Throughout the years, Morgan Fairchild has proven to be one of TV’s most popular and enduring stars. The stage actor made her way to TV in the early 1970s on the daytime soap Search for Tomorrow, later featuring on such high-profile hits as Dallas, Happy Days, and Mork & Mindy. An Emmy nomination came in 1990 for her guest role on the smash Murphy Brown, and she’s continued to engage viewers with appearances on Roseanne, Two and a Half Men, Cybill, Hot in Cleveland, and ABC’s long-running soap, General Hospital, among many others.
Fairchild—who had fun playing along as the wishful-thinking wife of Jon Lovitz’s pathological liar character on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s—also earned the affections of a new generation of fans on Friends, playing Nora Tyler Bing, mom to Matthew Perry’s Chandler. Here, Fairchild shares all her favorite things about her busy and rewarding life in the Golden State, which she’s called home for nearly five decades.
Where do you live? I live in Toluca Lake, which I love. It has a feeling of a real neighborhood. I go for long walks there, and during the COVID shutdown I started posting pictures of the beautiful flowers and gardens on my Twitter and Instagram to cheer people up. Folks started asking for me to be in the pics with the flowers, so I started color-coordinating the COVID masks with the colors of the flowers. I love Halloween, and my neighborhood goes nuts for Halloween, so I take pics with all the monsters and post those. I’m very silly!
Why there? I always like to live near work, and Toluca Lake is near the studios where I've done the majority of my work since I moved to L.A. in 1977. Almost every TV movie, guest appearance, and series I did early on was shot at Warner Bros. In fact, when I was shooting Friends, I realized their soundstage was the same one as my first series, Flamingo Road. Small world! Plus, I grew up in the theater and I always like to live close enough to work that I can walk there if I need to. The show must go on!
Who or what is your greatest California love? I love L.A. and I always remember my first trip here in 1970. My ex-husband was in the music business and we came out for the signing of Grand Funk Railroad to what was then the richest record contract in history. I think it was $3 million. Yep—it was that long ago! We stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A fairy tale! I was awestruck by the palm trees on Rodeo Drive and the flowers that bloomed year-round. I’d never seen that since I grew up in Texas, and it all seemed so very exotic. I never dreamed then that I would someday live here and it would all seem normal.
What is the biggest misperception about Californians? I think the biggest misconception about Californians, especially people in show business, is that everyone is rich! Folks in other states seem to think everyone here is successful and rolling in cash! It’s almost like when I moved from Dallas to NYC in 1972, and people would ask me if folks tied up their horses at Neiman Marcus!
What is your favorite Golden State splurge? A favorite splurge is a weekend away. Whether it’s to Palm Springs or Carmel or Santa Barbara, I love a bit of a trip to rest and regroup.
Time for a road trip—here are you going? I’ve always loved hitting the road to Carmel. Heading up the 101 for the scenic route, stopping at Hearst Castle and the Madonna Inn. Just getting away and enjoying the view and the gorgeousness of California, which is, of course, why we all live here.
If you could decree an official state culinary experience, what would it be? [Late fiancé Mark Seiler] and I used to love L’Orangerie on La Cienega. They had a caviar eggs appetizer—soft-boiled eggs topped with a lovely mix of the yolk with spices. And topped with caviar! It was our big fave. We went for every special occasion: birthdays, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve, etc. Hate that the restaurant is gone now.
What is your favorite way to play in California? I love the Hollywood Bowl and seeing the Rolling Stones anywhere. I used to love to go to House of Blues, when it was still on Sunset. Nothing like great live music to keep you young.
Where would you go for the ultimate shopping spree in California? I love my Beverly Hills Saks and Neiman Marcus. Believe me, I can do damage there!
Best California song? I love “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and Papas because when I first heard it I was still a kid in Dallas, dreaming of a career in acting, and it represented a world so different from the world I grew up in. It seemed so far away and exotic. At that point in time, I never really dared to dream I’d end up living here for the majority of my life. Of course, a close second is “Hotel California” by the Eagles, and the sort of downside of that dream that it represents.
How would your California dream day unfold? A real dream day would be sleeping late, lunch at the Polo Lounge or The Ivy, and a drive up the coast with my sister, looking at the ocean and singing along to old Beatles songs at the top of our lungs, like we used to do when we first moved here. Of course, in my dream, there would be no traffic—and that is a dream! Then find a place for dinner as the sun sets. Perfect day!