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Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in the 1971 Clint Eastwood film, ''
Play Misty for Me ''Play Misty for Me'' is a 1971 American psychological thriller film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The screenplay, written by regular Eastwood collaborators Jo Heims and ...
''. On television, she was most recently known for her role of Lucille Bluth on the sitcom ''
Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...
'' (2003–06, 2013–19), and providing the voice of
Malory Archer This is a list of characters on ''Archer'', an American animated spy comedy television series created by Adam Reed for the FX network. Characters Sterling Archer Sterling Malory Archer ( H. Jon Benjamin), codename: ''Duchess'', is 184  ...
on the FX animated series ''
Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
'' (2009–21). Walter received various awards over the course of her television career including a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for ''
Amy Prentiss ''Amy Prentiss'' is an American police drama television series that originally aired on NBC. Description ''Amy Prentiss'' was a spinoff of ''Ironside (TV series), Ironside'' (the pilot was a two-hour episode of that show) and like that series wa ...
'' (1975). She also received two Golden Globe Award nominations and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. For her starring role opposite Eastwood in ''Play Misty for Me'', Walter received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. After studying acting at the
Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is a full-time professional conservatory for actors in New York City. First operational from 1915 to 1927, the school re-opened in 1928 and has been active ever since. It is the birthplace of th ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, Walter began her career on the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
stage, winning a 1963
Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...
for Outstanding Debut Performance. She made her film debut in the 1964 neo-noir drama ''
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian and Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Ed ...
'' then subsequently starred in the 1966 films ''
Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...
'' and ''
The Group The Group may refer to: Film and television * ''The Group'' (Australian TV series), 1971 situation comedy produced by Cash Harmon Television for ATN7 * ''The Group'' (Canadian TV series), 1968–70 music variety on CBC Television * ''The Group ...
''. Both performances earned her critical acclaim. Throughout her career, Walter was a regular presence on American television, playing the titular role in the short-lived police procedural ''
Amy Prentiss ''Amy Prentiss'' is an American police drama television series that originally aired on NBC. Description ''Amy Prentiss'' was a spinoff of ''Ironside (TV series), Ironside'' (the pilot was a two-hour episode of that show) and like that series wa ...
,'' appearing in a recurring role on ''
Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'', working as a series regular for the first half of season one of '' 90210'', and providing the voice of Fran Sinclair on the series '' Dinosaurs''. Her role as scheming socialite Lucille Bluth in ''Arrested Development'' brought her renewed attention, and she contributed voiceover work to animated shows like ''
Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
'' and ''
Star vs. the Forces of Evil ''Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' is an American animated magical girl television series created by Daron Nefcy and developed by Jordana Arkin and Dave Wasson, which aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD. It is the first Disney XD series created b ...
'' (2015–18).


Early life

Walter was born on January 31, 1941, 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 City, to parents Esther (née Groisser), a teacher, and David Walter. Walter's father was from a
Polish-Jewish The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...
family. He was a musician and member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra who had attended New York City's High School of Performing Arts. Walter's mother was from a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family who migrated to the US from Russia in 1923. Her brother, Richard Walter, is a screenwriter.


Career

Walter began her acting career on stage, winning a
Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...
in 1963 for Outstanding Debut Broadway Performance in ''Photo Finish'' by Peter Ustinov. She soon moved to television, and played Julie Muranoon on the television series, ''
Love of Life ''Love of Life'' is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation ''Search for Tomorrow'' premiered three weeks before ''Love of Life''; he created ''Th ...
''. While appearing on ''Love of Life'' from 1962 to 1965, she also acted on many other popular television series, including '' Naked City'', ''
East Side/West Side ''East Side/West Side'' is an American drama series starring George C. Scott, Elizabeth Wilson, Cicely Tyson, and, later on, Linden Chiles. The series aired for one season (1963–1964), and was shown Monday nights on CBS. Set in New York City ...
'', ''
Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...
'', '' Route 66'', ''
The Doctors and the Nurses ''The Nurses'' is a serialized primetime medical drama that was broadcast in the United States on CBS from September 27, 1962, to May 11, 1965. For the third and final season, the title was expanded to ''The Doctors and the Nurses'' and it ran un ...
'', '' The Rogues'', and '' The Defenders''. Among those series is Walter's role as Lorna Richmond on "The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow" episode of ''
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...
'' (April 14, 1964), and a supporting role as
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...
's wife on the drama '' For the People'' (1965). In 1964, Walter appeared in the first episode of the television series, '' Flipper'' as well as the episode "How Much for a Prince?" in
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's drama '' The Reporter''. In 1966, she appeared in "The White Knight" episode of '' The Fugitive.'' Her earliest notable and acclaimed screen role was in the Clint Eastwood-directed film, ''
Play Misty for Me ''Play Misty for Me'' is a 1971 American psychological thriller film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The screenplay, written by regular Eastwood collaborators Jo Heims and ...
'' (1971). Walter played Evelyn, a young woman who displayed mental illness consistent with borderline personality disorder. Evelyn is known to repeatedly call a California radio station during a
jazz music Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a maj ...
program hosted by Eastwood's character, Dave Garver, always requesting he play the
Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...
standard, "Misty". In the course of becoming infatuated with Garver, Evelyn seduces him and then attempts suicide in his home. Her obsessive behavior intensifies and she begins stalking him relentlessly and eventually breaks into his house. In a frenzy, Evelyn destroys the interior of the home and stabs his housekeeper Birdie (played by
Clarice Taylor Clarice Taylor (September 20, 1917 – May 30, 2011) was an American stage, film and television actress. She is best known for playing Cousin Emma on ''Sanford and Son'' and the mother of Cliff Huxtable Anna Huxtable on ''The Cosby Show''. and Mr ...
), who is hospitalized but survives. For her performance in the film, Walter received a Golden Globe Award nomination in the Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama category as well as critical praise. Film critic Roger Ebert described Walter as demonstrating "unnerving effectiveness" in the role. Walter's other film credits from that era include ''
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian and Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Ed ...
'' (1964), ''
Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...
'' (1966), ''
The Group The Group may refer to: Film and television * ''The Group'' (Australian TV series), 1971 situation comedy produced by Cash Harmon Television for ATN7 * ''The Group'' (Canadian TV series), 1968–70 music variety on CBC Television * ''The Group ...
'' (1966), ''
Bye Bye Braverman ''Bye Bye Braverman'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. The screenplay by Herbert Sargent was adapted from the 1964 novel ''To an Early Grave'' by Wallace Markfield. Plot When minor writer Leslie Braverman dies suddenl ...
'' (1968), and ''
Number One Number One most commonly refers to: * 1 (number) Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song * ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song * ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC * ''n.1 ...
'' (1969). She was also in an episode of '' Mannix'' (starring Mike Connors), "Moving Target" in season 5. During the 1970s, Walter co-starred in an episode of '' Columbo'', "Mind Over Mayhem", had a recurring role on ''
Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'' as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's former wife, and starred on the series ''
Amy Prentiss ''Amy Prentiss'' is an American police drama television series that originally aired on NBC. Description ''Amy Prentiss'' was a spinoff of ''Ironside (TV series), Ironside'' (the pilot was a two-hour episode of that show) and like that series wa ...
'', a spinoff of '' Ironside'', for which she won a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
. In 1980s, she had a role on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
primetime soap opera ''
Bare Essence ''Bare Essence'' is an American prime time soap opera television series which aired on NBC from February 15 to June 13, 1983, during the 1982–83 season. It starred Genie Francis as Tyger Hayes, and explored the intrigues of the perfume industry ...
'' as Ava Marshall. Following ''Bare Essence'', Walter worked most frequently in television and theater, though she did appear in some films including ''
The Flamingo Kid ''The Flamingo Kid'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Michael Phillips. It stars Matt Dillon, Richard Crenna, Héctor Elizondo and Jessica Walter. The film tells the story of a working class boy ...
'' (1984) and the film '' PCU'' (1994). She recorded a performance as the doll form of
Chucky Chucky may refer to: *Chucky (name) *Chucky (character), a fictional character in the ''Child's Play'' franchise **'' Chucky: Slash & Dash'', a 2013 video game ** ''Chucky'' (TV series), a 2021 TV series *Chucky madtom (''Noturus crypticus''), en ...
for the 1988 horror film '' Child's Play'', but her lines were redubbed by
Brad Dourif Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Oscar, and won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for his film debut role as Billy Bibbit in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975). He is also kno ...
after negative test screenings which
Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...
and
Don Mancini George Donald Mancini (born January 25, 1963) is an American screenwriter and film director, most notable for the ''Child's Play'' franchise. Career Having been a horror fan since his childhood, Mancini's inspiration for '' Child's Play'' were ...
attributed partially to Walter's performance; they claimed Walter was effectively frightening in the role but failed to convey the sense of black humor they envisioned the character to have and that her voice seemed out of place because the character was male. In the 1990s, Walter voiced Fran Sinclair on the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy ''Dinosaurs'', and appeared on ''
Just Shoot Me! ''Just Shoot Me!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 4, 1997, to November 26, 2003, with a total of 145 half-hour episodes spanning seven seasons. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive ...
'' as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo. From 2003 to 2006, she appeared in a regular role as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarch Lucille Bluth on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
's comedy series ''
Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...
''. In 2005, she received a nomination for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...
for the role. Despite her convincing portrayal of Lucille, she states: "I'm nothing like Lucille. Nothing. My daughter will tell you. I'm really a very nice, boring person." Despite acclaim from critics, ''Arrested Development'' received low ratings and viewership on Fox, which cancelled the series in 2006. It was revived by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
for season four in 2013, where it gained huge popularity. Walter reprised her role for season five, premiering in 2018. Walter played Tabitha Wilson on the first season of ''90210'' (2008-2009), until the character was written off halfway through the season. In 2007, she guest-starred on the sitcom ''
Rules of Engagement Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...
'' in the episode titled "Kids" and in 2009 guest-starred in an episode of '' Law & Order: SVU'' as legal-aid lawyer Petra Gilmartin. Previously in 2008, she had appeared in ''
Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' as Eleanor Reynolds in the episode "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger". From 2011 to 2012, she starred in the
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...
sitcom ''
Retired at 35 ''Retired at 35'' is an American sitcom on TV Land starring George Segal, Jessica Walter, Johnathan McClain, Josh McDermitt, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Ryan Michelle Bathe. It is the network's second original scripted series after ''Hot in Cleve ...
'' alongside her ''Bye Bye Braverman'' co-star George Segal. Walter starred as Evangeline Harcourt in the Broadway revival of ''
Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...
'', which began previews in March 2011 and officially opened on April 7, 2011. Walter voiced
spymaster A spymaster is the person that leads a spy ring, or a secret service (such as an intelligence agency). Historical spymasters See also *List of American spies *List of British spies * List of German spies *List of fictional spymasters This ...
Malory Archer on the FX animated series ''
Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
''. Walter mentioned that her performance in ''Arrested Development'' was explicitly referenced when auditions for the part of Malory were sought. In May 2018, Walter became part of an on-set controversy regarding harassment she said she had received from ''Arrested Development'' co-star
Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...
. During a cast interview with the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', Walter was asked about an incident which Tambor had alluded to several months before. Walter teared up and stated that " like almost 60 years of working, I've never had anybody yell at me like that on a set. And it's hard to deal with, but I'm over it now", while also noting that Tambor had apologized and had not done anything sexually inappropriate, and that she would work with him again. During the same interview, co-stars Jason Bateman, Tony Hale, and David Cross were criticized in multiple media outlets for appearing to excuse Tambor's behavior without acknowledging Walter's experience. Within days, all three men had issued apologies to Walter.


Personal life

Walter was married to Ross Bowman, a former Broadway stage manager and television director, from 1966 to 1978. The marriage produced a daughter, Brooke Bowman, formerly an executive for
21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, f ...
and currently a Senior Vice President of development at
ABC Family The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
. Walter had one grandson. During her first marriage, a fire broke out in the couple's tenth-floor apartment in September 1966 while Bowman was out of town. Walter was rescued by a firefighter. In 1983, Walter married actor
Ron Leibman Ron Leibman (; October 11, 1937 – December 6, 2019) was an American actor. He won both the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play in 1993 for his performance as Roy Cohn in ''Angels in Amer ...
. They remained married until his death in 2019. Walter and Leibman appeared together in
Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
's play ''
Rumors A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin:rumorem - noise), is "a tall tale of explanations of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in p ...
'', portrayed a husband and wife in the film '' Dummy'' (2003), and on ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' (in the episode "House Counsel"). Leibman joined the cast of ''Archer'', voicing her character's new husband. While Walter's mother raised her daughter in the Jewish tradition, Walter later described herself as not religious but "very Jewish in my heart". On March 24, 2021, Walter died in her sleep at her
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
home. She was 80 years old.


Filmography


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * *
Jessica Walter on tvland.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Jessica 1941 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American people of Soviet descent American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Jewish American actresses Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Brooklyn People from Queens, New York American people of Russian-Jewish descent 21st-century American Jews