Alexandra Hay
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Alexandra Hay (July 24, 1947 – October 11, 1993) was an American actress of the 1960s and 1970s best known for her roles in ''
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...
'', '' Skidoo'', and '' Model Shop''.


Early life and modeling

Born Alexandra Lynn Hay, she was a native of Los Angeles and attended Arroyo High School in El Monte, California. In the early 1960s, Hay booked modeling jobs through her agent William Adrian. At 15, she was featured as the "American Beauty" for the May–June 1963 issue of ''DIG'' magazine. Her mother died on August 25, 1963, when Hay had recently turned 16. In 1964, she moved to Europe. In an interview, Hay described her time in Europe: "I modeled in London to earn a living, and I had a ball. That was in 1964 when London was exploding – all the excitement about
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and The Beat – I nearly blew my mind."


Mainstream career

On October 29, 1966, the ''Los Angeles Times'' reported "Columbia's New Talent Program has developed another young actress, Alexandra Hay, who has been signed to a long-term exclusive contract by the studio." Hay's first credited role was in an episode of ''
The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
'' entitled "Monkee Mother" (episode 27, original airdate March 20, 1967). Her career continued with small roles in the 1967 movies ''
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...
'' and ''
The Ambushers ''The Ambushers'' is a novel by Donald Hamilton first published in 1963, continuing the exploits of assassin Matt Helm. Plot introduction Matt Helm conducts a by-the-book assassination in the (fictional) Central American nation of Costa Verde. A ...
''. In the former, she portrayed a
carhop A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Carhops usually work on foot but sometimes use roller skates, as depicted in movies such as ''American Graffiti'' and television shows such as ...
who takes an ice cream order from
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
’s character.


''The Beard'' arrests

Hay played the role of
Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...
in
Michael McClure Michael McClure (October 20, 1932 – May 4, 2020) was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous ...
's controversial play ''The Beard''. She was arrested on 14 nights for lewd conduct and later acquitted by the California Supreme Court on the basis that the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
places strict limitations on the application of criminal laws to live theatrical performances.


Later career

Hay was chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to be Miss Golden Globe for the 1968 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which was held at the Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove on February 12, 1968. Hay's feature film credits include ''
How Sweet It Is! ''How Sweet It Is!'' is a 1968 comedy film starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who accompanies his wife and teenage son on an assignment in Paris, w ...
'' (1968), '' Skidoo'' (1968), '' Model Shop'' (1969), '' The Greatest Mother of 'em All'' (1969), ''The Forests Are Nearly All Gone Now'' (1971; shelved), '' Fun and Games'' (1971) (released in the U.S. as ''1000 Convicts and a Woman''), '' The Love Machine'' (1971), ''
How to Seduce a Woman ''How to Seduce a Woman'' is a 1974 American comedy film, directed by Charles Martin. It stars Angus Duncan, Angel Tompkins, and Alexandra Hay, and was released in late January 1974. Plot synopsis Employees of a well-off con man and lady's man ...
'' (1974), ''How Come Nobody's on Our Side?'' (1974), ''That Girl from Boston'' (1975; shelved), ''Short Letter to the Long Goodbye'' (1978), and ''
The One Man Jury ''The One Man Jury'' (released as ''The Loner'' on UK video) is a 1978 American neo-noir film directed by Charles Martin (1910-1983) and starring Jack Palance, Christopher Mitchum, Pamela Shoop, and Cara Williams. Plot Jim Wade (Jack Palance) i ...
'' (1978). Hay had television roles in episodes of ''
CBS Playhouse ''CBS Playhouse'' is an American anthology drama television series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1970. Airing twelve plays over the course of its run, the series won ten Primetime Emmy Awards and featured many noteworthy actors and playwrights. ...
'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''
Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...
'', ''
Dan August ''Dan August'' is an American drama series that aired on ABC from September 23, 1970, to April 8, 1971. Burt Reynolds played the title character. Reruns of the series aired in prime time on CBS from May to October 1973 and from April to June 197 ...
'', '' Thriller'', ''
Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, it ...
'', '' The Manhunter'', ''
The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...
'', and '' Police Story''. She also appeared in the television movies ''The F.B.I Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One'' and ''
The Screaming Woman ''The Screaming Woman'' is a 1972 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Olivia de Havilland and directed by Jack Smight. It is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury (which in turn was based on his 1948 radio play for ...
''. Hay was photographed by Mario Casilli for a February 1974 ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'' magazine pictorial entitled "Alexandra the Great."


Death

Hay died on October 11th, 1993 at age 46 of arteriosclerotic heart disease. She was cremated by The Alpha Society and her ashes were scattered at sea off Marina del Rey, California on October 19th, 1993.


Filmography


References


External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Alexandra 1947 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American television actresses People from El Monte, California