- Born
- Birth nameMary Frances Crosby
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Mary Crosby was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant. She received her Actor's Equity card, at the age of four, and made her first professional appearances, in the company of her siblings, in her father's popular Christmas-season TV specials of the 60s and 70s. After graduating from high school at age 15, she entered the University of Texas at Austin, where she became a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. Ms. Crosby may be best-known for her role as "Kristin Shepard" on the now legendary television drama series, Dallas (1978). Ms. Crosby feature film credits include Henry Jaglom's Eating (1990), The Ice Pirates (1984), Tapeheads (1988), The Legend of Zorro (2005) and more recently, Jaglom's Queen of the Lot (2010), in which she played Peter Bogdanovich's wife. She followed that with Just 45 Minutes from Broadway (2012) and, most recently, The M Word (2014). Ms. Crosby has many stage credits to her name, including "The Seagull" ( Nina), "As You Like It", "Two Gentleman of Verona" and "Romeo and Juliet". Ms. Crosby's many television credits include the ABC miniseries, Hollywood Wives (1985), North & South: Book 2, Love & War (1986) and Stagecoach (1986), with Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. Ms. Crosby resides on a ranch, outside of Los Angeles, with her family, husband Mark Brodka and their two sons.- IMDb Mini Biography By: All-Media PR
- SpousesMark Brodka(1998 - present) (2 children)Eb Lottimer(November 24, 1978 - 1989) (divorced)
- ChildrenBrent BrodkaChristopher Brodka
- Parents
- RelativesHarry Crosby(Sibling)Nathaniel Crosby(Sibling)Gary Crosby(Half Sibling)Phillip Crosby(Half Sibling)Dennis Crosby(Half Sibling)Lindsay Crosby(Half Sibling)Cathy Crosby(Cousin)Chris Crosby(Cousin)Denise Crosby(Niece or Nephew)L. Chip Crosby Jr.(Niece or Nephew)Bob Crosby(Aunt or Uncle)
- Best known as the person who shot J.R. in her role of Kristen Shepherd, in Dallas (1978).
- She made cult TV history by enacting the role of "Kristin Shepard" (Sue Ellen Ewing's scheming sister) on the TV series Dallas (1978). Her character was one of several suspects in the 1980 cliffhanger ending. Shot by an unknown assailant, viewers had to wait the entire summer (and most of the fall due to a Hollywood actors' strike) to learn who J.R.'s assailant was. During the summer, the question, "Who shot J.R.?", was part of water cooler conversations around the world. Ultimately, Crosby's character was revealed as the culprit in the classic episode, Who Done It? (1980), that aired on November 21, 1980. It was one of the highest-rated episodes of a TV show ever aired. Crosby's character later crossed over to the TV series, Knots Landing (1979), and then returned to Dallas (1978) in 1981, where she was eventually found drowned in the Southfork Ranch swimming pool.
- Daughter of Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant
- Her father once appeared on a Barbara Walters program threatening to disown Mary if she ever lived with a man before marrying him. He died in October 1977 and Mary went on live with her first husband, Eb Lottimer before they married in November of 1978.
- Got her Actor's Equity card at the age of four.
- [on Bing Crosby] I've never met anyone in the profession who was so unconcerned about his work. I don't mean he was unprofessional. Quite the contrary. It's just that once he finished a movie or a performance, that was that. He never watched his old movies on TV, always preferring to look at a baseball match, instead.
- I don't think poor Daddy had the vaguest idea of what to do with a girl. He'd had four sons on his first marriage, and I was wedged between Harry and Nathaniel and was a terrible tomboy, beating both of them up until I was eleven -- when they started to beat ME up. Daddy would treat me like a boy -- teaching me to shoot, taking me on safaris to Africa -- and then turn around and get wonderfully befuddled by what he'd just done. 'Wait a minute, I can't take her duck hunting: she's a girl!' And 'What the heck is she doing out there playing football? Oh, yeah ... that's right ... I taught her.'
- I used to give part answers until I realized people could see through them, that there was much more dignity -- for everyone -- in telling the truth.
- The best feedback I ever got on shooting J.R. Ewing was from this angelic little old English lady, who said, 'Why didn't you shoot lower?'
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content