# Randi Oakes
**Randi Oakes** (born Betty Lee Oakes, 1951) is a retired American actress and former fashion model best known for playing Officer Bonnie Clark on the NBC police series *CHiPs* from 1979 to 1982[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) • [2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and date | Betty Lee Oakes, born 1951; IMDb lists Sumner, Iowa, while the *TV Stars* directory lists Randalia, Iowa, where her father owned a farm[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) • [2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf) |
| Modeling start | Won the Miss Iowa Model of the Year contest, then moved to New York with her parents' encouragement to model full time[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) |
| Signature role | Officer Bonnie Clark on *CHiPs*; TVmaze credits her with 63 episodes in the role, IMDb with 68[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/) |
| Earlier work | Semiregular as Georgia on *Rosetti and Ryan* (1977); Sally Cantrell in the film *Acapulco Gold* (1976); guest roles on *McCloud*, *Delvecchio*, *Switch*, and *Battlestar Galactica*[2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes) |
| Marriage | Met actor Gregory Harrison as a fellow contestant on *Battle of the Network Stars VII* (1979); her biography gives the wedding date as December 21, 1980, while the same page's family listing gives May 3, 1981[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) |
| Children | Four with Harrison: daughters Emma, Lily, and Kate, and adopted son Quinn Edgar[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) |
| Retirement | Left acting after the birth of her first child in 1985 and lives in southern Oregon[5](https://www.historyforsale.com/randi-oakes-autographed-inscribed-photograph/dc25801/43) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) |
## Modeling and move to acting
Oakes grew up in rural Iowa, where her father owned a farm in Randalia[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio). After winning the Miss Iowa Model of the Year contest, she moved to New York to pursue modeling and spent seven years working as a fashion model[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) • [6](https://news.amomama.com/294475-randi-oakes-worked-a-model-playing-offic.html).
**The switch to acting.** At age 23 she overheard one model at her agency describe another as "a young Randi Oakes", which prompted her decision to leave modeling; she later said, "I sort of liked the idea of being a young actress instead of an old model"[6](https://news.amomama.com/294475-randi-oakes-worked-a-model-playing-offic.html). Her early screen work consisted of guest appearances on *McCloud* (1970), *Delvecchio* (1976), *Switch* (1975 to 1978), and *Battlestar Galactica* (1978), along with the recurring role of Georgia on the 1977 series *Rosetti and Ryan* and the role of Sally Cantrell in the 1976 film *Acapulco Gold*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes).
## CHiPs
Oakes first appeared on *CHiPs* in a guest role as a car thief, then was invited to become a regular as Officer Bonnie Clark, joining stars [Erik Estrada](https://www.edgepedia.org/erik-estrada) and [Larry Wilcox](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-wilcox)[2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf) • [6](https://news.amomama.com/294475-randi-oakes-worked-a-model-playing-offic.html). The *TV Stars* directory describes her as one of the earliest of the female "Chippies" brought onto the popular police show[2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf). She also played the character Kim Balford in a second-season episode before taking the regular part[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes).
Episode counts for the role differ by database: TVmaze lists 63 episodes as Officer Bonnie Clark[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes), IMDb lists 68 episodes across her *CHiPs* appearances[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/), and the German service Wunschliste lists 65[7](https://www.wunschliste.de/person/randi-oakes/chips/folgen). The directory dates her run as 1979 to 1982[2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf).
## Later career and personal life
Oakes met actor [Gregory Harrison](https://www.edgepedia.org/gregory-harrison), known for *Trapper John, M.D.*, when both appeared as contestants on the 1979 game-show special *Battle of the Network Stars VII*; they married, and she later appeared as a co-host and guest on further *Battle of the Network Stars* specials[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes). Her biography records the wedding as December 21, 1980, while the same page's family section lists the marriage as beginning May 3, 1981[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio).
After *CHiPs* she continued with guest roles on *The Love Boat* (three episodes, 1981 to 1983), *Fantasy Island* (three episodes, 1981 to 1984), *Masquerade* (1984), and *Glitter* (1985)[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/). She retired from acting after the birth of her first child in 1985[5](https://www.historyforsale.com/randi-oakes-autographed-inscribed-photograph/dc25801/43). She and Harrison have four children and live in southern Oregon[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio).
## References
1. [Randi Oakes – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/bio)
2. [Oakes, Randi entry, TV Stars: The Complete Directory to Prime Time TV Stars](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/TV-Stars-The-Complete-Directory-to-Prime-Time-1964-Present-B--221117.pdf)
3. [Randi Oakes, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50972/randi-oakes)
4. [Randi Oakes, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0642974/)
5. [Randi Oakes – Autographed Inscribed Photograph, HistoryForSale](https://www.historyforsale.com/randi-oakes-autographed-inscribed-photograph/dc25801/43)
6. [Randi Oakes Worked as a Model before Playing Officer Bonnie Clark In 'CHiPs', AmoMama](https://news.amomama.com/294475-randi-oakes-worked-a-model-playing-offic.html)
7. [CHiPs: Folgen mit Randi Oakes, Wunschliste](https://www.wunschliste.de/person/randi-oakes/chips/folgen)
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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 O to Pa*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: 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