Joan Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress who appeared on stage, in films, and on television.

Biography

Early life

Born in New York City of Irish and Italian extraction, her immigrant parents raised her Roman Catholic and sent her to Catholic schools.

Acting career

Hackett debuted with the role of Gail Prentiss in the TV series Young Doctor Malone in 1959. She had a leading role in The Twilight Zone episode "A Piano in the House" (1962). She had one of the starring roles in the 1966 Sidney Lumet film The Group along with Candice Bergen, Larry Hagman, Richard Mulligan, Joanna Pettet, and others.

One of her notable performances was the role of Catherine Allen in the 1968 Western Will Penny, with Charlton Heston. Hackett also had notable parts in the classic Western comedy Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), with James Garner, and the 1973 murder mystery The Last of Sheila. After this she primarily had parts in TV movies and on episodes of TV series.

Hackett won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1981 movie Only When I Laugh, the last movie she made before her death. She could also be seen in Paul Simon's film One Trick Pony, in which she did a nude scene.

Personal life

From 1965 to 1973 she was married to the actor Richard Mulligan, who also appeared in The Group.

Death

Hackett died of ovarian cancer at Encino Hospital in California in 1983. Both of her parents had also died of cancer. She is interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where her epitaph reads: "Go Away - I'm Asleep."

Partial filmography

• 1966: The Group
• 1968: Will Penny
• 1969: Support Your Local Sheriff!
• 1973: The Last of Sheila
• 1974: Reflections of Murder
• 1977: Dead of Night
• 1981: Only When I Laugh

Selected TV guest appearances

• 1962 The Twilight Zone (1959) playing "Esther Fortune" in episode: "A Piano in the House" (episode # 3.22) 16 February
• 1962 Gunsmoke (1955) playing "Mady Arthur" in episode: "The Widow" (episode # 7.25) 24 March
• 1963 Combat! (1962) playing "Gabrille" in episode: "The Chateau" (episode # 1.19) 12 February
• 1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) playing "Helen Clarvoe" in episode: "Beast in View" (episode # 2.21) 20 March
• 1965 Bonanza (1959) playing "Margarita Miguel" in episode: "Woman of Fire" (episode # 6.17) 17 January
• 1979 Trapper John, M.D. (1979) playing "Wilma" in episode: "The Surrogate" (episode # 1.10) 23 December

External links

• Biography from various sources
• All Movie Guide Review of her episode of The Twilight Zone
• Review of her episode of Combat!
• All Movie Guide Plot sypnosis of her 1965 Bonanza episode