin Chrane, and the two have since made their home in Boerne, Texas, where they have lived since 1998. A longtime member of the Writers Guild of America, Howard contributed two teleplays to Dallas during her time on the series.