★ Acting

Karen Carlson

Born 1945 · Shreveport, Louisiana, USA · Active 1954–2008

Karen Carlson, born in 1945, is an American actress known for her roles in cult cinema. She appears as a determined nurse in The Student Nurses (1970), a film that captures the gritty realities of medical training in the 1970s. Carlson also stars in Black Oak Conspiracy (1977), where she navigates a web of deceit in a rural setting. Her performances in Matilda (1978), The Octagon (1980), and Dangerous Company (1982) further showcase her versatility, making her a notable figure in the realm of exploitation and grindhouse films.

▶ Watch on SassyFlix 5 films available

The Student Nurses

1970 ★ 5.0

as Phred

Follows the lives of a group of young nurses in Los Angeles, including a nurse who joins a band of revolutionaries, and one who finds herself succumbing to drugs.

Watch Now

Career Highlights Top 6 by popularity · TMDB

Filmography

60 credits

2000s 2 credits

2008

A Father's Rights as Ms. Little

Movie

2004

He's Starsky, I'm Hutch as Self

Movie

1990s 6 credits

1997

The Man Next Door as Grace

Movie ★ 6.5

1995

A Horse for Danny as Mrs. Slauson

Movie ★ 8.1

1994

XXX's & OOO's

Movie ★ 7.0

1994

In the Heat of the Night: A Matter of Justice as Sarah Hallisay

Movie ★ 10.0

1994

In the Heat of the Night: Give Me Your Life as Atty. Sarah Hallisey

Movie ★ 10.0

1991

The Commish

TV ★ 7.1

1980s 15 credits

1989

Teen Vamp as Mrs. Murphy

Movie ★ 3.4

1986

Shattered: If Your Kid's on Drugs as Eileen Wilson

Movie ★ 5.0

1986

On Wings of Eagles as Ruth Chiapparone

TV ★ 6.0

1985

Brotherly Love as Donna Ryder

Movie ★ 7.3

1985

Wild Horses as Ann Cooper

Movie ★ 5.8

1984

Fleshburn as Shirley Pinter

Movie ★ 3.5

1984

Finder of Lost Loves as Lorna Hodges

TV ★ 6.8

1982

Dangerous Company● as Janet Brody

Movie ★ 6.0

1982

In Love with an Older Woman as Isobel

Movie ★ 6.0

1982

T. J. Hooker as Tracy Hill

TV ★ 6.5

1982

Hotel

TV ★ 6.8

1981

American Dream as Donna Novak

Movie ★ 9.0

1981

Hill Street Blues

TV ★ 7.6

1981

American Dream

TV ★ 5.0

1980

The Octagon● as Justine

Movie ★ 5.1

1970s 26 credits

1979

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Planet of the Slave Girls as Stella Warden

Movie

1979

Hart to Hart

TV ★ 6.9

1979

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Stella Warden

TV ★ 7.0

1978

Matilda● as Kathleen Smith

Movie ★ 5.7

1978

Dallas as Nancy Scotfield

TV ★ 6.8

1977

Tail Gunner Joe as Jean Kerr

Movie ★ 6.0

1977

It Happened One Christmas as Violet

Movie ★ 4.6

1977

Black Oak Conspiracy● as Lucy Metcalf

Movie ★ 5.7

1977

Lou Grant

TV ★ 7.3

1977

CHiPs as Sheila Marin

TV ★ 6.9

1977

The Incredible Hulk

TV ★ 7.2

1975

The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant as Nurse Clive Olin

Movie ★ 8.0

1975

Cage Without a Key as Betty Holian

Movie ★ 6.0

1975

Starsky & Hutch as Christine D. Phelps

TV ★ 7.3

1975

S.W.A.T.

TV ★ 7.1

1975

Archer

TV ★ 7.0

1975

Matt Helm as Janet Larson

TV ★ 7.8

1975

Medical Story as Sheila Barringer

TV ★ 5.0

1974

Police Woman

TV ★ 6.4

1972

The Candidate as Nancy McKay

Movie ★ 6.5

1972

Cutter as Janice

Movie ★ 9.0

1972

Banyon

TV ★ 8.0

1971

Getting Together

TV ★ 6.0

1970

The Student Nurses● as Phred

Movie ★ 5.0

1970

Night Chase as Vico's Wife

Movie ★ 5.9

1970

McCloud

TV ★ 7.2

1960s 9 credits

1969

Shame, Shame, Everybody Knows Her Name as Susan Barton

Movie ★ 10.0

1967

Mannix

TV ★ 6.8

1967

Ironside

TV ★ 6.9

1966

Mission: Impossible as Doris Gordon

TV ★ 7.6

1965

The F.B.I. as Susan

TV ★ 5.6

1965

The F.B.I. as Dana Evans

TV ★ 5.6

1965

I Dream of Jeannie as Betty

TV ★ 7.8

1964

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Helene

TV ★ 7.1

1960

My Three Sons

TV ★ 6.6

1950s 2 credits

1959

Bonanza as Theodora Duffy

TV ★ 7.5

1954

Miss America as Miss Arkansas 1964