Cristina Ferrare

Cynthia Cristina Ferrare is an American fashion model, actress, author, and television host. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 8, 1950, to Renata and Tavio Ferrare, she is of Italian descent. At age 14, her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she signed with Nina Blanchard's modeling agency. She subsequently signed a contract with 20th Century Fox studios at age 16.

Ferrare made her television acting debut in 1966 under the name Cindy Ferrare in an episode of Batman. She went on to make her feature film debut in the 1968 comedy The Impossible Years opposite David Niven. In the 1970s, she appeared in the Western drama J. W. Coop (1972) and portrayed the titular vampire character in the horror film Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975). Outside of feature films, she served as a spokesperson for Max Factor in 1975.

During the 1980s, Ferrare transitioned into television hosting. She co-hosted KABC-TV's A.M. Los Angeles for several years, co-hosted ABC's The Home Show for several months in 1989, and appeared as herself on It's Garry Shandling's Show. Additionally, she was featured in print advertising for Ultra Slim-Fast in 1990 and made guest co-hosting appearances on Good Morning America, Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, and Vicki!.

From November 1996 to August 1998, Ferrare co-hosted Home & Family on The Family Channel. She later returned to co-host a revived version of the show alongside Mark Steines on the Hallmark Channel from 2012 until June 2016. In 2011, she premiered her cooking show, Big Bowl of Love, on the Oprah Winfrey Network, featuring her preparing recipes with guests and family members.

In addition to her broadcasting work, Ferrare co-created the Cristina Ferrare Collection jewelry line with her mother, which was sold in Neiman Marcus stores and specialty shops in the early 2000s. She has also authored several non-fiction cooking and self-help books.