Patti Davis
Encyclopedia
Patti Davis is an American
actress and author
. She is the daughter of former President of the United States
Ronald Reagan
and Reagan's second wife, First Lady
Nancy Reagan
. Davis was called the "black sheep
" of the Reagan children, and her many conflicts with her parents have been well publicized.
She is the older sister of Ron Reagan
, the half-sister of the late Maureen Reagan
, and has an adopted brother, Michael Reagan
.
, she is known for holding liberal
viewpoints, which clashed often with her famously conservative father. For example during his presidency it was already known to the press that she held a pro-choice
viewpoint on abortion
, supported gay rights, and opposed nuclear weapon
s. Also at the time of her father's election to the White House she was unmarried and living with her boyfriend.
While she was a student at the University of Southern California
, she changed her surname from Reagan to Davis, her mother's maiden name.
Davis later reconciled with her parents, especially as they coped with her father's Alzheimer's disease
. She supported her mother during her father's public funeral in 2004. She wrote books that portrayed her family in a more positive light, portraying her father as deeply religious. She was active in the Reagan family's actions against John Hinckley and the controversial CBS
miniseries The Reagans
.
. She made a number of supporting acting appearances in the late 1970s and early 1980s, guest starring on shows such as The Love Boat
, CHiPs
, Nero Wolfe
and Fantasy Island
. She also was the first actress to play Marissa Mallory on the syndicated soap opera
Rituals
before Janice Heiden took over the role for the remainder of the run.
In 1994, she posed nude for the July issue of Playboy
, and then semi-nude for More (magazine)
in 2011.
from 1970-71. She was romantically involved with Bernie Leadon
of the Eagles for a time in the 1970s. They cowrote the song "I Wish You Peace", which appeared on the Eagles' One of These Nights
album despite the objections of the rest of the Eagles, especially Don Henley
.
She married her yoga
instructor, Paul Grilley, in 1984. They divorced in 1990.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
actress and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. She is the daughter of former President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Reagan's second wife, First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
. Davis was called the "black sheep
Black sheep
In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness...
" of the Reagan children, and her many conflicts with her parents have been well publicized.
She is the older sister of Ron Reagan
Ron Reagan
Ronald Prescott "Ron" Reagan sometimes known as Ronald Reagan, Jr., is a former talk radio host and chief political analyst for KIRO radio in Seattle until his show was canceled on August 8, 2007...
, the half-sister of the late Maureen Reagan
Maureen Reagan
Maureen Elizabeth Reagan was the first child of former President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman...
, and has an adopted brother, Michael Reagan
Michael Reagan
Michael Edward Reagan is a former American radio host and Republican strategist. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America...
.
Conflict with family
Like her brother RonRon Reagan
Ronald Prescott "Ron" Reagan sometimes known as Ronald Reagan, Jr., is a former talk radio host and chief political analyst for KIRO radio in Seattle until his show was canceled on August 8, 2007...
, she is known for holding liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
viewpoints, which clashed often with her famously conservative father. For example during his presidency it was already known to the press that she held a pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
viewpoint on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, supported gay rights, and opposed nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s. Also at the time of her father's election to the White House she was unmarried and living with her boyfriend.
While she was a student at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, she changed her surname from Reagan to Davis, her mother's maiden name.
Davis later reconciled with her parents, especially as they coped with her father's Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. She supported her mother during her father's public funeral in 2004. She wrote books that portrayed her family in a more positive light, portraying her father as deeply religious. She was active in the Reagan family's actions against John Hinckley and the controversial 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...
miniseries The Reagans
The Reagans
The Reagans is a 180-minute television film about U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his family which CBS had planned to broadcast in November 2003 during fall "sweeps", but was ultimately broadcast on November 30 of that year on cable channel Showtime due to controversy over its portrayal of...
.
Acting and modeling careers
Davis studied drama at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. She made a number of supporting acting appearances in the late 1970s and early 1980s, guest starring on shows such as The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
, Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe (1981 TV series)
Nero Wolfe is a television series based on the characters in Rex Stout's classic series of detective stories that aired January 16 – August 25, 1981, on NBC. William Conrad fills the role of the detective genius Nero Wolfe, and Lee Horsley is his assistant Archie Goodwin...
and Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
. She also was the first actress to play Marissa Mallory on the syndicated soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Rituals
Rituals (TV series)
Rituals is an American soap opera that aired in syndication through Telepictures from September 10, 1984 to September 6, 1985. Created by Gene Palumbo, Ken Corday and Charlene Keel , 260 25-minute episodes were produced.The series later aired France from 1989 to 1990 under the name La...
before Janice Heiden took over the role for the remainder of the run.
In 1994, she posed nude for the July issue of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, and then semi-nude for More (magazine)
More (magazine)
More, launched in September 1998, is a women's lifestyle magazine published once a month by the Meredith Corporation with a rate base of 1.3 million and a circulation of 1.5 million...
in 2011.
Personal life
Davis attended Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
from 1970-71. She was romantically involved with Bernie Leadon
Bernie Leadon
Bernard Mathew "Bernie" Leadon, III is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of two pioneering and highly influential country rock bands, Dillard & Clark and the Flying Burrito Brothers...
of the Eagles for a time in the 1970s. They cowrote the song "I Wish You Peace", which appeared on the Eagles' One of These Nights
One of These Nights
One of These Nights is the fourth studio album by the Eagles, released in 1975. The record's title song became the group's second #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, in July of that year. The album released three Top 10 singles, "One Of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It To The Limit". Those...
album despite the objections of the rest of the Eagles, especially Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
.
She married her yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
instructor, Paul Grilley, in 1984. They divorced in 1990.