# Deirdre Lenihan
**Deirdre Lenihan** (born 1946) is an American former actress whose screen career ran from the early 1970s to 1980, best known for playing Wendy Nelson on the NBC sitcom *Needles and Pins* and Daisy Garner on *The Waltons*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/146739/deirdre-lenihan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946; sources give New York City, New York[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/) |
| Feature film | *Glass Houses* (1972), as Kim; her first and only feature film[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54518-GLASS-HOUSES?cxt=filmography) |
| Signature TV role | Wendy Nelson on *Needles and Pins* (NBC, 1973–1974), 14 episodes[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/146739/deirdre-lenihan) |
| Recurring role | Daisy Garner on *The Waltons*, 6 episodes[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1216877-deirdre-lenihan?language=en-US) |
| Guest roles | *Emergency!* (Laurie Campbell, 2 episodes, 1979), *Police Woman*, *Cannon*, *The Streets of San Francisco*, *Medical Story*, *Lou Grant*[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/146739/deirdre-lenihan) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/deirdre-lenihan/credits/3030598690/) |
| Family | Married to actor James Sloyan since December 31, 1973; two children, Samantha Sloyan and Dan Sloyan[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/) |
## Early life
Most reference sources place her birth in New York City in 1946.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/deirdre-lenihan/) A directory of prime-time performers instead lists her birthplace as Atlanta, Georgia, with residence in New York City; the two accounts have not been reconciled.[7](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf)
## Film and television career
**Glass Houses.** Lenihan made her screen appearance in the independent comedy-drama *Glass Houses* (1972), directed and co-written by Alexander Singer, playing Kim opposite Bernard Barrow and [Jennifer O'Neill](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennifer-oneill).[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54518-GLASS-HOUSES?cxt=filmography) The film was produced independently, sold to Columbia, and shelved for more than a year before opening in New York in January 1972.[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54518-GLASS-HOUSES?cxt=filmography) The American Film Institute catalog records it as her first and only feature film, noting that she continued her career in television.[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54518-GLASS-HOUSES?cxt=filmography)
**Needles and Pins.** Her most prominent role came in 1973, when she was cast as Wendy Nelson, a designer from Nebraska who takes a job at Lorelei Fashions in New York's garment district, opposite [Norman Fell](https://www.edgepedia.org/norman-fell) in the NBC half-hour sitcom *Needles and Pins*.[8](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Total-Television-Programming-1948-1991-McNeil.pdf) Contemporary trade coverage described her as a newcomer to television, and reviewers singled her out even when panning the series; one critic called her "its lone redeeming feature" and another praised "the charming Deirdre Lenihan" in an otherwise poorly received show.[8](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Total-Television-Programming-1948-1991-McNeil.pdf) • [9](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-BC/Broadcasting-Magazine/BC-1973/1973-10-01-BC.pdf) The series ran from September 21, 1973 to February 1974, and only ten of its 14 filmed episodes were broadcast.[10](https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/needles-and-pins/) • [11](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/needles-and-pins)
**Guest and recurring television work.** Through the 1970s Lenihan appeared as a guest performer across the era's standard-issue dramas. She played Laurie Campbell, a doctor on the Rampart triage team, in two 1979 episodes of *Emergency!*[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/146739/deirdre-lenihan) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/deirdre-lenihan/) On *The Waltons* she played Daisy Garner, the fiancée of John-Boy Walton, in six episodes across seasons six and seven, in storylines that included Daisy's acceptance of John-Boy's marriage proposal and a wedding prevented by a secret from her past.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1216877-deirdre-lenihan?language=en-US) • [12](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/deirdre-lenihan/umc.cpc.2dacyeznenf6d80bywnlhxsmv) Single-episode guest credits include Joanne McCormack on *Police Woman* (1974), Nancy Price on *The Streets of San Francisco*, and Dana Longman on *Cannon*.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/deirdre-lenihan/) Her later credits include Dr. Beverly on *Medical Story* (1975), a role as Deirdre on *Lou Grant* (1980), and a nurse in *From Here to Eternity* (1980).[13](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/person/deirdre-lenihan)
## Family
She has been married to the actor James Sloyan since December 31, 1973, and they have two children.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/) Their daughter Samantha Sloyan is an actress known for *Hush* and *Grey's Anatomy*, and their son Dan Sloyan is also an actor.[14](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1418096/)
## References
1. [Deirdre Lenihan – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501911/bio/)
2. [Deirdre Lenihan, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/146739/deirdre-lenihan)
3. [Glass Houses (1972), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54518-GLASS-HOUSES?cxt=filmography)
4. [Deirdre Lenihan, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1216877-deirdre-lenihan?language=en-US)
5. [Deirdre Lenihan List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/deirdre-lenihan/credits/3030598690/)
6. [Deirdre Lenihan – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/deirdre-lenihan/)
7. [The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, 1946–Present (TV Stars directory)](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf)
8. [Total Television Programming 1948–1991 (McNeil), Needles and Pins entry](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Total-Television-Programming-1948-1991-McNeil.pdf)
9. [Broadcasting magazine, October 1, 1973 (Needles and Pins reviews)](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-BC/Broadcasting-Magazine/BC-1973/1973-10-01-BC.pdf)
10. [Needles and Pins, Nostalgia Central](https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/needles-and-pins/)
11. [Needles and Pins, TheTVDB](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/needles-and-pins)
12. [Deirdre Lenihan Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/deirdre-lenihan/umc.cpc.2dacyeznenf6d80bywnlhxsmv)
13. [Deirdre Lenihan Movies and TV Shows, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/person/deirdre-lenihan)
14. [Samantha Sloyan – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1418096/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Le to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license