The Unappreciated Actor Files #1: Corinne Bohrer

Sometimes an actor who is just starting out in his or her career will, for one reason or another, make a big impression on me. Sometimes they go on to great things; sometimes they don't. But even if--maybe especially if?--their careers end up describing a shallower trajectory, I always retain an interest in them, noting whenever they show up in a movie or TV show and wondering why the Fates awarded them their particular destiny.

I first noticed Corinne Bohrer when she co-starred on the 1984-85 sitcom E/R. If you've heard of the show, chances are it's because you read an article about George Clooney, noting the odd coincidence that he starred in the sitcom E/R years before hitting the big time on the drama ER. E/R ran for just one season, but I seem to recall it was a fairly decent show. (It doesn't appear to be online anywhere, so I can't really be sure, and about the only specific things I remember are 1) Lou Rawls sang the theme song, and 2) the obligatory catchphrase was spoken by the intake nurse, who, when people got too close to her desk, would yell at them to "Stay back of the white line!"). Certainly the show had a strong cast; the lead roles were played by Elliott Gould and Mary McDonnell, and Jason Alexander was a member of the supporting ensemble along with Clooney.

But it was Bohrer, playing a pediatric nurse with a thing for Gould, who caught my fancy, with her big sunny smile and goofy charm. I thought she was adorable, and she became the main reason I tuned in to the show each week. When it was canceled, I thought for sure that goofy charm and her considerable screen presence would lead to her snagging a major role in another show.

Sure enough, she turned up a few years later as the star of a sitcom called Free Spirit. If you've heard of that show, chances are it's because you're a fan of Alyson Hannigan and you know that it was her first regular TV job. Hannigan played the middle child of a Saget-esque widower dad (seriously, check out the clip below--dude is totally Saget Lite) who hires Bohrer to look after his brood. Unbeknownst to him, she's a witch! But you know, the friendly, kooky kind. Throw in a hunky older brother and a precocious, bemulleted younger one, and you've got yourself the makings of a TV classic, right? Alas, Free Spirit could not even be called "fairly decent". It was dire, in that particularly '80s way. Mix together every sad, soul-killing sitcom cliché you can think of, throw in an extra handful of hideous hairdos and a retina-scorching fluorescent color scheme, and you've pretty much got the gist of it. Even the combined charm of Bohrer and Hannigan couldn't elevate it, and it was canceled midway through its first season.

There's no DVD set and there probably never will be, which actually bums me a little bit. I'd kind of like to revisit the show and see how it compares with the likes of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, as all three series center on magical women, their relationships with non-magical men, and the difficulties that arise as the women attempt to suppress their powers and negotiate life in the "straight", patriarchal world. From a feminist perspective, there's clearly a lot of rich ground to be tilled there. But anyway, that's another post. For now, let's take a look at a clip from the Halloween episode of Free Spirit. This is actually the second act, which I'm showing you because it also includes an appearance by erstwhile child actor and current Rilo Kiley frontwoman and critics' darling Jenny Lewis. (By the way, Jenny: nice job having the same bangs for 20 years.) I thought about explaining the set-up of the episode, but if you've ever watched a sitcom, I think you'll figure it out.



My, Corinne was certainly rocking those tails, was she not? *Ahem* Well, clearly Free Spirit was not the big break it might have been for her, and since then her career has been a string of guest spots, failed pilots, and commercials. In fact, by my estimate she currently appears in approximately 75% of all commercials on the air. There's nothing wrong with that, of course--she continues to make a living in her chosen profession, which is more than most of us can say. But every time she's onscreen, I can't help seeing the wasted potential. E/R demonstrated her comedic skills, and recurring roles as the mother of a terminally ill boy on Joan of Arcadia and as Veronica's alcoholic, absentee mom on Veronica Mars showed she could be equally memorable in dramatic parts. I'll continue to take notice whenever she appears on my TV screen--and I'll continue hoping some producer or casting director will finally give her a role that's worthy of her.