Brenda Lee Strong (born March 25, 1960) is an American actress and yoga instructor, best known for her role as Mary Alice Young on the ABC television comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives (2004–2012), for which she was nominated for Emmy Awards. She also is known for role as Sally Sasser on the ABC comedy-drama Sports Night (1998–2000) and currently starring as Ann Ewing on the TNT drama series Dallas.
Strong was born in Brightwood, Oregon, and grew up near Portland, Oregon, graduating in 1978 from Sandy Union High School in Sandy, Oregon. She later moved to Arizona to attend college, and graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Music in musical theater. Strong was crowned Miss Arizona in 1980; she is 6'0" (1.83 m) tall.
Her first break after college was a spot in Billy Crystal’s 1984 music video You Look Marvelous. Her first television appearances came in 1985 with brief stints on St. Elsewhere, MacGyver, and Cheers. She also made guest appearances on Matlock, Murphy Brown, Herman's Head, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Blossom, and had a brief role on the cult favorite Twin Peaks.
Plot
An FBI agent hunts down a young con artist who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, and assistant attorney general, cashing more than $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in 26 countries.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, adultery, airplane, airport, animated-credits, animated-title-sequence, arrest, assumed-identity, atlanta-georgia
The true story of a real fake.
Frank didn't go to flight school...Frank didn't go to medical school...Frank didn't go to law school...because Frank's still in high school!
Catch them this christmas
Die wahre Story einer genialen Täschung. (The true story of an ingenious deception.)
[repeated line]::Carl Hanratty: How'd you do it, Frank? How did you cheat on the bar exam in Louisiana?
Earl Amdursky: [while Carl is setting the trap for Frank at the Miami airport] Why won't he just take a taxi to New York or Atlanta?::Carl Hanratty: Because *I'm* not in New York. *I'm* not in Atlanta.
Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [when Carl catches up to him in the print shop in Montrichard] Carl? Carl! Merry Christmas! How is it we're always talking on Christmas, Carl? Every Christmas, I'm talking to you! [laughs]::Carl Hanratty: Put your shirt on, Frank. You're under arrest.
Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [donning a James Bond style suit and mimicking Sean Connery in the mirror] Hello, Pussy.
Carl Hanratty: Well, would you like to hear me tell a joke?::Earl Amdursky: Yeah. Yeah, we'd love to hear a joke from you.::Carl Hanratty: Knock knock.::Earl Amdursky: Who's there?::Carl Hanratty: Go fuck yourselves.
Carl Hanratty: [Frank is making one last attempt to run by impersonating a pilot once again. Carl catches up with him at Dulles Airport] How'd you do it, Frank? How'd you pass the bar in Louisiana?::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [Frank continues to walk. Carl walks several paces behind] What are you doing here?::Carl Hanratty: Listen...::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'm sorry I put you through all this.::Carl Hanratty: You go back to Europe, you're gonna die in Perpignan Prison. You try to run here in the States, we'll send you back to Atlanta for 50 years.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I know that.::Carl Hanratty: I spent four years trying to arrange your release. Had to convince my bosses at the FBI and the Attorney General of the United States you wouldn't run.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Why'd you do it?::Carl Hanratty: You're just a kid.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'm not your kid. You said you were going to Chicago.::Carl Hanratty: My daughter can't see me this weekend. She's going skiing.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: You said she was four years old. You're lying.::Carl Hanratty: She was four when I left. Now she's 15. My wife's been remarried for 11 years. I see Grace every now and again.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I don't understand.::Carl Hanratty: Sure you do. Sometimes, it's easier living the lie. [Frank stops, Carl catches up] I'm going to let you fly tonight, Frank. I'm not even going to try to stop you. That's because I know you'll be back on Monday.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Yeah? How do you know I'll come back?::Carl Hanratty: Frank, look. Nobody's chasing you.
Frank Abagnale Sr.: Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.
Paula Abagnale: Just tell me how much he owes and I'll pay you back.::Carl Hanratty: So far, it's about 1.3 million dollars.
Roger Strong: Frank, would you like to say grace? [Long pause] Unless you're not comfortable.::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Absolutely. Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned, but the second mouse, he struggled so hard that he eventually churned that cream into butter and he walked out. Amen.::[All say: Amen]::Carol Strong: Oh, that was beautiful. The mouse, he churned that cream into butter.
Frank Abagnale Sr.: You know why the Yankees always win, Frank?::Frank Abagnale, Jr.: 'Cause they have Mickey Mantle?::Frank Abagnale Sr.: No, it's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes.