Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''

Will Penny ''Will Penny'' is a 1968 American Western film written and directed by Tom Gries and starring Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett and Donald Pleasence. The picture was based upon an episode of the 1960 Sam Peckinpah television series '' The Western ...

''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1981 film '' Only When I Laugh''. She also starred as Christine Mannon in the 1978

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

miniseries version of ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

''.

Early life

She was born in the

East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

neighborhood of

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 ...

, the daughter of John and Mary (née Esposito) Hackett, and grew up in

Elmhurst, Queens Elmhurst (formerly Newtown) is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue on the north; the Long Island Expressway on the south; Junction Boulevard on the east; and the New York Connecting R ...

, where she became a model and dropped out during her final year of high school. She had a sister, Theresa, and a brother, John. Her mother was from

Naples, Italy Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, and her father had Irish ancestry, and they raised her

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and sent her to

Catholic schools Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syst ...

Acting career

Hackett debuted in 1959 with the role of Gail Prentiss in the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

, ''

Young Doctor Malone ''Young Doctor Malone'' (a.k.a. ''Young Dr. Malone'') is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963. The producer was Betty Corday (1912–1987), who also produced '' Pepper You ...

''. In 1961, she won a

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre, Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945� ...

, an Obie Award for Best Actress, and a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for her

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

portrayal of Chris in

Michael Shurtleff Michael Shurtleff (July 3, 1920, in Oak Park, Illinois – January 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, California) was a major force in casting on Broadway during the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote ''Audition'', a book for actors on the audition process. He also ...

's play '' Call Me By My Rightful Name''. She had a recurring role in the

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 ...

legal drama '' The Defenders'' (1961–1965) as the fiancée of Kenneth Preston (played by

Robert Reed Robert Reed (born John Robert Rietz Jr.; October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American actor. He played Kenneth Preston on the legal drama '' The Defenders'' from 1961 to 1965 alongside E. G. Marshall, and is best known for his role as the ...

), partner in the father-and-son law firm led by patriarch Lawrence Preston (

E.G. Marshall E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...

). She appeared regularly in scenes with both lead actors. She had a leading role in ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' episode "

A Piano in the House "A Piano in the House" is episode 87 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on February 16, 1962, on CBS. Opening narration Plot Drama critic Fitzgerald Fortune, a caustic and cruel man, goes to ...

". In the 1963–1964 season, she guest-starred on '' Channing'', an

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 ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

about

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

life starring

Jason Evers Jason Evers (born Herbert Everberg or as Herbert Everin; January 2, 1922 – March 13, 2005) was an American actor. He was the star of the 1963 ABC television drama '' Channing''. Early life Evers was born either as Herbert Everberg or Herbert ...

and Henry Jones. Hackett had one of the starring roles in the 1966

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), ''Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976), ...

film ''

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 ...

'', along with

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

Richard Mulligan Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 – September 26, 2000) was an American character actor known for his roles in the sitcoms ''Soap'' (1977–1981) and ''Empty Nest'' (1988–1995),. Mulligan was the winner of two Emmy Awards (1980 ...

Joanna Pettet Joanna Pettet (born Joanna Jane Salmon; 16 November 1942) is a retired English actress. Early life Pettet was born in Westminster, London, England. Her parents, Harold Nigel Edgerton Salmon, a British Royal Air Force pilot killed in the Secon ...

, and others. One of her notable film performances was the role of Catherine Allen, a young mother struggling to survive on the frontier, in the 1968

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

'', with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

in the title role. Hackett also had notable parts in the classic Western comedy ''

Support Your Local Sheriff! ''Support Your Local Sheriff!'' (also known as ''The Sheriff'') is a 1969 American comedy Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring James Garner, Joan Hackett, and Walter Brennan. The supporting cast features Harry Morgan, Jack Elam, ...

'', with

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

, and the 1973 murder mystery ''

The Last of Sheila ''The Last of Sheila'' is a 1973 American whodunnit mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. It starred Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, and ...

''. After this, she primarily had parts in TV movies and on episodes of TV series. She received top billing in the 1974 adaption of Michael Crichton's book

The Terminal Man ''The Terminal Man'' is a novel by American writer Michael Crichton. It is his second novel under his own name and his twelfth overall, and is about the dangers of mind control. It was published in April 1972, and also serialized in ''Playboy' ...

, where she played the brilliant Dr. Janet Ross, a psychiatrist who accurately predicts her patient's destructive behavior, opposite actors George Segal,

Donald Moffat Donald Moffat (26 December 1930 – 20 December 2018) was a British–American actor with a decades-long career in film and stage in the United States. He began his acting career on- and off-Broadway, which included appearances in ''The Wild D ...

, and

Richard Dysart Richard Allen Dysart (March 30, 1929 – April 5, 2015) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Leland McKenzie in the television series '' L.A. Law'' (1986–1994), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award from four consecutive no ...

. In 1978, she appeared in a

adaptation of ''

'' as Christine Mannon. Her performance in that production earned her some of the best reviews of her career.

Clive James Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

'' Another Day'', portraying Ginny Gardner. She appeared in the September 22, 1979, episode "Grass Is Always Greener" of ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

'' as Julie McCoy's former classmate from the line's cruise director course. Hackett won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1981 film '' Only When I Laugh'', the last film she made before her death. She could also be seen in

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

's 1980 film '' One Trick Pony''.

Personal life and death

From 1966 to 1973 she was married to actor

, who was also cast in ''The Group''. Joan Hackett Grave

Hackett was diagnosed with cancer in 1981. She died of

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

on October 8, 1983, at Encino Hospital in

Encino, California Encino (Spanish language, Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north t ...

. A funeral mass was held on Wednesday, October 12, 1983, at St. Victor Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California. Her remains are entombed in The Abbey of The Psalms Mausoleum at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

, where her

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

reads: "Go Away — I'm Asleep".

Partial filmography

. * ''

'' (1966) - Dottie Renfrew Latham * ''

'' (1967) - Catherine Allen * '' Assignment to Kill'' (1968) - Dominique Laurant * ''

'' (1969) - Prudy Perkins * '' The Young Country'' (1970 TV movie) - Clementine Hale * ''

How Awful About Allan ''How Awful About Allan'' is a 1970 American made-for-television horror psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington, the first of two collaborations with writer Henry Farrell (the other was ''What's the Matter with Helen?''), and ...

'' (1970 TV movie) - Olive * ''The Other Man'' (1970 TV movie) - Kathy Maitland * '' Five Desperate Women'' (1971 TV movie) - Dorian * ''

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

'' (1972) - Christine * ''

'' (1973) - Lee Parkman * ''

'' (1974) - Dr. Janet Ross * ''

Reflections of Murder ''Reflections of Murder'' is a 1974 made-for-TV movie that was produced by ABC. A suspense-thriller film, it is a remake of the classic 1955 French film '' Les Diaboliques''. John Badham directed, from Carol Sobieski's script. The cast was led ...

'' (1974 TV movie) - Claire Elliott * '' Mackintosh and T.J.'' (1975) - Maggie * '' Treasure of Matecumbe'' (1976) - Lauriette Paxton * '' Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model?'' (1977) - Jessica Hillard * ''

Dead of Night ''Dead of Night'' is a 1945 black and white British anthology horror film, made by Ealing Studios. The individual segments were directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer. It stars Mervyn Johns, Googie W ...

'' (1977) - Mother (segment "Bobby") * '' The Possessed'' (1977 TV movie) - Louise Gelson * ''Pleasure Cove'' (1979 TV movie) - Martha Harrison * ''

The North Avenue Irregulars ''The North Avenue Irregulars'' is a 1979 American comedy crime film produced by Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company, and starring Edward Herrmann, Barbara Harris, Karen Valentine and Susan Clark. Don Tait ...

'' (1979) (uncredited) * ''

The Long Days of Summer ''The Long Days of Summer'' is a 1980 American made-for-television drama film and a sequel to ''When Every Day Was the Fourth of July'' (1978). Taking place one year later, the story follows now 13-year-old Danny (Ronnie Scribner, taking over the ...

'' (1980 TV movie) - Millie Cooper * ''Harnessing the Sun'' (1980) - Herself * '' One Trick Pony'' (1980) - Lonnie Fox * '' Only When I Laugh'' (1981) - Toby Landau * ''

The Long Summer of George Adams ''The Long Summer of George Adams'' is a 1982 American made-for-television drama film starring James Garner and Joan Hackett. The film was directed by Stuart Margolin, and was based upon a novel by Weldon Hill. Plot Set in 1952, George Adams i ...

'' (1982 TV movie) - Norma Adams * ''

The Escape Artist ''The Escape Artist'' is a 1982 film starring Griffin O'Neal and Raúl Juliá. It was based on a book by David Wagoner, and was the directorial debut of Caleb Deschanel. It was the final film of Joan Hackett, Desi Arnaz, and Gabriel Dell, and t ...

'' (1982) - Aunt Sibyl * ''Flicks'' - Capt. Grace (segment "New Adventures of the Great Galaxy") (1983) (last appearance)

Selected television guest appearances

* 1960 '' Diagnosis: Unknown'', in "Gina, Gina" (episode 1.7) September 6 * 1961 ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''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 ren ...

'', playing "Sylvia" in episode: "Servant Problem" (episode #6.34) June 6 * 1962 '' The New Breed'' (1961), playing Angie in episode: "Cross the Little Line" (episode #1.15) January 9 * 1962 ''

'' (1959), playing "Esther Fortune" in episode: "

" (episode # 3.22), February 16 * 1962 ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (1955), playing "Mady Arthur" in episode: "The Widow" (episode # 7.25), March 24 * 1962 "

Theatre '62 ''Theatre '62'' is an American dramatic anthology series produced by Fred Coe. Seven hour-long episodes aired on the National Broadcasting Company during the 1961–62 season. Its episodes were abridged adaptations of popular feature films produce ...

" (1962), playing the "Second Mrs. de Winter" in episode: "Rebecca" (episode #1.7), April 8 * 1963 ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...

'' (1962), playing "Gabrielle" in episode: "The Chateau" (episode # 1.19), February 12 * 1963 ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' (1962), playing Dolores Lanza in episode: "Between Friday and Monday" (episode # 1.31), May 7 * 1964 '' Channing'' (1963), playing Djuna Phrayne in episode: "A Rich, Famous, Glamorous Folk Singer Like Me" (episode # 1.15), January 8 * 1964 ''

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 ...

'' (1962), playing "Helen Clarvoe" in episode: "Beast in View" (episode # 2.21), March 20 * 1965 ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'' (1959), playing "Margarita Miguel" in episode: "Woman of Fire" (episode # 6.17), January 17 * 1966 '' Run for Your Life'' (1965), playing Diana Murrow in episode: "The Sex Object" (episode # 2.6), October 17 * 1967 ''

Judd, for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of Dr. A ...

'' (1967), playing Ruth Massey in episode: "The Living Victim" (episode # 1.14), December 15 * 1969 ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (1964), playing "Theodora Liggett" in episode: "A Pinch of Salt" (episode #5.26), May 1 * 1971 ''

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 1 ...

'' (1970), playing Nancy Williams in "The Assassins" (episode # 1.26), April 8 * 1971 ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

'', playing Alice Banion in "The Legacy of Charlie O'Rourke" (episode # 1.15) * 1972 ''

'' (1959), playing "Judith Corman" in episode: "Second Sight" (episode # 13.16), January 9 * 1979 '' $weepstake$'' (1979) in episode: ""Vince, Pete and Patsy, Jessica and Rodney"" (episode # 1.3), February 9 * 1979 ''

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 ...

'' (1979) playing "Wilma" in episode: "The Surrogate" (episode # 1.10), December 23 * 1979 ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

'', playing "Charlotte", the sister of "Alex Reiger" in episode: "Honor Thy Father" (season 2, episode 2) aired on 18 September 1979 * 1982 ''

Paper Dolls ''Paper Dolls'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired for 14 episodes on ABC from September 23 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York's fashion industry, the show centered on top modeling agency owner Racine (Morgan Fairchild) ...

'' (1982), playing "Julia Blake" mother of teen model Taryn Blake * 1985 '' Tales of the Unexpected'', playing Brenda in episode: "Scrimshaw" (season 8, episode 4) aired on 28 July 1985

References

External links

* * * *
Allmovie Review of her episode of ''The Twilight Zone''

Allmovie Plot synopsis of her 1965 ''Bonanza'' episode
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hackett, Joan 1934 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from ovarian cancer Drama Desk Award winners American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent Obie Award recipients Actresses from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles Theatre World Award winners People from East Harlem People from Elmhurst, Queens