Remember<strong>in</strong>g Former actress and model <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cynthia</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> parts the curta<strong>in</strong> <strong>on</strong> her storied career By Michael K. Rich Photo courtesy of <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cynthia</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cynthia</str<strong>on</strong>g> MORGAN SITS <strong>in</strong> her quiet Prov<strong>in</strong>ce home, dream<strong>in</strong>g of the day she and her husband will own and operate a d<strong>in</strong>ner theater <strong>in</strong> Maricopa. “This town is ready for a theater,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> says. For many the dream would appear farfetched, but, for a woman who went from humble beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Indianapolis to stardom <strong>in</strong> Southern California, the visi<strong>on</strong> seems like the next logical step <strong>in</strong> her career and life. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> was born <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cynthia</str<strong>on</strong>g> St<strong>on</strong>e <strong>in</strong> October 1948 and by age 3 developed an obsessi<strong>on</strong> with s<strong>on</strong>g, dance and beauty. “I dreamed of <strong>on</strong>e day go<strong>in</strong>g to Hollywood,” she says. There were many obstacles <strong>in</strong> her way, however, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>tense Southern Baptist father who, accord<strong>in</strong>g to <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g>, viewed anyth<strong>in</strong>g fun as a s<strong>in</strong>. Luckily for <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> her mother pushed her toward her dream and allowed her to have some fun, even when it meant help<strong>in</strong>g her daughter to sneak out of the house to attend her high school prom. In Fr<strong>on</strong>t oF thE Camera <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s career as an actress started <strong>in</strong> her hometown of Indianapolis when she was shoot<strong>in</strong>g a televisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>com</strong>mercial <strong>in</strong> a founta<strong>in</strong> for the Glendale Shopp<strong>in</strong>g Center. “I just remember how cold it was,” she says. At the time of the shoot <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> was work<strong>in</strong>g for a talent agency whose owner was a friend of Sammy Davis Jr. “The owner told Sammy he had to meet me, and, when he did, he told me I was too beautiful and talented to be work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Indiana,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> says. “He said I should go to Hollywood, and he would open a door for me.” <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> took the advice and left beh<strong>in</strong>d her family to auditi<strong>on</strong> for a role as a Golddigger <strong>on</strong> the Dean Mart<strong>in</strong> show, a role she landed. “Thousands of aspir<strong>in</strong>g actresses and actors head to Hollywood every day and have to wait an eternity to f<strong>in</strong>d work,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> says. “I was <strong>on</strong>e of the lucky <strong>on</strong>es who got a job the sec<strong>on</strong>d day I was <strong>in</strong> the city.” <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> worked <strong>on</strong> the show from 1972 until it was canceled <strong>in</strong> 1974, at which time she c<strong>on</strong>sidered a move to New York to c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ue her career. “When the show was canceled, my agent told me I could either go to New York and starve and be cold or stay <strong>in</strong> California and starve and be warm,” she recalls. “I decided to be warm.” Starve she did not, however. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g> relied <strong>on</strong> her beauty and model<strong>in</strong>g talents to land gigs <strong>in</strong> magaz<strong>in</strong>es, <strong>on</strong> product wrappers and more. Am<strong>on</strong>g the clients she modeled for were Pepsi, Nissan, Porsche, Keyst<strong>on</strong>e Rims, Dido Jeans and the U.S. Air Force. 22 <strong>InMaricopa</strong>.<strong>com</strong> | Vol. 5 Issue 3
Hollywood All the world’s a stage for former actress, model and act<strong>in</strong>g teacher <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cynthia</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Morgan</str<strong>on</strong>g>, who hopes to someday open a d<strong>in</strong>ner theater <strong>in</strong> Maricopa. Photo by Jake Johns<strong>on</strong>
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