Dorothy Stuart Hamill (born July 26, 1956) is a retired American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion and 1976 World champion in ladies' singles.
Early life
Hamill was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Chalmers and Carol Hamill. Her father was a mechanical engineer.
Hamill became the face of Clairol's Short & Sassy shampoo and conditioner. After her performance in the 1976 Olympics, which was viewed by millions globally, her iconic wedge haircut became a trend among women and girls. Ads for Short & Sassy, both on TV and in print, highlighted Hamill's lustrous dark hair as she gracefully glided on the ice.
Hamill was an Ice Capades headliner from 1977 to 1984. She was asked to join Ice Capades by Donna Atwood, who had been its star for years and who had eventually acquired financial control of the Ice Capades. Hamill was asked to be Atwood's successor as its new star. After Ice Capades folded due to competition and changing tastes, Hamill and her husband bought the financially strapped company's assets in 1993 in an effort to revive its earlier success, but they declared bankruptcy in 1994. It was sold to Pat Robertson's International Family Entertainment, Inc. in 1995.
Hamill has continued to skate in shows, including a regular principal role with Broadway on Ice. She was a special guest in the Brian Boitano–Barry Manilow skating extravaganza at AT&T Park in San Francisco in 2007.
In February 2013, it was revealed that Hamill would take part in the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Tristan MacManus. After only two dances, on March 26, 2013, she was forced to withdraw from the competition upon advice from her spine surgeon due to a severe strain on her lower back sustained during practice. She was featured in the "Star Power: Culinary Muscle" episode, alongside former NFL player LaMarr Woodley, Olympic medalist fencer Mariel Zagunis, and UFC fighter Paige VanZant. Hamill was the third and last contestant to be eliminated, narrowly missing out on advancing to the final heat, losing to Paige VanZant in the final round.
Personal life
Hamill wrote an autobiography titled On and Off the Ice. She was married and divorced twice: to Dean Paul Martin (1982–1984), and then to Kenneth Forsythe (1987–1995), with whom she had a daughter named Alexandra (1988-2025). Hamill married her third husband, John MacColl, in 2009.
- Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2000)
- The "Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink" in her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut, is named after her.