Sandra Dale Dennis (April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the drama ''

Splendor in the Grass ''Splendor in the Grass'' is a 1961 American period drama film produced and directed by Elia Kazan, from a screenplay written by William Inge. It stars Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty (in his film debut) as two high school sweethearts, naviga ...

'' (1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama film ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...

'' (1966), she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Dennis appeared in the films '' The Three Sisters'' (1966), ''

Up the Down Staircase ''Up the Down Staircase'' is a novel written by Bel Kaufman, published in 1964, which spent 64 weeks on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. In 1967 it was released as a film starring Sandy Dennis, Patrick Bedford, Ruth White, Jean Stapl ...

'' (1967), ''

That Cold Day in the Park ''That Cold Day in the Park'' is a 1969 psychological thriller film directed by Robert Altman and starring Sandy Dennis. Based on the novel of the same name by Richard Miles and adapted for the screen by Gillian Freeman, it was filmed on locati ...

'' (1969), '' The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), ''

God Told Me To ''God Told Me To'' (released in some theatrical markets as ''Demon'') is a 1976 science fiction horror film written, directed, and produced by Larry Cohen. Like many of Cohen's films, it is shot on location in New York City and incorporates aspe ...

'' (1976), '' The Four Seasons'' (1981), '' Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' (1982), and '' Another Woman'' (1988). Her final film appearance came in the crime drama film ''

The Indian Runner ''The Indian Runner'' is a 1991 crime drama film written and directed by Sean Penn in his directorial debut. Based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman", the film depicts the relationship between two brothers who find themselves on oppos ...

'' (1991). Dennis had a successful career on stage, appearing in the original stage production of '' Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean''. For her performance in the play '' A Thousand Clowns'', she received the

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. Th ...

. For her performance in the play ''

Any Wednesday ''Any Wednesday'' is a 1966 American Technicolor romantic comedy film starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller from a screenplay by producer Julius J. Epstein based on the Broadway play of the ...

'', she received the

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The award is given to actresses for quality lead ...

. Dennis was a renowned animal activist. She rescued stray cats from the bowels of Grand Central Terminal. At the time of her death in Westport, Connecticut, she lived with more than 20 cats, who were adopted out by longtime friends to new homes.

Early life

Dennis was born in

Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927, and celebrates that event with the Ko ...

, the daughter of Yvonne (née Hudson), a secretary, and Jack Dennis, a postal clerk. Her parents divorced in 1967, after 39 years of marriage. She had an elder brother, Frank. Dennis grew up in Kenesaw, Nebraska, and

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1955; one of her classmates was writer and comedian Dick Cavett. She attended

Nebraska Wesleyan University Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) is a private Methodist-affiliated university in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2017, it has approximately 2,100 students including 1,500 full-time students and 300 ...

and the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

, appearing in the Lincoln Community Theater Group before moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

at age 19. She studied acting at

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency progra ...

in New York City.

Career

Early career

Dennis made her television debut in 1956 in the soap opera ''

The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

.'' She had an early break when cast as an understudy in the Broadway production of

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

's '' The Dark at the Top of the Stairs'' (1957) directed by Elia Kazan. Kazan cast Dennis in her first feature film, a small part in ''

'' (1961), which starred

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

and

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

. Dennis was cast in '' Face of a Hero'' (1960) on Broadway alongside Jack Lemmon. The play had only a short run, but Dennis received good notices. '' The Complaisant Lover'' (1961–62) by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

was more successful, running for 101 performances;

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

and Googie Withers were also in the cast.

Broadway stardom

Dennis achieved Broadway fame with her leading role in

Herb Gardner Herbert George Gardner (December 28, 1934 – September 25, 2003), was an American commercial artist, cartoonist, playwright and screenwriter. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gardner was the son of a bar owner. His late brother, Robert ...

's '' A Thousand Clowns'' (1962–63), for which she won a Tony award for her performance alongside

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

. The show ran for 428 performances. Around this time, Dennis guest-starred on episodes of the TV series '' Naked City'' ("Idylls of a Running Back", 1962, "Carrier", 1963), '' The Fugitive'' ("The Other Side of the Mountain", 1963), ''

Arrest and Trial ''Arrest and Trial'' is a 90-minute American crime/legal drama series that ran during the 1963-1964 season on ABC, airing Sundays from 8:30-10 pm Eastern. Overview The majority of episodes consists of two segments. Set in Los Angeles, the fi ...

'' ("Somewhat Lower Than the Angels" 1964), and '' Mr. Broadway'' ("Don't Mention My Name in Sheboygan", 1964). She was the lead of the Broadway comedy ''

'' (1964–66), which ran for 983 performances and won her a second Tony.

Film stardom

Dennis's second film role was as Honey, the fragile, neurotic young wife of George Segal's character, in ''

'' (1966). Directed by

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

and starring Elizabeth Taylor and

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

, the film was a huge critical and commercial success and Dennis won the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for Best Supporting Actress for her role. Dennis returned to the stage in a production of '' The Three Sisters'' (1966) with Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley that went to London and was filmed. Dennis's first lead role in a movie was in ''

'' (1967), directed by

Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), ''The Other'' (1972), '' Same ...

, a box-office success, as was '' The Fox'' (1967), directed by

Mark Rydell Mark Rydell (born Mortimer H. Rydell; March 23, 1929) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has directed several Academy Award-nominated films including '' The Fox'' (1967), '' The Reivers'' (1969), ''Cinderella Liberty'' (1973) ...

, despite its controversial subject matter. In 1967 Dennis was voted the 18th biggest star in the US. Dennis briefly returned to Broadway to star in '' Daphne in Cottage D'' (1967), which had a short run. She starred in '' Sweet November'' (1968) as a terminally ill woman who takes multiple lovers, and made a TV version of the play ''

A Hatful of Rain ''A Hatful of Rain'' is a 1957 American drama film about a young married man with a secret morphine addiction, based on a 1955 Broadway play of the same name.A Touch of Love'' (1969), which flopped at the box office, as did ''

'' (1969), despite being directed by Robert Altman. '' The Out-of-Towners'' (1970), a

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 ...

comedy with Jack Lemmon, was a hit.

Television and supporting roles

Dennis made a TV movie with

Stuart Whitman Stuart Maxwell Whitman (February 1, 1928 – March 16, 2020) was an American actor, known for his lengthy career in film and television. Whitman was born in San Francisco and raised in New York until the age of 12, when his family relocated to ...

, ''Only Way Out Is Dead'' (1970). She returned to Broadway for ''

How the Other Half Loves ''How the Other Half Loves'' is a 1969 play in two acts by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It is a farce following the consequences of an adulterous affair between a married man and his boss’s wife and their attempts to cover their track ...

'' (1971) by Alan Ayckbourn, which ran for over 100 performances, then did another TV movie '' Something Evil'' (1972), directed by Steven Spielberg, which drew a mixed reception. ''Let Me Hear You Smile'' (1973) on Broadway only lasted one performance, but ''

Absurd Person Singular ''Absurd Person Singular'' is a 1972 play by Alan Ayckbourn. Divided into three acts, it documents the changing fortunes of three married couples. Each act takes place at a Christmas celebration at one of the couples' homes on successive Christma ...

'' (1974–76) was a big hit, running 591 performances. In 1974 she played

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

in the pilot of ''

Witness to Yesterday ''Witness to Yesterday'' is a Canadian docudrama television series which featured staged interviews with historical personalities. It was first broadcast by Global Television Network in 1974 then produced by TVOntario to 1976. A 12-episode revi ...

'', Patrick Watson's series of interviews with great figures out of the past. Dennis was in '' Mr. Sycamore'' (1975) with

and had a small role in the low-budget horror film ''

'' (1976) by

Larry Cohen Lawrence George Cohen (July 15, 1936 – March 23, 2019) was an American screenwriter, producer, and director of film and television, best known as an author of horror and science fiction films — often containing police procedural and ...

. Her performance in the British comedy '' Nasty Habits'' (1977) drew harsh criticism from

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

in the ''New York Times''. Dennis guest starred in '' Police Story'' ("Day of Terror... Night of Fear", 1978), and starred in the TV movies '' Perfect Gentlemen'' (1979) (written by

Nora Ephron Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award for ...

), and ''

Wilson's Reward Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender *Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rodr ...

'' (1981). On Broadway she briefly joined the cast of the long-running '' Same Time, Next Year''. She had a well-received part in

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...

's '' The Four Seasons'' (1981) and was in ''The Supporting Cast'' (1981) on Broadway for

Gene Saks Gene Saks (born Jean Michael Saks; November 8, 1921 – March 28, 2015) was an American director and actor. An inductee of the American Theater Hall of Fame, his acting career began with a Broadway debut in 1949. As a director, he was nominated ...

. She was in the stage production and film version of Robert Altman's '' Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' (1982).

Later career

In the mid- and late 1980s, Dennis acted less, owing to growing health problems. She appeared on TV in ''Young People's Specials'' ("The Trouble with Mother", 1985), ''

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 ''Pa ...

'' ("Roommates/Heartbreaker/Out of the Blue", 1985), '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' ("Arthur, or the Gigolo", 1985) and '' The Equalizer'' ("Out of the Past", 1986). In motion pictures, she had supporting roles in a 1986 remake of '' Laughter in the Dark'', which was never completed,

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's '' Another Woman'' (1988), and the horror films '' 976-EVIL'' (1989) and ''

Parents A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...

'' (1989). Her final role was in the crime drama ''

'', filmed in 1990 and released in 1991. The movie marked

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

's debut as a film director. Actor

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argent ...

, who played one of her two sons, wrote of the preparations for the movie and filming in the vicinity of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

Death

Dennis died from

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 March 2, 1992, at her home in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...

, at age 54.

Personal life

Dennis lived with prominent jazz musician

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

from 1965 to 1974. In October 1965, her hometown newspaper, ''The Lincoln Star'', published an

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

article stating she and Mulligan had married in Connecticut in June of that year. In a 1989 interview with ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'', however, Dennis admitted that they only pretended to be married after she unintentionally became pregnant. Dennis miscarried, adding, "If I'd been a mother, I would have loved the child, but I just didn't have any connection with it when I was pregnant ... I never, ever wanted children. It would have been like having an elephant." From 1980 to 1985, Dennis lived with actor Eric Roberts. On June 4, 1981, her German Shepherd was riding with Roberts when he crashed his vehicle into a tree. Roberts, who was under the influence of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

at the time, fell in a coma for 72 hours and had to withdraw from the Broadway show '' Mass Appeal''. Dennis's dog survived the accident. She and Roberts were engaged to be married in spring 1983, but the ceremony never took place. Dennis's

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

was subjected to public discussion as early as 1968, when the scandal magazine ''Uncensored'' ran a story that labeled her a lesbian. In an article published more than 20 years after Dennis' death, Eric Roberts identified her as bisexual. According to Roberts, Dennis told him she had many lesbian relationships and that she "appreciated the beauty of women. But she also liked and appreciated what a very, very young man could do to a woman, I suppose." During Dennis's lifetime, in-depth published interviews with her, such as one with ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'' during her stint performing in an ensemble cast at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1981, made no mention of close relationships with women. That interview included the following exchange about her marital status:

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database
* * *

''

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 ...

'', 5 March 1992 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, Sandy 1937 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Nebraska American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Deaths from cancer in Connecticut Deaths from ovarian cancer LGBT actresses American LGBT actors LGBT people from Nebraska People from Hastings, Nebraska People from Westport, Connecticut Tony Award winners Actors from Lincoln, Nebraska 20th-century LGBT people Bisexual actresses American bisexual actors