Biography of Lynn-Holly Johnson, Figure Skater Turned Actress

Lynn-Holly Johnson and daughter at premiere of 'Ice Princess'
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Lynn-Holly Johnson co-starred with Robby Benson in the 1978 movie Ice Castles and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her work. In the movie, she played a talented young ice skater who moves to a figure skating training center in Colorado to work towards the Olympics.

Ice Castles profiles young Lexie as she becomes a figure skating champion. Then, after a successful win, her ice skating career comes to a halt when she is hurt and becomes blind. She returns to the ice to compete even though she is blind and the movie has a happy and moving ending.

Lynn-Holly Johnson was born on December 13, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois.

Amateur Skating Career

Lynn-Holly Johnson won a silver medal in the Novice Ladies division at the 1974 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. She lived and trained in Chicago, but also trained in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Professional Skating Career

In 1977, Lynn-Holly Johnson left competitive figure skating and toured with Ice Capades. She also competed in professional competitions in the early 1980s.

Other Acting Roles

Ice Castles paved the way for Lynn-Holly Johnson to act in other movies and on television. She starred in the Disney movie "Watcher in the Woods." She also had a large role in "Where the Boys Are," but received "The Worst Supporting Actress" Golden Raspberry Award for that film. She co-starred in the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only." She continued acting and appeared in several other movies and on television.

Family and Personal Life

Lynn-Holly Johnson's family lived in Chicago, but her parents eventually moved to a resort area in Florida. She has one brother and one sister. She has two children and lives with her husband, Kelly Givens, in Newport Beach, California. She has given up acting so that she can concentrate on raising her children.

Education and Work Outside of Skating

For a while, Lynn-Holly Johnson gave up acting and went to college in southern California. She studied to become a physician's assistant. From 1993 to 1996, she went to Mexico and Guatemala as a medical missionary.

Ice Castles Trivia

  • Until Ice Castles was made, most figure skating movies did not include excellent skating. Lynn-Holly Johnson did most of the skating in Ice Castles and the skating was of very high quality.
  • Much of the film took place at the famous Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Local skaters, coaches, officials, and parents had roles in the film.
  • A nude scene was planned for Ice Castles, but Lynn-Holly Johnson refused to do that scene, so that scene was never included in the movie.