Erin Gray Celebrating her 74th Birthday

 Happy 74th birthday to Erin Gray (born January 7, 1950). She is an American model, casting agent, and actress whose roles include Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Kate Summers-Stratton in the situation comedy Silver Spoons.

Gray started her career in modeling. She entered her first contest and won a modeling assignment in St. Louis when she was 14 years old. Commercials followed in Los Angeles. She also appeared on television in 1967 as a dancer in Malibu U. However, she decided to move to New York City to further her modeling career. "By 1975, Gray was one of the nation's top TV models, earning $100,000 a year." Having developed an interest in acting, she auditioned for parts during her frequent trips to Los Angeles.

In 1978, she landed her first starring role, on the miniseries Evening in Byzantium. Following good notices, Gray was put on a seven-year contract at Universal Studios, which led directly to her taking the role of Colonel Wilma Deering in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, at first for a theatrically released movie, then for a weekly TV series. Gray's trim, shapely figure, augmented by a tight, one-piece Spandex jumpsuit uniform, was popular with the show's predominantly young male audience.

Shortly after Buck Rogers, Gray appeared in the first season Magnum, P.I. episode, "J. 'Digger' Doyle", in which she played security expert Joy 'Digger' Doyle.In 1982, Gray played the role of Lilah in the summer feature film Six Pack as Kenny Rogers' love interest. Gray's role as Kate Summers in the TV sitcom Silver Spoons lasted for several years in the 1980s. When that show ended, she took regular film and TV work; she appeared in an episode of Superboy and Murder, She Wrote. In 1993, Gray had a featured role in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, the ninth entry in the Friday the 13th series. She also appeared in the 2005 film Siren.