Margaret Elizabeth Sheridan (October 29, 1926 – May 1, 1982) was an American actress of the early 1950s, and

protégée Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

of director Howard Hawks. She is best remembered for her role as Nikki Nicholson opposite

Kenneth Tobey Kenneth Jesse Tobey (March 23, 1917 – December 22, 2002) was an extremely prolific American actor who performed in hundreds of productions during a career that spanned more than half a century, including his role as the star of the 1957-1 ...

in the 1951 science fiction classic ''

The Thing from Another World ''The Thing from Another World'', sometimes referred to as just ''The Thing'', is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction-horror film, directed by Christian Nyby, produced by Edward Lasker for Howard Hawks' Winchester Pictures Corporati ...

''.

Career

She was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, to Thomas Galligan Sheridan, Sr., and Julia P. Sheridan. Sheridan was discovered by Howard Hawks while she was still attending college. Initially, Hawks believed she was the most promising actress of her era. In 1947, she married William F. Pattison, a professional airline pilot. Hawks offered Sheridan the female lead opposite John Wayne in the 1948 film '' Red River''. Sheridan turned down the role because she was expecting the birth of her first child.

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

accepted the role. Hawks offered her the role of Nikki Nicholson in the 1951 film ''The Thing from Another World'', where the quality of the film and her performance cemented her in the minds of film lovers. Sheridan's career suffered, and she never achieved the fame Hawks had hoped. Motherhood and a few years of maturity had evidently changed her. Hawks is quoted as saying she was just "not the same girl" he had discovered. He later commented that if she had taken the role in ''Red River'', her career would have flourished. She died at age 55 of lung cancer on May 1, 1982, in

Orange, California Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many other ...

Filmography

References

External links

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The Private Life and Times of Margaret Sheridan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, Margaret 1926 births 1982 deaths American film actresses Deaths from lung cancer in California Actresses from Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses