Sharon Acker (born April 2, 1935) is a Canadian film, stage, and television actress and model. Acker appeared mostly on television in Canada and the United States from 1956 to 1992. She played

Della Street Della Street is the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner. In 1950, Gardner publ ...

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

's loyal secretary, in ''

The New Perry Mason ''The New Perry Mason'' is a CBS TV series that ran from 1973 to 1974. It was a revival of the 1957 ''Perry Mason'' television series about Erle Stanley Gardner's brilliant defense attorney. Plot All of the major characters of the original seri ...

''. Her film roles include ''

Lucky Jim ''Lucky Jim'' is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel and won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. The novel follows the exploits of the eponymous James (Jim) Dixon, a reluctant ...

'', ''

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...

'' and ''

Don't Let the Angels Fall ''Don't Let the Angels Fall'' is a 1969 Canadian drama film directed by George Kaczender George Kaczender (19 April 1933 – 24 August 2016) was a Hungarian-born Canadian film director. He directed 26 films between 1963 and 2001. Biograp ...

''.

Biography

Acker was born in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, adopted by Aileen and Ken Matthews of Toronto Canada. She began her professional acting career with a television appearance in a made-for-television movie of '' Anne of Green Gables''. She joined the Stratford Theatre cast, and travelled with the troupe to England, where she stayed to seek acting work. She made her film debut there in ''

'' (1957). Turning down a long-term contract with the producers of ''Lucky Jim'', Acker returned to Canada in 1957 with her husband to raise a family. Acker returned to acting in Canadian television productions. She appeared in a 1961

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

(CBC) production of ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' with

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

, directed by

Paul Almond Paul Almond (April 26, 1931 – April 9, 2015) was a Canadian television and motion picture screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist. He is most known for being the director of the first film in the '' Up'' series. Life and career Paul A ...

. During the 1960s, she also modeled, appearing in print advertisements. She and

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...

were featured modeling "moll style" clothing in the August 25, 1967, issue of ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

''. Her first American film appearance was in the

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

cult action film ''

'' (1967) starring

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

and

John Vernon John Keith Vernon (born Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz; February 24, 1932 February 1, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada. He was best known for playing Dean Wormer ...

. From that point, Acker appeared in film and television roles in Canada and the United States. In 1969 she guest-starred in the ''Star Trek'' episode " The Mark of Gideon" as Odona, a young woman who chooses to sacrifice herself by introducing disease to her overpopulated planet. In 1976–77 she portrayed Helen Walling in the prime-time drama ''Executive Suite''. She appeared in two roles in two episodes of ''

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 ...

'' in 1978 and 1979. She made her last feature film appearance in 1981 and her last television appearance in 1992. Acker married Peter Elkington, a filmmaker. She has two daughters from a previous marriage, and two daughters from Peter's previous marriage.

Filmography

Movies

*''

'' (1957) ... Christine Callaghan *''

'' (1967) ... Lynne Walker *''

Waiting for Caroline ''Waiting for Caroline'' is a 1967 Canadian drama film directed by Ron Kelly (filmmaker), Ron Kelly and starring Alexandra Stewart, François Tassé, and William Needles.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 233 ...

'' (1969) ... Emily *'' The First Time'' (1969) ... Pamela Williams *''

'' (1969) ... Barbara *'' The Act of the Heart'' (1970) ... Adele *'' Happy Birthday to Me'' (1981) ... Estelle Wainwright *'' Threshold'' (1981) ... Tilla Vrain

Television

*'' Anne of Green Gables'' (1956) ... Mrs. Stacey *'' The Unforeseen'' (1960) *''

'' (1961) ... Lady Macduff *'' Wojeck'' (1966) (2 episodes) ... Tony Marlowe *''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' "The Night of the Sedgewick Curse" (1968) ... Lavinia Sedgewick *''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' (" The Mark of Gideon") (1969)...Odona *'' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1969) (three episodes) ... Dr. Edwina Hopkins *'' Lancer'' (1969) ... Tiffany Mumford *''A Clear and Present Danger'' (1970 TV movie) ... Erin Stowe *'' The Bold Ones: The Senator'' (1970–1971) ... Ellen Stowe *''

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 ...

'' (1971) ... Rachel Carlson *''

Cannon (TV series) ''Cannon'' is an American detective television series produced by Quinn Martin that aired from 1971 to 1976 on CBS. William Conrad played the title character, private detective Frank Cannon. The series was the first Quinn Martin production to r ...

(1971)'' ... Glinda Donaldson *''

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 ...

'' (1971) ... Tereese Farrell *''

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 ...

'' (1971) *''

Cade's County ''Cade's County'' is a modern-day Western/ crime drama which aired Sundays at 9:30 pm (EST) on CBS during the 1971–1972 television season. There were 24 episodes. Synopsis ''Cade's County'' starred well-known Hollywood actor Glenn Ford as ...

'' (1971) ... Roseann Claybourne *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' (1971) *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1972) ... Annette (1970) ... Connie Hastings *''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as ...

'' (1972) *''

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'' (1972) ... Evie Kendall *'' Hec Ramsey'' (1972) ... Nora Muldoon *''

The Delphi Bureau ''The Delphi Bureau'' is an American dramatic television series aired in the United States by ABC as one of three elements of '' The Men'', a wheel series shown as part of its 1972-73 schedule. ''The Delphi Bureau'' starred Laurence Luckinbil ...

'' (1973) ... Sheila *''

'' (1973–1974) ...

*''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' (1973) *'' The Stranger'' (1973) ... Dr. Bettina Cooke *'' The Hanged Man'' (1974) ... Carrie Gault *''

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 ...

'' (1974) ... Andrea Tannehill *''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'' (1975) ... Laura Venner (1974) ... Jill (1971) ... Mrs. Dude *''

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 ...

'' (1975) ... Laura Vaner (1975) ... Florence Armstrong (1973) ... Gail Bloom *'' Our Man Flint: Dead on Target'' (1976) *''

Executive Suite An executive suite in its most general definition is a collection of offices or rooms—or suite—used by top managers of a business—or executives. Over the years, this general term has taken on a variety of specific meanings. Corporate offi ...

'' (1976) ... Helen Walling *''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...

'' (1977) ... Ethel Finn (1975) ... Eleanor Jessup *'' The Hostage Heart'' (1977) ... Martha Lake *''

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 ...

'' (1978) ... Evelyn *''

Matt and Jenny ''Matt and Jenny'' (or ''Matt and Jenny on the Wilderness Trail'') is a Canadian television series of 26 episodes of 25 minutes each, broadcast on Global starting October 21, 1979."Matt and Jenny". '' The Globe and Mail'', October 20, 1979. A Fr ...

'' (1979) ... Samantha Shelborne *''

'' (1978) Edie Nevitt ... (1979) Adrianna Danielli *''

Conquest of the Earth ''Galactica 1980'' is an American science fiction television series and a spin-off from the original '' Battlestar Galactica'' television series. It was first broadcast on ABC in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980, lasting for 10 ...

'' (1980) *''

Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

'' (1980) *''

Galactica 1980 ''Galactica 1980'' is an American science fiction television series and a spin-off from the original '' Battlestar Galactica'' television series. It was first broadcast on ABC in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980, lasting for 10 ...

'' (1980) ... Anne *''Battles: The Murder That Wouldn't Die'' (1980 TV movie) ... Jill Spencer *''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' (1980) ... Dr. Louise Olson *''

Quincy, M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County med ...

'' (1981) ... Allison Sirella/Mary Latham (1979) ... Fashion Designer Lynne Montgomery (1978) ... Barbara *'' Flamingo Road'' (1981) *'' Shannon'' (1981) *''Off Your Rocker'' (1982 TV movie) ... Nurse Gloria *''

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

'' (1982) ... Judith Wheeler *''

The Powers of Matthew Star ''The Powers of Matthew Star'' is an American sci-fi television series that aired on NBC on Friday evenings from September 17, 1982 until April 8, 1983. It starred Peter Barton as the title character, the alien prince Matthew "E'Hawke" Star of ...

'' (1983) ... Evita *''

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' was an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who decides to hold a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, i ...

'' (1983) *''

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 ...

'' (1983) ... Senator Miriam Taylor *'' Whiz Kids'' (1984) *''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who oper ...

'' (1985) ... Sandra Jefferson-Delaporte (1981) ... Helena Christian *'' Crazy Like a Fox'' (1985) *''

Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series ''Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...

'' (1985) ... Sanford *''

You Again? ''You Again?'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for two seasons on NBC from February 27, 1986, to January 7, 1987. It was based on the British show ''Home to Roost''. Synopsis Jack Klugman stars as Henry Willows, a man still em ...

'' (1986) ... Loretta Winslow *''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (1986) episode "Keep the Home Fries Burning" ... Wilhelmina Fraser *''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' (1987) ... Pamela Fouchier *''

Katts and Dog ''Katts and Dog'' is a French and Canadian-produced television series that ran from 1988 to 1993. It was known as ''Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop'' in the United States where it originally aired on CBN Cable/The Family Channel and ''Rintintin Junior'' in ...

'' (1988) (3 episodes) ... Alice *'' Street Legal'' (1989) ... Jane Morrison *''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' (1991–1992) ... Dr. Grace Sundell

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Acker, Sharon 1935 births Living people Actresses from Toronto Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses 20th-century Canadian actresses