# Lynn-Holly Johnson
**Lynn-Holly Johnson** (born 1958) is an American actress and former competitive figure skater, known for starring as Alexis Winston in *Ice Castles* (1978), playing Jan Curtis in Disney's *The Watcher in the Woods* (1980), and appearing as Bibi Dahl in the [James Bond](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-bond) film *[For Your Eyes Only](https://www.edgepedia.org/for-your-eyes-only-film)* (1981).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958, Chicago, Illinois, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/) |
| Skating record | 2nd place, novice level, 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships; joined the Ice Capades in 1977[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/) |
| Breakthrough role | Alexis Winston in *Ice Castles* (1978), opposite Robby Benson; nominated for a Golden Globe Award[3](https://www.liveabout.com/lynn-holly-johnson-1282090) |
| Bond film | Bibi Dahl in *For Your Eyes Only* (1981), with Roger Moore[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/lynn-holly-johnson-326731/film-credits) |
| Later films | *Where the Boys Are '84* (1984), *Hyperspace* (1985), *Alien Predator* (1987), *The Sisterhood* (1987)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lynnholly_johnson) |
| Marriage | Kelly James Givens, since November 12, 1994; two children, Kellum and Jensie[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/) • [6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) |
| Health | Stroke in January 2010 caused by a blood clot from an undiagnosed hole in her heart, followed by heart surgery and a year of cognitive therapy[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/) • [6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) |
## Figure skating career
Johnson grew up in Illinois and trained as a competitive figure skater from the age of 5.[7](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/) In 1974 she won the National Novice Free Skating Silver Medal at the [U.S. Figure Skating Championships](https://www.edgepedia.org/u-s-figure-skating-championships), placing second at the novice level, and soon afterward fractured her left leg, which kept her off the ice for seven months on doctors' orders.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/) A hipbone socket injury also sidelined her in 1974.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx)
In 1977 she gave up amateur competitive skating and toured with the [Ice Capades](https://www.edgepedia.org/ice-capades), the theatrical ice show; she spent a half season with the tour in 1977–78.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/) • [8](https://skatingmagazine.usfigureskating.org/article/Skating_201508-09_09) She later competed in professional skating competitions in the early 1980s.[3](https://www.liveabout.com/lynn-holly-johnson-1282090)
## Ice Castles and the nude-scene refusal
While Johnson was touring with the Ice Capades at 19, producers casting *Ice Castles* tracked her down, and she completed a successful screen test. Producer Donald Wrye had championed her to executives at [Columbia Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-pictures), citing her modeling, acting, and skating experience, and noting that as a child actor she had played [Helen Keller](https://www.edgepedia.org/helen-keller) in *The Miracle Worker*.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx)
The script initially contained a nude love scene, which she refused. She agreed to take the part only with the provision that the nude scene be deleted, and it was.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) Halfway through filming, a substituted scene had her taking off her blouse; she vetoed it again, the director refused to speak to her, and production shut down for two days before the scene was rewritten in her favor.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) The film, released as a family movie rather than the R-rated project first scripted, became a romantic box-office hit, with the [Melissa Manchester](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-manchester) theme song "Through the Eyes of Love."[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) • [7](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/) For the role she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.[3](https://www.liveabout.com/lynn-holly-johnson-1282090)
## Acting career
After *Ice Castles*, producers sought her out, and she appeared in more than 100 television commercials in addition to her film work.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) • [7](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/) She took the lead role of Jan Curtis in the Disney film *The Watcher in the Woods* (1980), sharing the screen with [Bette Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bette-davis), who praised her as a hard worker in interviews during the shoot.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lynnholly_johnson) • [7](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/) While filming the ending at [Pinewood Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/pinewood-studios), she met [Christopher Reeve](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-reeve), who was shooting *Superman* there; he and his stunt team taught her wire flying on the *Superman* set.[7](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/)
In 1981 she played Bibi Dahl, a young skater, in the Bond film *For Your Eyes Only*, opposite [Roger Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-moore).[4](https://www.fandango.com/people/lynn-holly-johnson-326731/film-credits) • [9](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Lynn-Holly_Johnson) She declined roles involving nudity, turning down films including *Caddyshack* and [Francis Ford Coppola](https://www.edgepedia.org/francis-ford-coppola)'s *The Cotton Club*.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) Her later screen work included *Where the Boys Are '84* (1984), *Hyperspace* (1985), *Angel River* (1986), *Alien Predator* (1987), *The Sisterhood* (1987), *Diggin' Up Business* (1990), *The Criminal Mind* (1993), and *Fugitive X: Innocent Target* (1996).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lynnholly_johnson) On Rotten Tomatoes, her highest-rated film is *For Your Eyes Only* at 69 percent and her lowest-rated is *Ice Castles* at 44 percent.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lynnholly_johnson)
## Later life
Johnson eventually left Hollywood, married Kelly James Givens on November 12, 1994, and raised two children, Kellum and Jensie.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/) • [6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) In January 2010 she suffered a stroke while traveling on a plane; a heart defect, an undiagnosed hole in her heart, had caused a blood clot. Her husband took her to the emergency room, she underwent successful heart surgery to close the hole, and she then spent a year in intensive cognitive therapy to restore linear thinking lost in the stroke.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/) • [6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx) She has since urged people with a family history of heart problems to have a thorough heart examination.[6](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx)
## References
1. [Lynn-Holly Johnson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/)
2. [Lynn-Holly Johnson - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000468/bio/)
3. [Biography of Lynn-Holly Johnson, Figure Skater, LiveAbout (Jo Ann Schneider Farris)](https://www.liveabout.com/lynn-holly-johnson-1282090)
4. [Lynn Holly Johnson Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/lynn-holly-johnson-326731/film-credits)
5. [Lynn-Holly Johnson, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lynnholly_johnson)
6. [Life's been an adventure for Lynn-Holly Johnson, U.S. Figure Skating (Jennifer Calvert, 2019)](https://usfigureskating.org/news/2019/6/5/general-lifes-been-an-adventure-for-lynn-holly-johnson.aspx)
7. [How 'Ice Castles' and 'Watcher in the Woods' Star Lynn-Holly Johnson Learned to Fly From Christopher Reeve, ReMIND Magazine (Mike Pingel, 2025)](https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/32171/ice-castles-actress-watcher-in-woods-lynn-holly-johnson-friendship-christopher-reeve-exclusive/)
8. [Skating Magazine Archive, U.S. Figure Skating](https://skatingmagazine.usfigureskating.org/article/Skating_201508-09_09)
9. [Lynn-Holly Johnson, James Bond Wiki](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Lynn-Holly_Johnson)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Winter and ice sports › Ice skating sports › Figure skating › Figure skating technique and people › Singles figure skaters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license