Knots Landing - Credited Cast

Credited Cast

Michele Lee (Original cast) as Karen Cooper Fairgate MacKenzie

First married to Sid Fairgate, and later to Mack McKenzie, and the mother of Diana, Eric and Michael Fairgate. She and Mack later adopted Meg, (Laura's daughter with Greg Sumner). Karen worked as a community activist and later proved herself to be a good businesswoman by running Knots Landing Motors and Lotus Point, of which she was a joint-owner with Gary and Abby. (Michele Lee would also become the only cast member to appear in all 344 episodes which was a record for most appearances of a female character on American primetime television. The record was surpassed in 2008 by S. Epatha Merkerson's character on NBC's Law & Order).

Don Murray (Original cast) as William Sidney Fairgate (1979–1981).

Karen's first husband, and the owner of Knots Landing Motors. Hard working, fair and at times stubborn, Sid was the emotional rock of the show during the first two seasons. Sid was killed when his car was sabotaged.

Ted Shackelford (Original cast) as Garrison Arthur "Gary" Ewing.

The son of Jock and Ellie Ewing, first introduced in the TV series Dallas. Gary, the middle Ewing son between J.R. and Bobby, was the family blacksheep and a recovering alcoholic. The true love of Valene's life and father of their daughter Lucy (from Dallas) and twins Bobby & Betsy Ewing. After his arrival in California, he began working for Sid Fairgate at Knots Landing Motors, where he was eventually promoted to vice president. He was later fired by Karen after Sid's death, and his marriage to Val was wrecked by his affair with Abby. After his father (Jock Ewing) died, he inherited $10 million and later married Abby, though the marriage ended after a couple of years. After a relationship with the scheming Jill Bennett, he later remarried Valene. (Ted Shackleford is the only castmember along with Michele Lee to remain in the series throughout its entire run, but he did not appear in every episode)

Joan Van Ark (Original cast) as Valene "Val" Clements Ewing Ewing Gibson Waleska Ewing (1979–1992, 1993).

The true love of Gary's life, she is the mother of his three children, including Dallas' Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton) and twins Bobby & Betsy Ewing. Valene originally came from Tennessee, and married Gary while they were still in their teens, but she was outcast from the Ewing family by J.R.. After she and Gary remarried, they moved to Knots Landing where she became Karen's neighbor and best friend. After their marriage failed again, she later married journalist Ben Gibson, and then psychotic Danny Waleska, before finally marrying Gary for the third time. (Joan Van Ark appears in all but six of the episodes for her 13 seasons, and returned for the series two-part finale in 1993)

Constance McCashin (Original cast) as Laura Avery Sumner (1979–1987).

The wife of Richard Avery, and later, Greg Sumner. Initially an oppressed housewife, she later became a successful real estate agent. Laura died in 1987 of a brain tumor.

John Pleshette (Original cast) as Richard Avery (1979–1983, 1987).

A lawyer, and later a restaurant owner. Unhappily married to Laura, he struggled to assert himself after she launched a successful career in real-estate. In 1982, he suffered a nervous breakdown (where he held Laura hostage at gunpoint) and left town in 1983 without his family, as he and Laura divorced.

Kim Lankford (Original cast) as Ginger Ward (1979–1983).

A kindergarten teacher who wanted to be a singer, she was jealous of her husband's involvement in Ciji Dunne's career.

James Houghton (Original cast) as Kenny Ward (1979–1983).

A young record producer who, at first, cheated on his wife Ginger, but reformed upon the birth of their daughter Erin Molly. Both he and Ginger moved away from Knots Landing in 1983.

Patrick Petersen (Original cast) as Michael Fairgate (1979–1991).

Sid and Karen's younger son who would later have an affair with his brother Eric's wife, Linda.

Claudia Lonow (Original cast) as Diana Fairgate (1979–1984, 1993).

Karen's daughter who fell in love with the evil Chip Roberts (Michael Sabatino). She eventually left Knots Landing to study in New York City.

Julie Harris as Lilimae Clements (1980, 1981–1987).

Valene's mother. Though they'd been estranged for many years, after Lilimae virtually abandoned Valene as a teenager in her quest to become a country singer, Lilimae reappeared in Valene's life during Season 1. In Season 3, she moved in with Valene and Gary, remaining in Knots Landing until Season 7.

Donna Mills as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner (1980–1989, 1993).

Sid's sister, and the neighborhood troublemaker. After divorcing her first husband, Jeff Cunnningham, Abby decided to move to Knots Landing where she began working as a bookkeeper at Knots Landing Motors. She engaged in affairs with Richard, and later Gary, destroying his marriage to Val. Abby then married Gary herself (mainly to get his inheritance) but they divorced a couple of years later, though by this time she was working with both Gary and her former sister-in-law, Karen, as joint-owners of Lotus Point. She later married Greg Sumner (for political reasons) but the marriage lasted only a few months before Abby moved to Japan. Although Abby adored her brother Sid, Abby and Karen rarely got along. Donna Mills appeared in almost all the episodes of the series for her 9 seasons, with the exception of one episode during the 1988–89 season.

Tonya Crowe as Olivia Cunningham Dyer (1980–1990).

Abby's rebellious daughter who became addicted to drugs. She later married mobster's nephew Harold Dyer against her mother's wishes, making Abby cut her off financially.

Kevin Dobson as Marion Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie (1982–1993).

Karen's second husband; an attorney who worked for the Governor's office before opening his own private practice. He first met Karen when he worked as the Federal Prosecutor, helping to catch the men responsible for Sid's death. He later worked for his old classmate, Senator Greg Sumner, at his crime commission though later quit because he could not tolerate Sumner's schemes which led to the pair of them becoming rivals. (From joining the series in Season 4, Kevin Dobson appears in all the episodes of the series with the exception of two, during the final season).

Lisa Hartman as Ciji Dunne (1982–1983)/Cathy Geary Rush (1983–1986).

Ciji and Cathy were both singers. Ciji was murdered, leaving almost everyone in Knots Landing as a suspect. Some months later, Ciji's doppelgänger Cathy Geary showed up after being released from prison.

William Devane as Greg Sumner (1983–1993).

Mack's ex-best friend and classmate who attended law school with him and even offered him a job working for the crime commission. Initially a politician, Greg became a businessman after inheriting his father's corporation. He often plotted with Abby, whom he later married.

Douglas Sheehan as Ben Gibson (1983–1987).

Valene's second husband. He was a journalist, who later worked at Abby's television station but disappeared in South America.

Alec Baldwin as Joshua Rush (1984–1985).

Lilimae's son whom she abandoned as a baby. He was raised by his preacher father and came to Knots Landing as a rather innocent young preacher. He later became a televangelist and married Cathy Geary, but became mentally ill and extremely violent. After he tried to kill Cathy, he accidentally fell off a roof and died.

Teri Austin as Jill Bennett (1985–1989).

An ex-colleague of Mack's and later Gary's mistress who later tried to murder Valene. She accidentally killed herself after locking herself in the trunk of Gary's car so it would seem like he'd kidnapped her.

Nicollette Sheridan as Paige Matheson. (1986–1993).

Mack's daughter with Anne Matheson. She became involved with Greg Sumner (whom she also worked for), police detective Tom Ryan, and also Pierce Lawton who tried to kill her.

Michelle Phillips as Anne Winston Matheson Sumner (1987, 1989, 1990–1993).

Paige's mother and Mack's first love. She initially tried to split up Mack and Karen, but after failing she turned her attentions to Greg and also attempted to cheat Paige out of her inheritance from her grandfather.

Larry Riley as Frank Williams (1988–1992)

Frank moved to Knots Landing with his wife Pat and daughter Julie as part of the witness protection program. He eventually took a job in Mack's law firm.

Stacy Galina as Kate Whittaker (1990–1993)

Claudia's daughter who resembled Greg's late daughter Mary Frances. She was a semi-professional tennis player, but broke her arm which ended her budding career. She later became romantically involved with Gary Ewing.

Kathleen Noone as Claudia Sumner Whittaker (1990–1993)

Greg Sumner's sister, who moved to town under the guise of accompanying her daughter for college; in reality, she wanted to meddle in Greg's affairs.