Teri Hatcher Movies
A star of television and feature films, Teri Hatcher also holds the distinction of being the woman whose photographs were most frequently downloaded from the Internet in the late '90s. With her brunette hair, beautiful brown eyes, mischievous smile, and petite but curvaceous figure, it isn't difficult to imagine why. While Hatcher could probably thrive for years as a virtual pinup, there is more to her than drop-dead gorgeous looks. The daughter of a physicist and a computer programmer, she initially studied math and engineering at a San Francisco area community college before the acting bug bit. She later enrolled at the American Conservatory Theatre. At age 20, she was a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers. Hatcher made her television debut in 1985, playing Amy, one of the singing/dancing Mermaids on the revived anthology series Love Boat. Shortly thereafter, she became a regular on the action-adventure series MacGyver and more guest-starring roles on other shows followed. She made her feature film debut co-starring in the Hollywood satire The Big Picture (1989). Subsequent film appearances include a small but memorable turn as Sylvester Stallone's kid sister in Tango and Cash (1989). However, while Hatcher's career as a supporting actress was puttering along nicely, she did not become a bona fide star until 1993, after she was selected to star opposite Dean Cain in the television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, an attempt at a more sophisticated look at Superman and Lois Lane. The show developed a loyal following and remained popular until Lois and Superman married in early 1997. The ratings dropped dramatically and the show was cancelled. Syndicated repeats, however, continued airing on cable television. Hatcher is also still in demand as a guest star and has appeared on a variety of programs, including a memorable episode of Seinfeld that focused on whether or not her perfect bosom was real or silicone (it's real). With the success of Lois and Clark, Hatcher's film career picked up and she subsequently appeared in films ranging from the thriller Heaven's Prisoners (1996) to the James Bond adventure Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1993
- R
Andrew Dice Clay trades in dumb yucks for numchucks in Brainsmasher: A Love Story as Ed Molloy, a part-time comic and bouncer who takes on a belligerent gang of ninjas. The story kicks in when supermodel Samantha Crains (Teri Hatcher) receives a red lotus flower from her sister that has to be delivered to Seattle. Samantha makes the delivery only to find that her sister is has been held captive by Shaolin Monks who want the red lotus because it contains "the key to the ultimate power." The two sisters manage to escape the clutches of the mad monks but the Shaolins immediately give chase. Samantha runs into Ed's nightclub, where he prevents her from entering, but when the monks come to get her, Ed holds them off. Impressed by Ed's brawn, she hires him to protect her. The chase continues as Ed and Samantha run from the ever one-step-behind ninjas, climaxing in an extended battle in a go-go bar. During the fight, Ed is captured by the Shaolin monks and Samantha and her sister have to decide whether they should exchange the red lotus flower for Ed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Dice Clay, Teri Hatcher, (more)
The first season of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman borrows just enough from its comic-book source material to satisfy dyed-in-the-wool Superman buffs while adding several novel and surprising twists of its own. Fresh from the rural community of Smallville, handsome country bumpkin Clark Kent (Dean Cain) lands a job as reporter for the "Daily Planet," the biggest and most influential newspaper in Metropolis. Dyspeptic editor Perry White (Lane Smith) decides to team Clark with the paper's star reporter, the sophisticated, career-obsessed Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). Though openly contemptuous of Clark in the early episodes, Lois gradually develops a strong affection for the earnest young novice. Still, it appears that she would much rather romance the mysterious "man of steel," Superman, who has saved Metropolis (and herself) from a variety of grisly fates on innumerable occasions. It never dawns on Lois that the bespectacled Clark Kent and the muscular Superman are actually the same person; this secret is shared only between Clark and his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent (K Callan, Eddie Jones) -- who, for their part, have never told Clark the whole story of how he had come to Earth as an infant in a spaceship from the doomed planet Krypton. Superman's origins are but a few of the hitherto unknown facts revealed to Clark during season one; another is the dangerous effect that Kryptonite, a metal derived from his home planet, can have on Superman and his powers. Making regular appearances during the series' first season are Michael Landes as "Daily Planet" cub reporter and photographer Jimmy Olsen; Tracy Scoggins as gossip columnist Catherine "Cat" Grant, Lois' chief rival for Clark's affections; and John Shea as billionaire philanthropist Lex Luthor, whose secret life as a master villain goes undetected by everyone except Superman. Indeed, at the end of season one, the unsuspecting Lois, continually frustrated in her efforts to attract Clark's attention, is on the verge of marrying Lex -- while Superman, racing to the wedding with evidence of Lex's perfidy, is enmeshed in a deadly Kryptonite trap! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teri Hatcher, Dean Cain, (more)
Once Teri Hatcher hit it big on the TV series Lois and Clark, several of her less memorable earlier projects began popping out of the woodwork. The R-rated The Cool Surface is listed as a 1993 film, but one wonders. Hatcher plays Dani Payson, a beautiful aspiring actress and neighbor to playwright Jarvis Scott (Robert Patrick). Jarvis observes Dani as she and her live-in lover alternately have sex and argue violently. He begins to have his own fantasies about Dani and is inspired to base one of his characters on her. The ambitious Dani finds out about his novel, then campaigns to win the lead in Scott's upcoming film. Cool Surface evidently wasn't cool enough to prevent certain well-proportioned members of the cast from baring all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Dolly Parton and James Woods as the screen's hottest new romantic team? That's only one of several casting surprises in this romantic comedy. Shirlee Kenyon (Dolly Parton) has had enough of life in her small Arkansas town, not to mention her small-minded Arkansas boyfriend Steve (Michael Madsen). So she decides to head for the big city of Chicago, where she applies for a job as a receptionist at a talk radio station. However, she arrives at the studios just as the staff are frantically searching for the psychiatrist hired to host a call-in show for people seeking advice with their personal problems. Shirlee is put on the air by mistake, and, while she lacks a degree in psychology, she has common sense to spare, and her no-nonsense advice makes the show a hit. Soon "Doctor Shirlee" is the talk of the town, but reporter Jack Russell (James Woods) senses that she might not be all she's supposed to be. Jack does some investigating and finds out the truth about Shirlee, but by this time the two have met and he's fallen in love with her. Will Jack obey his responsibilities as a journalist, or follow his heart? Straight Talk's supporting cast includes filmmaker John Sayles, monologist Spalding Gray, actor and producer Griffin Dunne, and future Lois Lane Teri Hatcher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Parton, James Woods, (more)
In the comedic farce Soapdish, the behind-the-scenes lives of several soap opera actors are just as melodramatic as those of their television counterparts. Sally Field stars as Celeste Talbert, the star of a declining TV show. To make matters worse, Talbert's career is thrown into turmoil when her rival, Montana Moorehead (Cathy Moriarty), tries to persuade producer David Barnes (Robert Downey Jr.) to write Talbert off the show. Smitten by Moorehead, Barnes comes up with a scheme to get Talbert off the show by hiring her niece Lori (Elisabeth Shue) and then Jeffrey (Kevin Kline), an old flame and cast member who was written out of the show 20 years prior. Soon, mayhem rules on the set as the cast and crew tangle, culminating in a special episode, broadcast live. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Field, Kevin Kline, (more)
- 1991
Made for cable TV, this thriller finds a lawyer (Bryan Brown) plotting the murder of his wealthy wife so he can make off with his secretary. The wrong person ends up dead, however, and he finds himself accused of the crime. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Teri Hatcher, (more)
- 1990
After tersely informing the "FYI" newsroom that the new fax machine is not to be used for personal messages, an embarrassed Miles (Grant Shaud) receives a faxed love letter from a "Ms. X." Taking it upon herself to be Miles' "Cyrano", Murphy (Candice Bergen signs Miles' name to a return fax that is every bit as romantic, if not more so. If only she'd informed Miles of her "favor." In addition to a pre-Desperate Housewives appearance by Teri Hatcher, this episode also features a very funny "Dan Quayle" joke--and this before the Vice President had even said "boo" about Murphy Brown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Sylvester Stallone tries his luck with his first cop buddy movie in Tango and Cash, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Stallone is Ray Tango, a Los Angeles narcotics cop who dresses in fancy suits, wears wire-rim glasses, and talks to his stockbroker more than he talks to his mother. Kurt Russell is Gabriel Cash, another Los Angeles narcotics cop who has long, disheveled blonde hair and dresses in worn-out sweatshirts. Together, Tango and Cash are the two best narcs in LA, which causes drug baron Yves Perret (Jack Palance) no end of distress. Since Yves controls a billion-dollar drug empire, Tango and Cash have to be taken out of the picture in some way. So Yves arranges for Tango and Cash to be framed for a crime. But the duo accepts a plea bargain that will give them 18 months in a minimum-security prison. Unfortunately, Yves arranges for their destination to be diverted to a maximum-security hell-hole where Yves's minions proceed to torture Tango and Cash --although they still have time to trade quips with each other. Ultimately, they escape from their torture chamber and seek out Yves and his gang. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, (more)
Another "get even with Hollywood" satire in the tradition of SOB and Movers and Shakers, The Big Picture is an elongated inside joke complete with un-billed celebrity cameos. In this first feature-film directorial effort by actor/writer Christopher Guest, Kevin Bacon plays a "boy wonder" director whose willingness to compromise his ideals allows him to keep afloat in Tinseltown. Bacon's corruption begins when his first Hollywood project, a black-and-white experimental film about an over-40 menage a trois, is distorted beyond recognition into a color, big-budget "youth trip". Bacon hasn't really sold out; he's merely waiting to accrue enough industry clout to strike back at the Philistines in charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Emily Longstreth, (more)
- 1988
The title character in this tongue-in-cheek Next Generation entry is a charming scoundrel named Captain Thadiun Okona, played by William O. Campbell. The skipper of a disabled space vessel, Okona is accused of being a jewel thief and, even worse, an insatiable womanizer. Meanwhile, Data, in his never-ending efforts to become a full human being, tries to understand the concept of humor with the help of a 20th century stand-up comedian (Joe Piscopo). Also appearing in this hectic episode is future Lois and Clark leading lady Teri Hatcher, in a tiny role as a transporter technician. Written by Burton Armus, Les Menchen, Lance Dickson, and David Landsberg, "The Outrageous Okana" was first telecast on December 17, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Harry (Harry Anderson) is crushed when his boyhood idol, TV western hero "Red Ranger" (Robert V. Barron), is hauled into court when he ignores a legal order to take off his trademark mask. But it may be the Red Ranger is who ends up crushed when threatens to commit "suicide by air conditioner." Meanwhile, Dan risks committing professional suicide when he is attracted to Kitty (future Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher), the very sexy--and very off-limits--niece of his nasty boss Vincent Daniels (Daniel Frishman). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
