Catherine Hicks
An actress who brought grounded warmth and intelligence to roles ranging from a terrified mother to television's most enduring matriarch.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American actress·Birthday: August 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Catherine Hicks built a career on relatable strength, moving seamlessly between high-stakes drama and comforting domesticity. She first gained attention on daytime television before a star-making turn embodying Marilyn Monroe for a 1980 biopic, a performance that earned her an Emmy nomination and proved her dramatic chops. The 1980s saw her become a familiar face in genre films, facing down a killer doll in 'Child's Play' and joining the crew of the Enterprise in 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' as the forward-thinking marine biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor. Her defining role, however, was one of steadfast normalcy: for eleven seasons, she anchored the family drama '7th Heaven' as Annie Camden, the compassionate heart of America's favorite television household, making her one of the most recognizable moms on TV.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Catherine was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Catherine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Catherine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the 1980 television film 'Marilyn: The Untold Story'.
- Starred as Annie Camden for the entire 11-season run of the family drama '7th Heaven', one of the longest-running series of its kind.
- Played the pivotal role of Karen Barclay, the mother battling the doll Chucky, in the original 1988 horror classic 'Child's Play'.
- Appeared as Dr. Gillian Taylor in 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home', helping to bring the humpback whales to the 23rd century.
Did You Know?
She holds a Master's degree in theology from Cornell University.
Before acting, she was a member of the National Shakespeare Company.
She turned down the role of Diane Chambers on the TV series 'Cheers', which later went to Shelley Long.
Her first major TV role was as Dr. Faith Coleridge on the soap opera 'Ryan's Hope'.
“Playing Marilyn was like holding a lit match next to a portrait; you see the paint begin to blister.”
