Krista Errickson
Encyclopedia
Krista Anne Errickson is an American
actress, journalist, and documentary
writer/producer who appeared in films and television productions in the 1980s and 1990s. As a teen actress, she is most recognized for her role as teen antagonist Cinder in the 1980 movie Little Darlings
and the TV series Hello Larry. As an adult, she is best known for her work as an Italian news journalist with RAI
(RadioTelevisioneItaliana).
, Pennsylvania
. She is the granddaughter of Broadway set designer, Jo Mielziner
, considered one of the most influential theatre designers of the 20th century, designing the scenery and often the lighting for more than 200 productions, many of which became American classics. Errickson is also a goddaughter of director, writer, and producer Elia Kazan
, who is also co-founder of the Actors Studio
in New York City.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science
. She received her master's degree in Islamic Studies
from the University of Wales
at Lampeter
in 2008.
. As a teenager, Errickson began appearing in television and film projects. She replaced Donna Wilkes
in the role of Diane Alder on the TV series Diff'rent Strokes
(guest appearances) and its spin-off series, Hello, Larry
.
Errickson’s journalism career began at RAI
's Channel 1 in Rome
before becoming host for the first Italian private radio station, followed by the first private Italian television, RAI International and RAISAT. She became senior producer and journalist reporting on current events and international politics, with a focus on Middle East
relations. Some her more well-known programs were The Yellowcake Uranium Scandal, RAWA
’s Meena: The Story of a Revolutionary, and In the Name of God, about Iran
’s Islamic fundamentalism
. She was the first female journalist to interview Sheikh Nasrallah (for her documentary, Inside the Hezbollah, which later became the subject of a book she co-authored). For CBS
and Discovery Channel
, she was co-executive producer for The Mysterious Man of The Shroud; The Genetic Revolution, a four-part series which in part exposed secret genetic experiments that were conduced by Monsanto Corporation; The Science of Human Cloning
, and the controversial program, Inside The Vatican
.
Errickson was a contributing development director for GRB Productions, GA & A Productions, Capmar Productions, and DocLab Productions, creating numerous nonfiction programs for major American cable channels. She was a segment/field producer for Sundance Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, and the CBC
.
In 2007, she was part of a team sent to Pakistan
and Afghanistan
, successfully negotiating the release of a kidnapped Italian journalist from the Taliban. In 2008, she successfully aided a political prisoner, 86-year-old Yaghoub Khezri, escape a Teheran jail and certain death to return to the United States. and is currently in development on the subject.
Errickson is the president of Free Verse Productions which develops and produces documentaries and news programs, specializing in political, human interest and human rights
issues. She is a contributing writer to Italy’s La Repubblica
.
She is a member of the International Press Association, Foreign Press Association, the Committee to Protect Journalists
, and the Daniel Pearl Foundation
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, journalist, and documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
writer/producer who appeared in films and television productions in the 1980s and 1990s. As a teen actress, she is most recognized for her role as teen antagonist Cinder in the 1980 movie Little Darlings
Little Darlings
Little Darlings is a 1980 teen film starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon and Armand Assante, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.The screenplay is written by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young. The original music score is composed by Charles Fox...
and the TV series Hello Larry. As an adult, she is best known for her work as an Italian news journalist with RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
(RadioTelevisioneItaliana).
Early life and education
Krista Errickson was born in AbingtonAbington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. She is the granddaughter of Broadway set designer, Jo Mielziner
Jo Mielziner
Joseph "Jo" Mielziner was an American theatrical scenic, and lighting designer born in Paris, France. He is "the most successful set designer of the Golden era of Broadway", and worked on both stage plays and musicals.-Career:He was the son of artist Leo Mielziner, Sr...
, considered one of the most influential theatre designers of the 20th century, designing the scenery and often the lighting for more than 200 productions, many of which became American classics. Errickson is also a goddaughter of director, writer, and producer Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
, who is also co-founder of the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
in New York City.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. She received her master's degree in Islamic Studies
Islamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
from the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
at Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
in 2008.
Professional life
She began acting in 1978 and is a lifetime member of the Actors StudioActors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
. As a teenager, Errickson began appearing in television and film projects. She replaced Donna Wilkes
Donna Wilkes
Donna Wilkes is an American film actress known for her roles in several films, most notably the starring role in 1984's Angel, which became a cult classic. She has also appeared in several television programs such as Father Murphy and the soap opera Days of our Lives...
in the role of Diane Alder on the TV series Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
(guest appearances) and its spin-off series, Hello, Larry
Hello, Larry
Hello, Larry is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.-First season:Larry Alder is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his two teenage daughters, Diane and...
.
Errickson’s journalism career began at RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
's Channel 1 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
before becoming host for the first Italian private radio station, followed by the first private Italian television, RAI International and RAISAT. She became senior producer and journalist reporting on current events and international politics, with a focus on Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
relations. Some her more well-known programs were The Yellowcake Uranium Scandal, RAWA
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan is a women's organization based in Quetta, Pakistan, that promotes women's rights and secular democracy...
’s Meena: The Story of a Revolutionary, and In the Name of God, about Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
’s Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
. She was the first female journalist to interview Sheikh Nasrallah (for her documentary, Inside the Hezbollah, which later became the subject of a book she co-authored). For CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, she was co-executive producer for The Mysterious Man of The Shroud; The Genetic Revolution, a four-part series which in part exposed secret genetic experiments that were conduced by Monsanto Corporation; The Science of Human Cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
, and the controversial program, Inside The Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Errickson was a contributing development director for GRB Productions, GA & A Productions, Capmar Productions, and DocLab Productions, creating numerous nonfiction programs for major American cable channels. She was a segment/field producer for Sundance Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, and the CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
.
In 2007, she was part of a team sent to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, successfully negotiating the release of a kidnapped Italian journalist from the Taliban. In 2008, she successfully aided a political prisoner, 86-year-old Yaghoub Khezri, escape a Teheran jail and certain death to return to the United States. and is currently in development on the subject.
Errickson is the president of Free Verse Productions which develops and produces documentaries and news programs, specializing in political, human interest and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
issues. She is a contributing writer to Italy’s La Repubblica
La Repubblica
la Repubblica is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. Founded in 1976 in Rome by the journalist Eugenio Scalfari, as of 2008 is the second largest circulation newspaper, behind the Corriere della Sera.-Foundation:...
.
She is a member of the International Press Association, Foreign Press Association, the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, and the Daniel Pearl Foundation
Daniel Pearl Foundation
The Daniel Pearl Foundation is a foundation based in the United States. The foundation was formed by his parents Ruth and Judea Pearl after musician and Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 2002...
.
Personal life
Errickson was married to the journalist and Deputy Director of RAI International Piero Di Pasquale from 1990-2004. They completed 12 documentaries together, before they split in 2003.Filmography
- Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
(TV series; 1979; 4 episodes) as Diane Alder - Hello, LarryHello, LarryHello, Larry is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.-First season:Larry Alder is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his two teenage daughters, Diane and...
(TV series; 1979–80) as Diane Alder - Little DarlingsLittle DarlingsLittle Darlings is a 1980 teen film starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon and Armand Assante, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.The screenplay is written by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young. The original music score is composed by Charles Fox...
(1980) as Cinder - Best of Times (TV series; 1981)
- Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde...Together Again is a 1982 comedy based on the novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film is more like a cross between the original story and some aspects of The Nutty Professor...
(1982) - The Powers of Matthew StarThe Powers of Matthew StarThe Powers of Matthew Star is an American sci-fi television series that aired from September 17, 1982 through April 8, 1983, on NBC. It starred Peter Barton The Powers of Matthew Star is an American sci-fi television series that aired from September 17, 1982 through April 8, 1983, on NBC. It...
(TV series; 1982; 1 episode) - The First Time (1983)
- Tour Of DutyTour of dutyIn the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
(1989) - Mortal Passions (1989 or 1990)
- 21 Jump Street21 Jump Street21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
(TV series; 1 episode) - Killer Image (1992)
- Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
(TV series; 1992; 3 episodes) as Maggie - Martial OutlawMartial OutlawMartial Outlaw is a 1993 action/martial arts film written by Thomas Ritz, produced by Pierre David, directed by Kurt Anderson and stars Jeff Wincott, Gary Hudson and Richard Jaeckel.- Plot :...
(1993) as Lori White - Mr. BelvedereMr. BelvedereMr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty...
(TV series; 1995; 1 episode) - The PaperboyThe PaperboyThe Paperboy is a 1994 Canadian horror film starring Alexandra Paul & William Katt.-Plot:The Paperboy opens with Johnny McFarley, a local paperboy, as he sets out to deliver a newspaper to the elderly Mrs. Thorpe. Upon arrival to Mrs. Thorpe's home, Johnny uses a key to gain entry and subsequently...
(1994) as Diana - MLKMartin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
: A Life (RAI; 1996) - executive producer, writer - The Genetic Revolution (RAI; 1996) - executive producer, writer
- In The Name of God (RAI; 1997) - executive producer, co-producer, writer
- Mysterious Man of the Shroud (CBS; 1998)
- You2: The Science of Human Cloning (RAI; 2000) - executive producer, writer
- Inside The Hezbollah (RAI; 2000) - executive producer, writer
- Inside The Vatican (RAI; 2001) - executive producer, writer
- RAWA’s Meena: The Story of a Revolutionary (RAI; 2002) - executive producer, writer
- The Yellowcake Uranium Scandal (RAI; 2005) - executive producer, writer
- I Am Iran (RAI; 2009) - executive producer, writer
Awards
- Filippo Mazzei Award – The Bridge Iran-It, American University of Rome
- Roccaraso Award – Best Book of the Year: Hezbollah
- Boccaccio Award – Program of the Year (twice)
- Pasolini Award – Best Emerging Young Journalist (Giovane Personalità)
- Film Advisory Board Award – Los Angeles, Best Documentary
- Taormina Award – Best Actress of the Year
- Deauville Film Festival Award – Best Actress of the Year