Claudette Nevins (née Weintraub; April 10, 1937 – February 20, 2020) was an American stage, film and television actress.
Biography
Claudette Nevins was born in
Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the secon ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, and grew up in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. She was a daughter of merchant Joseph Weintraub and garment worker Anna Lander, both of whom emigrated from small towns in Austria to America. Nevins was a graduate of the
Fiorello H. LaGuardia School of Performing Arts and a 1957
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
graduate of
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
, with a degree in English.
Nevins debuted on Broadway in ''The Wall'' (1960) with other Broadway appearances including ''Plaza Suite'' (1968) and ''Danton's Death'' (1965).
She also appeared in ''In White America'' (off-Broadway) with
Gloria Foster
Gloria Foster (November 15, 1933 – September 29, 2001) was an American actress. She had acclaimed roles in plays ''In White America'' and '' Having Our Say,'' winning three Obie Awards during her career. Foster played the Oracle in ''The Matrix ...
and
Moses Gunn
Moses Gunn (October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993) was an American actor of stage and screen. An Obie Award-winning stage player, he is an alumnus of the Negro Ensemble Company. His 1962 off-Broadway debut was in Jean Genet's ''The Blacks,'' and ...
.
The National Company of ''The Great White Hope'', in which she starred with Brock Peters, took her to Los Angeles, after which she began working in television. For two and a half years she was seen in the long-running daytime soap opera ''Love of Life'' playing Laurie Krakauer. She appeared as a series regular in ''Headmaster'' (opposite
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...
), ''Husbands, Wives, and Lovers'', and ''Married: the First Year'' (a David Jacobs project). Her guest star appearances include ''
Beverly Hills 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'', ''
Barnaby Jones
''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...
,'' ''
Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'', ''
JAG'', ''
Three's Company
''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''.
The story revolves around three single roomma ...
'', ''
Lou Grant
Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...
'', ''
Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'', ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
The ...
'', ''
Hart to Hart
''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...
'', and many others.
Her first film was the 1961 3D feature ''The Mask'', which later became a cult classic. Other feature film appearances include ''
Sleeping With the Enemy
''Sleeping with the Enemy'' is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson. The film is based on Nancy Price's 1987 novel of the same name. Roberts plays a ...
'' (with
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and thr ...
), ''
All the Marbles
''...All the Marbles'' (reissued as ''The California Dolls'') is a 1981 American comedy-drama film about the trials and travails of a female wrestling tag team and their manager. It was directed by Robert Aldrich (his final film) and stars Peter ...
'' (with
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series ''Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...
), and ''
Tuff Turf
''Tuff Turf'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Fritz Kiersch and starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985.
Plot
Morgan Hiller (Spader) is an intelligent but bullied teenage ...
'' (with
James Spader
James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He has portrayed eccentric characters in films such as the drama ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, the action scien ...
).
Her work in regional theaters included the following: Arena Stage; ''Major Barbara'', ''The Iceman Cometh'', ''Ring Round the Moon'', ''The Cherry Orchard'' with the Atlanta Repertory; ''King Arther'', ''The Hostage'', ''The Little Foxes'', ''Major Barbara'', ''The Homecoming'', ''You Can't Take It With You'', ''Twelfth Night'', and with LA Shakespeare; ''Comedy of Errors''; La Mirada: ''Blithe Spirit''.
Nevins was a member of the Matrix Theatre Company, where she appeared in Alan Bennett's ''Habeas Corpus'', J. B. Priestley's ''Dangerous Corner'', Caryl Churchill's ''Mad Forest'', and ''The Water Children''. Other stage appearances in Los Angeles include ''Passion Play'' (Taper), ''Isn't it Romantic?'' (Pasadena), ''P.S. Your Cat is Dead'' (Westwood) and ''Philadelphia Story'' (Court).
She was a member of the Antaeus Company and with them has done staged readings of Noël Coward's ''
Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
'', O'Neill's ''
Long Day's Journey into Night'', and Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' and ''King John''.
In addition, she had extensive on-camera and voice-over commercial credits.
Personal life
Formerly married to Elliot Nevins, she married, secondly, to real estate investor Benjamin L. Pick, with whom she had two daughters, Jessica and Sabrina. Nevins died February 20, 2020, in hospice care at her home in Los Angeles.
Selected filmography
Film
*1961: ''
The Mask'' .... Pam Albright
*1981: ''
All the Marbles
''...All the Marbles'' (reissued as ''The California Dolls'') is a 1981 American comedy-drama film about the trials and travails of a female wrestling tag team and their manager. It was directed by Robert Aldrich (his final film) and stars Peter ...
'' .... Solly
*1982: ''
The American Adventure'' .... Mother (voice)
*1983: ''Over Here, Mr. President'' .... Maggie Bohanon
*1985: ''
Tuff Turf
''Tuff Turf'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Fritz Kiersch and starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985.
Plot
Morgan Hiller (Spader) is an intelligent but bullied teenage ...
'' .... Page Hiller
*1987: ''Jake's M.O.'' .... Sigournet Tompkins
*1991: ''
Sleeping with the Enemy
''Sleeping with the Enemy'' is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson. The film is based on Nancy Price's 1987 novel of the same name. Roberts plays a ...
'' .... Dr. Rissner
*1996: ''Final Vendetta'' .... Dr. Lisa Farrow
*1997: ''The Doyles''
*1998: ''
Star Trek: Insurrection'' .... Son'a Officer #2
*2000: ''Aladdin and the Adventure of All Time'' .... (voice)
*2004: ''
Eulogy
A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, especially one who recently died or retired, or as a ...
'' .... Barbara Collins
Television series
*1964: ''
The Nurses'' .... Grace Kearney
*1965: ''
The Defenders'' .... Ruth Parker
*1970: ''
Headmaster
A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the teacher, staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school ...
'' .... Margaret Thompson
*1972: ''
The F.B.I.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
''
*1973: ''
The Bob Newhart Show
''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psy ...
''
*1973–1974: ''
Police Story'' .... Ellen Calabrese
*1974: ''Mrs. Sundance'' (TV Movie) .... Mary Lant
*1974: ''
The Magician'' .... Suzanne
*1974–1980: ''
Barnaby Jones
''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...
'' .... Anita Parks / Pat Runkle / Claudia Elwood / Francis Yeager / Lisa Howard
*1975: ''
Harry O
''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. ''Harry O'' followed the broadcast ...
'' .... Jessica Shannon / Margin Wayne
*1975: ''
Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case'' (TV Movie) .... Marilyn Sheppard
*1975: ''
Return to the Planet of the Apes
''Return to the Planet of the Apes'' is a 1975 Saturday morning animation, animated series, by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television, based on the 1963 novel ''Planet of the Apes (novel), Planet of the Apes' ...
'' .... Nova / Judy Franklin
*1976: ''The Dark Side of Innocence'' (TV movie) .... Maggie Hancock
*1976: ''
Rich Man, Poor Man Book II
''Rich Man, Poor Man Book II'' is an American television miniseries that aired on ABC in one-hour episodes at 9:00pm ET/PT on Tuesday nights between September 21, 1976 and March 8, 1977. A sequel to '' Rich Man, Poor Man'' that had aired the pr ...
'' .... Mrs. Martindale
*1976: ''
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl
''Electra Woman and Dyna Girl'' is a live action superhero children's television series from 1976 created by Sid and Marty Krofft. The series aired 16 episodes in a single season as part of the umbrella series ''The Krofft Supershow.'' During th ...
'' .... Empress of Evil
*1976–1978: ''
Switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
'' .... Alice / Genevieve
*1977: ''
The Possessed'' (TV Movie) .... Ellen Summer
*1977: ''
The Rockford Files
''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...
'' .... Ann Louise Clement
*1977: ''
Lou Grant
Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...
'' .... Irene Mott
*1978: ''
Barnaby Jones
''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...
'' .... Pat Reed
*1978: ''
Husbands, Wives & Lovers
''Husbands, Wives & Lovers'' is an American television sitcom that aired for only one season on CBS in 1978. Created by Joan Rivers, this program focused on the relationships of five suburban couples living in the San Fernando Valley.
Cast and ch ...
'' .... Courtney Fielding
*1979: ''
The Lazarus Syndrome
''The Lazarus Syndrome'' is a 1979 American made-for-television drama thriller film directed by Jerry Thorpe. It was later the basis for a weekly television series of the same name, airing on the ABC network.
Cast
* Louis Gossett Jr. as Dr. ...
''
*1979: ''
Three's Company
''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''.
The story revolves around three single roomma ...
'' .... Barbara
*1979: ''Married: The First Year'' .... Barbara Huffman
*1979: ''
Mrs. Columbo
''Mrs. Columbo'' (1979–1980), later called ''Kate Columbo'', ''Kate the Detective'', and ''Kate Loves a Mystery'', is an American crime drama television series, initially based on the wife of Lieutenant Columbo, the title character from the ...
'' .... Sybil
*1979: ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
The ...
'' .... Donna Marie Parker
*1980: ''
Knots Landing
''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...
'' .... Susan Philby
*1980: ''
Family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
'' .... Claire Hopkins
*1981: ''
Behind the Screen
''Behind the Screen'' is a 1916 American silent short comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film is in the public domain.
Plot
The film takes place in a si ...
'' .... Angela Aries
*1981: ''
Hart to Hart
''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...
'' .... Señora Piranda
*1981: ''
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...
'' (TV Movie) .... Janet Bouvier Auchincloss
*1981: ''
CHiPs
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...
'' .... Hannah Chadway
*1982: ''
Police Squad!
''Police Squad!'' is an American television crime comedy series that was broadcast on the ABC network in 1982. It was created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. A spoof of police procedu ...
'' .... Veronica
*1982: ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'' .... Phyllis Reardon
*1984: ''
Steambath
A steam bath is a steam-filled room for the purpose of relaxation and cleansing. It has a long history, going back to Greek and Roman times.
History
The origins of the steam bath come from the Roman bath, which began during the height of the R ...
.... Dr. Blossom Jennings
*1982–1983: ''
One Day at a Time'' .... Marge
*1986: ''
Hardcastle and McCormick
''Hardcastle and McCormick'' is an American action crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 18, 1983, through May 5, 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race ...
'' .... Judge Sheila Mooney
*1987: ''
The Tortellis
''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the first spin-off of '' Cheers'', starring Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem. It aired on NBC from January 22 to May 12, 1987.
Synopsis
Hedaya and Kasem had appeared on ''Cheers'' on severa ...
'' .... The Arbiter
*1987: ''
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
'' .... Myrna Dawson
*1988: ''
Head of the Class
''Head of the Class'' is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network.
The series follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Millard Fillmor ...
'' .... Mrs. Samuels
*1988: ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'' .... Sarah Schindler
*1989: ''
Free Spirit'' .... Mildred Crater
*1990: ''
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' .... Lizzie Burns
*1991: ''
Designing Women
''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...
'' .... Roseland Price
*1991: ''Child of Darkness, Child of Light'' (TV Movie) .... Lenore Beavier
*1991: ''
Dead Silence
''Dead Silence'' is a 2007 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell. The film stars Ryan Kwanten as Jamie Ashen, a young widower returning to his hometown to search for answers to his wife's death. I ...
'' (TV Movie) .... Mrs. Stillman
*1992–1998: ''
Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'' .... Constance Fielding
*1993: ''
Picket Fences
''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televisio ...
'' .... Claudia Graham
*1993: ''
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'' .... Vivian Carson
*1994: ''
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' .... Barbara Trevino
*1994: ''
Thunder Alley'' .... Ellen
*1995: ''
Coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
'' .... Mrs. DiMateo
*1996: ''
ER'' .... Judge
*1997: ''
7th Heaven'' .... Mrs. Rainy
*1997–2004: ''
JAG'' .... Porter Webb
*1998: ''
Ally McBeal'' .... Mrs. Hollings
*2000: ''
Judging Amy
''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...
'' .... Karen Cassidy
*2000: ''
The District
''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department.
Pre ...
'' .... Judge Arlene Sidwell
*2001–2002: ''
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
'' .... Joyce Sidwell
*2001–2002: ''
The Agency'' .... Audrey Simmons
*2004: ''
Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'' .... Cathy Payton
*2005: ''
Strong Medicine
''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminism, feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime Television, Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Who ...
'' .... Ava Rey (final appearance)
References
External links
Claudette Nevins Official Website*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevins, Claudette
American film actresses
American television actresses
American stage actresses
Actresses from Pennsylvania
1937 births
Actors from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
New York University alumni
2020 deaths
American people of Austrian descent
21st-century American women