Delores Judith Taylor (September 27, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American film actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for her roles in the '' Billy Jack'' films of the 1970s.

Life and career

Taylor was born in 1932 in Winner, South Dakota, and grew up near the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Her father, Harry Taylor, was a postmaster, who ran a post office that was frequented by Native Americans. Her mother, Ann Nelson, was a homemaker. She met actor

Tom Laughlin Thomas Robert Laughlin Jr. (August 10, 1931 – December 12, 2013) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator, and activist. Laughlin was best known for his series of ''Billy Jack'' films. He was married to actress De ...

while a student at the University of South Dakota in 1953, and married him while she was a graphic artist on October 15, 1954. They borrowed a car and moved to Los Angeles in 1955. They had three children: Frank, Teresa, and Christina. Her daughter Teresa is a fashion designer. Together the couple developed the character of "Billy Jack", who first appeared in the 1967 film '' The Born Losers''. They followed that with '' Billy Jack'' in 1971, then '' The Trial of Billy Jack'' in 1974, and ''

Billy Jack Goes to Washington ''Billy Jack Goes to Washington'' is a 1977 American political drama film starring Tom Laughlin, the fourth film in the ''Billy Jack'' series, and although the earlier films saw enormous success, this film did not. The film only had limited sc ...

'' in 1976. Taylor and Laughlin played the starring roles in the latter three films. Taylor co-produced both ''The Born Losers'' and the 1975 film ''

The Master Gunfighter ''The Master Gunfighter'' is a film released in 1975 in Panavision, written and produced by Tom Laughlin, who also played the lead as Finley. ''The Master Gunfighter'' is mainly a remake of the 1969 Japanese film '' Goyokin'', although the story r ...

''. She was nominated for a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1972.

Death

Taylor died on March 23, 2018, of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, California, aged 85.

Filmography

References

External links

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Delores Taylor
Aveleyman) 1932 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses People from Tripp County, South Dakota Actresses from South Dakota University of South Dakota alumni Deaths from dementia in California 21st-century American women {{US-film-actor-1930s-stub