Deborah M. Pratt is an American director, writer, television producer and actress.

Deborah Pratt
Pratt at the 2023 WonderCon
Born
Other namesDeborah Pratt-Bellisario, Deborah M. Pratt
Alma materWebster University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
  • producer
  • director
Years active1975–present
Spouse
(m. 1984; div. 1991)
Children2, including Troian Bellisario

Early life

edit

Pratt was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to an African American family.[1] She's the daughter of Geraldine Marian (née Bryant), a teacher, and Col. Bertram Roberson Pratt, a vice president of Pullman Heritage Bank. Col. Pratt was head of the National Guard 5th Army, Panther Division.[2] Pratt has four sisters.[3]

Pratt earned a degree in Psychology from Webster University and studied Theatre at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts.[3]

Career

edit

Pratt started performing on stage in Chicago theatre. Deborah's talent was discovered through a nationwide search that brought her to Los Angeles under contract to NBC, singing and dancing, on The Dean Martin Show with The Golddiggers.[4] She sang and danced with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and toured with Debbie Reynolds. Pratt acted in various television series, including Magnum, P.I., Happy Days, The New Odd Couple, Benson, and Airwolf. She started her writing career creating multiple episodes for Magnum P.I. and Airwolf, and starred in three pilots, Katmandu, She's With Me, and Phyl & Mikhy. Pratt also acted in feature films, some of which include Exit to Eden, Last Rites, and the cult classic, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.

Pratt became showrunner--co-creator, executive producer, and head writer-- for the Quantum Leap TV series,[5] which was created by her then-husband, Donald Bellisario.[6] Pratt also frequently starred in the show as both the narrator and the voice of Ziggy.

In 1992, Pratt served as executive producer and co-showrunner for Tequila and Bonetti on CBS. In 1998-1999, Pratt developed the series for TV and was showrunner and executive producer of The Net for CBS. In 2000, she made her directorial debut with Cora Unashamed for Masterpiece Theatre's The American Collection. In 2009, she reprised her role as Ziggy for the Quantum Leap fan film, A Leap to Di For. And as of 2022, Deborah returned as executive producer on the Quantum Leap reboot (2022-present) for NBC Universal and Peacock.[7]

Pratt has directed shorts, a TV movie, and a Grey's Anatomy episode after Quantum Leap, but head writer duties kept her from directing her own show. Pratt directed the "Family Style" episode (air date of February 27, 2023) of the Quantum Leap reboot.[8]

Pratt is a published novelist, having written The Vision Quest (a three-book science fiction/fantasy series) and Age of Eve, as well as an inspirational speaker. She has also sold feature scripts to major studios. Pratt is currently working on a play in development for the London stage, Joseph Bologne,[9] as well as a graphic novel, interactive game, and interactive television series all entitled Warrior One.

She has received numerous awards for her work, including five Emmy Awards nominations, a Golden Block Award, and multiple festival awards for her short films. Pratt is also an advocate for women and minority rights in the industry. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America and is on multiple committees at the Directors Guild of America. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and SAG/AFTRA.[citation needed]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Elephant Parts Player
1983 Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone Reagan
1988 Last Rites Robin Dwyer
1994 Exit to Eden Dr. Allison
2006 Unspoken Madison
2008 Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves Rachel
2010 Peep World Cassandra Williamson
2022 Doula Deb's Mother

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1973 The Dean Martin Show Golddigger Episode: "Celebrity Roast: Monty Hall"
1975 Police Woman Kate Episode: "Pattern for Evil"
1978 CHiPs Carol Episode: "Crash Diet"
Love Is Not Enough Susan Television Film
1979 Happy Days Kat Mandu Episode: "Fonzie Meets Kat"
1980 Phyl & Mikhy Connie Episode: "Phyl's Wedding"
Katmandu Kat Mandu Television Film
1981 Grambling's White Tiger Jennifer Television Film
1982 Strike Force Loretta Episode: "Humiliation"
She's with Me Bonnie Madison Television Film
The New Odd Couple Sandra Episode: "The Odd Triangle"
1983 Prime Times Various Television Film
Benson Jill Fletcher Episode: "Who's Arnold?"
Gimme a Break! Vanessa Episode: "The Way to a Man's Heart"
1984 Days of Our Lives Lacey Parker 6 Episodes
1984 Magnum, P.I. (1980) Gloria 4 Episodes
1984 Airwolf Writer 1 Episode
1984–1985 Airwolf Marella 14 Episodes
1984-1985 Magnum, P.I. (1980) Writer 2 Episodes
1987 Three on a Match Sissy Television Film
Hunter Sandra Browning Episode: "Flashpoint"
1989 Magnum, P.I. (1980) Writer 2 Episodes
1989–1993 Quantum Leap (1989) Writer 20 Episodes
Quantum Leap (1989) Co-Executive Producer/ Supervising Producer 97 Episodes
Quantum Leap (1989) Narrator / Ziggy / Troian Claridge 65 Episodes
1992 Tequila and Bonetti Nicole Episode: "A Perfect Match"
Co-Executive Producer/Producer 2 Episodes
1997 Girlfriends Director/Writer/Producer Short
1998–1999 The Net

(TV Series)

Developed/Writer/Creator/Executive Producer/Director 8 Episodes
1999 Our Friend, Martin Producer/Screenplay Animated TV Film
2000 Cora Unshamed | BBC Masterpiece Theatre The America Collection Director Television Film
2016 Game of Chance(TV Series) Executive Producer 4 Episodes
Game of Chance(Video) Writer/Executive Producer/Director Video Short
2020 Grey's Anatomy Director Episode: "Put On a Happy Face" (Ep. 1621)
2022–2024 Quantum Leap (2022) Executive Producer 18 Episodes
Ziggy 2 Episodes
2023 Director Episode: "Family Style" (Ep. 113)

Bibliography

edit
Year Title Publisher
2013 Age of Eve: Return of the Nephilim BroadLit
2015 The Atlantian: The Vision Quest, Book 1 VGM Publishing
2017 The Academy: The Vision Quest, Book 2 VGM Publishing
2017 The Odyssey: The Vision Quest, Book 3 VGM Publishing
TBD Mirrors: The Dragon Mirror VGM Publishing

Discography

edit
Year Title Project
1988 "All My Life" Last Rites (Movie)
1991 "The Alphabet Rap" Quantum Leap (TV Series)

Awards

edit
Year Nom. /Win Award Project Title
1990 Women In Film (Win) Lillian Gish Quantum Leap Episode:"The Color of Truth"[10]
1991 Writing (Win) The Golden Block Award Quantum Leap Episode:"Private Dancer"
The Angel Award
1990-1993 Best Dramatic

TV Series (5 Nominees)

Emmy Quantum Leap [10]
Producing

(5 Nominees)

B.E.N. Awards

(Black Emmy Nominee)

Quantum Leap [10]
1999 Writing

(5 Nominees)

Emmy Animated TV Film Our Friend, Martin
Writing

(5 Nominees)

B.E.N. Awards

(Black Emmy Nominee)

Animated TV Film Our Friend, Martin[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ "15 Celebrities Most People Don't Know Are Black | Page 8". MadameNoire.com. September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "Col. Bertram Roberson Pratt". Chicago Tribune. December 7, 1991. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Le Sirena, Christina (February 25, 2023). "Actress, Writer, and producer Deborah Pratt Inspires Young Creatives". Alpha magazine. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  4. ^ Vision Quest with Deborah Pratt, May 2008, retrieved June 22, 2023
  5. ^ "There's A Week Of Quantum Leap". Eugene Register-Guard. June 24, 1991. p. 4C. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  6. ^ "Producer takes a leap with 'Liberation' script". The Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Media Services. January 5, 1993. p. 2. Retrieved May 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Quantum Leap Producer Hopes NBC's Reboot Will Launch Whole New Franchise". MovieWeb. April 14, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "'Quantum Leap' head writer finally got chance to direct - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Deborah Pratt EP of NBC's Quantum Leap Talks Producing, and Playing "Ziggy" On The Original Series!, February 25, 2023, retrieved June 22, 2023
  10. ^ a b c d Sevi, Mark. "Deborah Pratt - Writer/Producer/Actress/Etc!". www.ocscreenwriters.org. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
edit