Cristina Raines

Cristina Raines, born Cristina Herazo on February 28, 1952, is an American former actress and model. She was born in Manila, Philippines, to American parents. Her father worked as a chemical engineer for Procter & Gamble, while her mother was a dressmaker. Raines spent her early childhood in Venezuela before her family settled in Coral Gables, Florida. She graduated from high school in Boston, Massachusetts, and subsequently attended the Chandler School for Women to train as a secretary. She also considered entering veterinary school before pursuing modeling on the advice of her uncle.

Around 1970, Raines moved to New York City and signed with the Ford Modeling Agency. Agency executive Eileen Ford encouraged her to audition for acting roles. Raines made her feature film debut using the name Tina Herazo in the independent period horror film Hex (1973). To broaden her casting opportunities and avoid being restricted by her Spanish surname, she chose the professional surname Raines. Early in her career, she appeared in the thriller The Stone Killer (1973) and starred as a terminally ill mother in the television film Sunshine (1973).

Throughout the late 1970s, Raines appeared in several high-profile feature films. She held a supporting role as a folk singer in Robert Altman's ensemble comedy Nashville (1975) and signed a contract with Universal Pictures. Raines played the lead role of a tormented model in Michael Winner's supernatural horror film The Sentinel (1977) and co-starred in Ridley Scott's directorial debut, the Napoleonic period drama The Duellists (1977). In 1978, she played the role of Lucinda McKeag Zendt in the epic 12-part NBC miniseries Centennial.

During the 1980s, Raines shifted her focus primarily to television while continuing to appear in select feature films. She starred in the feature films Silver Dream Racer (1980), Touched by Love (1980), the anthology horror film Nightmares (1983), Real Life (1984), and North Shore (1987). On television, she portrayed Lane Ballou as a main cast member on the NBC series Flamingo Road from 1980 to 1982. She also portrayed Poppaea in the 1985 miniseries Quo Vadis? and made guest appearances on series such as Riptide, Hotel, Highway to Heaven, The Highwaymen, Murder, She Wrote, and The Love Boat.

Raines formally retired from acting in 1991. Following her entertainment career, she became a registered nurse, specializing in caring for patients undergoing kidney dialysis. In her personal life, Raines had a long-term relationship with actor Keith Carradine from 1971 to 1979. In 1986, she married writer and producer Christopher Crowe, with whom she has two children.