Cindy Morgan, Falcon Crest Actor, Dead At 69
Actor Cindy Morgan, best known for her roles in movies like "Caddyshack" and "Tron" and the primetime soap "Falcon Crest," has died at age 69, according to TMZ. While the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida had confirmed Morgan's death, they did not release any details, the outlet reported.
Morgan had more than three dozen movie and television credits to her name, but she was best known as the free-spirited and flirtatious Lacey Underall in 1980's "Caddyshack," the iconic comedy about a golf course's patrons and staff. She also appeared as two different characters in "Falcon Crest" during the soap opera's run in the 1980s — Lori Chapman in an early season episode and Gabrielle Short in a 15-episode arc later in the show's run. She tackled a dual role in the 1982 sci-fi adventure "Tron," playing the dual roles of Dr. Lora Baines and Yori in the 1982 sci-fi film "Tron."
Morgan seemed to enjoy her time filming the iconic movie, recalling in an interview that she and "Tron" co-star Jeff Bridges kept having to do their kissing scene again. "We just couldn't get it right," she said with a sly smile. "We had to do it again and again and again. I can't explain it." The actor also spoke about her other notable roles in interviews before her death.
Cindy Morgan called working on Falcon Crest 'an emotional rollercoaster'
Cindy Morgan recently recalled her days on the primetime CBS soap opera "Falcon Crest" in a November 2023 tweet on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. She shared some juicy tidbits, including that she had to dye her hair red after another actor complained they looked too much alike. She didn't use permanent dye and had the perfect comeback for when the producers asked her when she would dye it for good. "I told them as soon as my contract was permanent," she wrote.
The reason Morgan snagged two roles on the show — Lori Chapman and Gabrielle Short — was pretty ingenious. "I also 'forgot' to tell the producers that I had been on the show before as Lorenzo Lamas' love interest." In the end, she said she got several chances to slap and kiss people on the show and called the experience "an emotional roller coaster."
While Morgan played the object of men's desires in the comedy "Caddyshack," in real life, she was much more sheltered growing up. "I went to 12 years of Catholic school," she told Tulsa World in 2020. "I was fixed up with cousins for both of my proms." She was nervous about portraying the sexy Lacey Underall, but she said when the men on set saw her, she was reassured. "I saw these guys sucking in their stomachs. So I thought, well, they're buying it, so OK."
While fans mourn her death, they can be consoled by the actor's enthusiasm for being a part of iconic movies, including "Caddyshack." When discussing the movie's 40th anniversary, she told Tulsa World, "How lucky is it to be part of something that holds up over time?"