Cindy Morgan | |
|---|---|
Morgan in 2012 | |
| Born | Cynthia Ann Cichorski September 29, 1951 |
| Died | c. December 30, 2023 (aged 72) Lake Worth Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Northern Illinois University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–2022 |
| Spouse |
Fred Villanueva
(m. 1976; div. 1979) |
| Website | Cindy-Morgan.com |
Cynthia Ann Cichorski (September 29, 1951 – c. December 30, 2023), known professionally as Cindy Morgan, was an American actress best known for playing Lora Baines/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.
Morgan was born as Cynthia Ann Cichorski on September 29, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents of Polish and German descent. She studied communications at Northern Illinois University.
After graduation, Morgan worked at a television station in Rockford, Illinois, where she was a "weather girl". She kept her hand in radio by working the graveyard shift at a local rock station. She returned to Chicago and deejayed on WSDM until quitting on air during a labor dispute at the station.
Morgan then worked for Fiat Automobiles at car shows. She moved to Los Angeles in 1978 and became a model for Irish Spring soap TV advertisements while attending acting schools and workshops. Other appearances included commercials for Continental Airlines, Wish-Bone salad dressing and Johnson & Johnson suntan lotion.
Morgan landed her first screen role in the 1979 theatrical film, Up Yours, followed by the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, playing the role of sexy bombshell Lacey Underall. In a 2012 interview, Morgan said of the role: "Caddyshack was my first film and I'll say that the end product was so completely different, it was originally about the caddies. So at first, I had nothing to lose to audition. It was fun. All I did was focus on making the person sweat. Look 'em in the eye, do that thing many women know how to ..."
Morgan appeared in the 1982 hit Tron, the first film to feature large scale computer-generated imagery. She played two characters: Lora Baines, a computer programmer in the "real" world, and Yori, her alter-ego in the film's computer world.
Morgan had multiple television and film credits, including portraying two roles on the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest, Lori Chapman in season one and Gabrielle Short in seasons six and seven. Morgan also played two characters, in two episodes, on the television series Matlock. Her other credits include guest and minor appearances on The Larry Sanders Show, Amazing Stories, CHiPs, and a co-starring role on Bring 'Em Back Alive.
Morgan was an associate producer on five films produced by Larry Estes.[citation needed]
According to the documentary Caddyshack: The Inside Story, as of 2009[update], Morgan was a resident of Florida and working on a book about her experiences during the making of Caddyshack, to be called From Catholic School to Caddyshack.

Morgan did not participate in the making of Tron: Legacy, the 2010 sequel to the 1982 film, nor does she appear in any of the retrospective materials produced in conjunction with the sequel for use in a DVD/Blu-ray reissue of the film in 2011. She did reunite with her costar Bruce Boxleitner in character as Lora Baines, in a mock news conference on April 2, 2010, promoting the release of Tron: Legacy.
In 2003, Morgan voiced Ma3a in Buena Vista Interactive's PC game Tron 2.0.
Morgan, whose father fought in World War II, was passionate about supporting the United States military and helping to alleviate the financial hardship felt by those who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She was director of the Caddyshack Reunion Golf Tournament in 2006, which reunited some of the cast of Caddyshack (Morgan included), along with other celebrities. Subtitled "Playing for the Home Team" and hosted at Willow Crest Golf Club in Oak Brook, Illinois, the tournament raised funds (and awareness) to benefit the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, an organization that helps the families of National Guard members and reservists on active duty. The event, which was held in Oak Brook, Illinois, was sponsored by a corporate partner, which sought to provide direct support but fell short on its goals, leading to a legal dispute over unfulfilled pledges and accounting issues.
On July 4, 1976, Morgan married Fred Villanueva. They remained married until their divorce in 1979. In a 2015 interview, Morgan stated that she was considered legally blind without her contact lenses.
Morgan was found dead of natural causes at her home in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, on December 30, 2023, at the age of 72. Her corpse was discovered by her roommate who noticed an odor emanating from Morgan's bedroom. The roommate then called 911, which led to deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to the scene where her corpse was found.
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Up Yours | Elaine | |
| 1980 | Caddyshack | Lacey Underall | |
| 1982 | Tron | Lora Baines/Yori | |
| 1994 | Silent Fury | Woman | |
| 1995 | Galaxis | Detective Kelly | |
| 2006 | Open Mic'rs | Cindy Morgan |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Love Boat | Tracy Cotts | Episode: "Clothes Make the Girl" | |
| 1981 | CHiPs | Jennifer | 2 episodes | |
| 1981 | Vegas | Margie Jenkins | Episode: "Time Bomb" | |
| 1981 | CHiPs | Melanie Mitchell | Episode: "Mitchell & Woods" | |
| 1982–1983 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | Gloria Marlowe | 12 episodes | |
| 1982 | Falcon Crest | Lori | Episode: "For Love or Money" | |
| 1984 | Masquerade | Unknown | Episode: "Flashpoint" | |
| 1984 | Hawaiian Heat | Sharon | Episode: "Picture Imperfect" | |
| 1985 | The Midnight Hour | Vicky Jensen | Television film | |
| 1986 | The Fall Guy | Zoe LeRoy | Episode: "No Rms Ocean Vu" | |
| 1986 | Tough Cookies | Maggie | Episode: "The Unfantasy" | |
| 1986 | Crazy Like a Fox | Unknown | Episode: "The Duke Is Dead" | |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Beth | Episode: "Hell Toupee" | |
| 1987–1988 | Falcon Crest | Gabrielle Short | 15 episodes | |
| 1987 | Hunter | Carol Benson | Episode: "Hot Prowl" | |
| 1987 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Laura Wells | Episode: "The Return of the Shaggy Dog" | |
| 1987 | Beverly Hills Buntz | Randy | Episode: "Sid and Randy" | |
| 1988–1989 | Matlock | Jessie Martin / Linda Hansfield | 3 episodes | |
| 1988 | The Highwayman | Mink | Episode: "The Billionaire Body Club" | |
| 1988 | She's the Sheriff | Samantha | Episode: "Max's Ten" | |
| 1990 | Mancuso, FBI | Amanda | Episode: "Adamant Eve" | |
| 1991 | Hunter | Paula Allen | Episode: "Room Service" | |
| 1992 | Harry and the Hendersons | Julia | Episode: "The Green Eyed Bigfoot" | |
| 1992 | The Larry Sanders Show | Karen Jackson | Episode: "The Promise" | |
| 1994 | Under Suspicion | Laura Brian | Episode: "Father/Daughter Murder" | |
| 1995 | Dead Weekend | Newscaster | Television film | |
| 1995 | Amanda & the Alien | Holly Hoedown | Television film | |
| 1995 | Out There | Judith Daws | Television film |
I will never forget you Cindy. We were married July 4, 1976 and shared three beautiful years together until things fell apart. You remain in my heart and always will.
Without contact lenses or glasses, I've been told that I'm legally blind. This means that everything's fairly blurry without correction. I wore glasses in TRON, but they were only props with regular lenses, and my contacts were underneath. Otherwise I could have walked off the set if I took them off.