Karen Duffy
Encyclopedia
Karen Duffy is an American model
, television
personality, and actress.
, the daughter of Carol, a homemaker, and Phil Duffy, a developer. She attended Park Ridge High School
in Park Ridge, New Jersey
, graduating in 1979. She received a bachelors degree in recreational therapy from the University of Colorado
.
in the early 1990s as "Duff." Since then she has had small roles in a handful of films including Dumb & Dumber
, and by 1995 she was working as a correspondent for documentary film-maker Michael Moore
on his television shows TV Nation
and The Awful Truth
. Duffy currently hosts House of Tiny Terrors on TLC.
On July 7, 2007, she appeared on the Live Earth
telecast on the Bravo Channel as a co-host at Giants Stadium
, East Rutherford, New Jersey
, United States.
In 2008, Duffy began working with New York City's NYCTV
through a series of emergency preparedness videos, based on the network's hit TV show, Secrets of New York
. The videos, which mimic the unique style of the network's Emmy-award winning series are an attempt by City officials to raise awareness of the perils of natural disasters and preventative actions families should take to prepare for them.
. In her case, this affected her brain (neurosarcoidosis
), leaving her partially paralyzed. She has so far battled it with a sense of humor, as is evident from her 2000 autobiography Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Ass.
After the diagnosis she continued to model for Revlon
and married John Lambros in 1997. They have since had a son named Jack "Lefty" Lambros.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality, and actress.
Early life
Duffy was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the daughter of Carol, a homemaker, and Phil Duffy, a developer. She attended Park Ridge High School
Park Ridge High School
Park Ridge High School is a six-year comprehensive public high school with an integrated two-year middle school located in the borough of Park Ridge in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Park Ridge Public Schools. The school is accredited by the New Jersey Department...
in Park Ridge, New Jersey
Park Ridge, New Jersey
Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Park Ridge had a population of 8,645 as of the 2010 United States Census....
, graduating in 1979. She received a bachelors degree in recreational therapy from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.
Film and television career
By 1989, she was modeling and appearing in television commercials and would become a VJ for MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the early 1990s as "Duff." Since then she has had small roles in a handful of films including Dumb & Dumber
Dumb & Dumber
Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 picaresque or buddy comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, the film follows the cross-country trek of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two good-natured but incredibly moronic friends...
, and by 1995 she was working as a correspondent for documentary film-maker Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
on his television shows TV Nation
TV Nation
Production on the pilot episode of TV Nation began in January 1993. Moore initially turned to friends and colleagues in many production areas, while also making a point to ensure the show's employees were unionized. For the show's title sequence, graphic designer Chris Harvey put together the...
and The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth (TV series)
The Awful Truth was a satirical television show that was directed, written, and hosted by filmmaker Michael Moore, and funded by the British broadcaster Channel 4.-Format:...
. Duffy currently hosts House of Tiny Terrors on TLC.
On July 7, 2007, she appeared on the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
telecast on the Bravo Channel as a co-host at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
, East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, United States.
In 2008, Duffy began working with New York City's NYCTV
NYCTV
NYC TV is a group of Government-access television broadcast and cable TV channels operated by NYC Media Group, a division of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications...
through a series of emergency preparedness videos, based on the network's hit TV show, Secrets of New York
Secrets of New York
Secrets of New York is the all-time most recognized television program in the history of the New York Tri-State television market, having won 16 Emmy Awards since 2006 on top of over 50 Emmy nominations...
. The videos, which mimic the unique style of the network's Emmy-award winning series are an attempt by City officials to raise awareness of the perils of natural disasters and preventative actions families should take to prepare for them.
Personal life
Duffy was leading a relatively carefree youth in the heyday of her modeling career when in 1995 she was diagnosed with the relatively rare disease sarcoidosisSarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis , also called sarcoid, Besnier-Boeck disease or Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease, is a disease in which abnormal collections of chronic inflammatory cells form as nodules in multiple organs. The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown...
. In her case, this affected her brain (neurosarcoidosis
Neurosarcoidosis
Neurosarcoidosis refers to sarcoidosis, a condition of unknown cause featuring granulomas in various tissues, involving the central nervous system . It can have many manifestations, but abnormalities of the cranial nerves are the most common...
), leaving her partially paralyzed. She has so far battled it with a sense of humor, as is evident from her 2000 autobiography Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Ass.
After the diagnosis she continued to model for Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
and married John Lambros in 1997. They have since had a son named Jack "Lefty" Lambros.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
McBain McBain (film) McBain is a 1991 action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It is about an ex-soldier who reunites his old army buddies in order to get revenge on a Colombian dictator who killed his old friend, a freedom fighter. McBain starred Christopher Walken, María Conchita Alonso and Michael... |
Crack Den Girl | Film Debut |
| 29th Street 29th street 29th Street may refer to:*Twenty Ninth Street *Twenty Ninth Street *29th Street - a 1991 film by George Gallo... |
Maria Rios | ||
| 1992 1992 in film The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards... |
Malcolm X Malcolm X (film) Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo... |
Sophia's Friend | |
| 1993 1993 in film The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:... |
Who's the Man? Who's the Man? Who's the Man? is a 1993 comedy film, directed by Ted Demme. The film stars Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists., it features dozens of cameo appearances from some of the top rap/hip-hop acts of the time, including Busta Rhymes, Eric B., House of Pain, Ice-T,... |
Officer Day | |
| Last Action Hero Last Action Hero Last Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film.... |
Herself | ||
| 1994 1994 in film 1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time... |
Blank Check Blank Check (film) Blank Check is a 1994 film directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, Tone Lōc, Michael Lerner and James Rebhorn and released by Walt Disney Pictures.-Plot:... |
Shay Stanley | |
| Reality Bites Reality Bites Reality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin... |
Elaina (Actress) | ||
| Dumb & Dumber Dumb & Dumber Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 picaresque or buddy comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, the film follows the cross-country trek of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two good-natured but incredibly moronic friends... |
J.P. Shay | ||
| 1996 1996 in film Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:... |
Memory Run Memory Run Memory Run is a 1996 action film set in the year 2015, starring Karen Duffy. It is based on the novel Season of the Witch , by Hank Stine, who is now Jean Marie Stine.... |
Celeste/Josette | |
| 1997 1997 in film -Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*... |
Nothing Sacred | Unknown Role | |
| Fool's Paradise | DJ | ||
| Meet Wally Sparks Meet Wally Sparks Meet Wally Sparks is a comedy film released in 1997 by Trimark Pictures. It stars Rodney Dangerfield and was directed by Peter Baldwin.-Plot:... |
Reporter #3 | ||
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
Celebrity Celebrity (film) Celebrity is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot:... |
TV Reporter at Premiere | |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
The 24 Hour Woman The 24 Hour Woman The 24 Hour Woman is a 1999 film directed and co-written by Nancy Savoca. The film was shot on location in New York City.-Plot:Grace struggles to be both a successful television producer and mother.-Principal cast:... |
Margo Lynn | |
| 2002 2002 in film The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of... |
A Smile Gone, But Where | Woman | |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
Marmalade Marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var... |
Karen | |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Crafty Crafty Crafty is a chess program written by UAB professor Dr. Robert Hyatt. It is directly derived from Cray Blitz, winner of the 1983 and 1986 World Computer Chess Championships.... |
Host | TV Movie |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Fantastic Mr. Fox Fantastic Mr. Fox Fantastic Mr Fox is a children's novel written by British author Roald Dahl. It was published in 1970 by George Allen & Unwin in the UK and Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S., with illustrations by Donald Chaffin. The book was later published with new illustrations by Jill Bennett, Tony Ross and Quentin... |
Linda Otter | Voice |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 1991 in television For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:... |
Fade to Black | Unknown Role | Unknown episode(s) |
| 1997 1997 in television The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don... |
The Big Easy | Wanda Fallon | 1 episode |
| 1999 1999 in television The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:... –2000 2000 in television The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:... |
Pepper Ann Pepper Ann Pepper Ann is an American animated series created by Sue Rose and aired on ABC. It debuted on September 13, 1997.Pepper Ann starred cartoon adolescents and charted their ups and downs at Hazelnut Middle School. It aired as part of the Disney's One Saturday Morning block... |
Sketch | Recurring Role |
External links
- Former MTV VJ tells of battle with chronic illness, by Kat Carney. September 19, 2003, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
.com. - COURTTV.COM ONAIR
- Bravo TV Live Earth Bio