While happy with the chance to act on a television series, Gray was not happy with her roll as Wilma Deering. To her, the character was too rough and cold. She laso had some creative problems with people involved in the series. Scenes the showed her character softening up or allowing her character to develope were edited out for reasons not known to her or scenes originally writen for her were changed and given to someone else at the last minute.Another problem she had with the first season was having to bleach her hair. With her hair naturally dark brown, Gray had to bleach her hair so she could have the blond hair needed Wilma Deering. She was worried about the damage bleaching her hair over and over again will do down the road and how it may damage her modeling career (She was still modeling part time.) Gray was able to come up with a compromise with the producers of the show having Wilma Deering having a two-tone hair color with blond in the front and brown in the back.
Durning the second season of Buck Rogers, the Wilma Deering character made a 180 degree turn in personality. Instead of being warrior incharge of Earth's defends, she became somewhat of a ship stewardess in a space ship. Gone was Wilma Deering's fight and toughness and in was someone who popped up here and there, smiled for the camera, and gave a line. As the season rolled on Gray felt more and more that her character was being brushed off and a non-factor in the series. She was equally unhappy about having to work the extra hour on her limited scenes and not being able to her son. It was no surprise to anyone that she was happy when news of Buck Rogers not returning for a third season came about.
Although she wasn't as happy as she could have been with the Wilma Deering roll, she is happy with what came from playing her. Acroding to Gray, young women would approch her and tell her roll a Wilma Deering was the inspration for them in life to become pilots or join the military. In addition to hearing those kind words, she is still getting flooded with letters daily regarding the roll. She says that if she and the producers of Buck Rogers would have known the charater would be so popular, maybe the roll would have been developed more to Gray's liking.
After her run on Buck Rogers ended, Gray made her rounds on Made for TV movies and guest staring on ongoing tv shows. A few years got the roll as Kate Summers in the popular comedy, Silver Spoons. Life during the series was like heaven for her. Unlike with Buck Roger, the cast and crew of Silver Spoons were a joy to work with. The demand and work schedule on Gray was easy enough of her that she was able to spend quality time with her family.
After Sliver Spoon's long run, Erin Gray continued her acting career guset staring on television shows and made for TV movies. One of her most memorious roll was when she played Jenny Hayden on the Starman television series. During the production of the 2-part finally of the series, she got to chance to work with director, Claudio Guzman. From day one, both Gray and Guzman saw eye to eye on how the chatacter was to be played. As much as she love to work with the director she equally love to work with her co-stars and had a very good working relationship with them. But unknown at the time, Chris Barnes who play her son had a big crush on her. When she heard of this, a blushing Gray said that she had no idea that he felt that way about her.
Another suprise that came to Erin Gray after staring in Starman was the popularity she recived from the fans of the seires. For years, she kept receiving invetations to Starman fan conventions but never appeared at any of them until recently. The reception she recived made such a big impression to her that she said that she is willing to do them again.
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