Elizabeth Ashley

Last updated

Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley 1971.JPG
Ashley in 1971
Born
Elizabeth Ann Cole

(1939-08-30) August 30, 1939 (age 81)
Ocala, Florida, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1960–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1962;div. 1965)​

​
​
(m. 1966;div. 1972)​

James McCarthy
​
​
(m. 1975;div. 1981)​
Children1

Elizabeth Ann Cole (born August 30, 1939), known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley, is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for Take Her, She's Mine . Ashley was also nominated for the BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for her performance in The Carpetbaggers (1964), and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1991 for Evening Shade . Elizabeth was a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 24 times. She appeared in several episodes of “In the Heat of the Night" as Maybelle Chesboro

Contents

Early life

Ashley was born Elizabeth Ann Cole in Ocala, Florida, to Lucille (née Ayer) and Arthur Kingman Cole,[ citation needed ] a music teacher, [1] and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ashley left Louisiana State University after her freshman year and moved to New York. She studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre there, supporting herself by working as the Jell-O pudding girl on a television program and as a showroom model. [2]

Career

Ashley won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Take Her, She's Mine, then later starred as Corie in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park (1963) and, later, as Maggie in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1974). She received Tony nominations for both performances. [3] She appeared on Broadway as Dr. Livingstone in Agnes of God (1982) and was a replacement in the role of Mattie Fae during the original Broadway run of August: Osage County . [4]

She has been featured in major motion pictures over five decades, including early roles in The Carpetbaggers (1964), Ship of Fools (1965), and The Third Day (1965). Her other film credits include The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971), Rancho Deluxe (1975), Coma (1978), Paternity (1981), Dragnet (1987), and Vampire's Kiss (1989), and she starred as the villain in the controversial film Windows (1980). Her most recent film roles were as Diane Freed in Happiness (1998) and as Marg in the 2007 film The Cake Eaters .

She first appeared with Burt Reynolds in a 1969 season episode of Love American Style, then later in the movie Paternity in 1981, as a guest star in his television series B.L. Stryker in 1989, and finally as a cast member in his final television series, Evening Shade, from 1990 to 1994 as Aunt Frieda Evans. [5] In 1991, this role garnered her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She was originally supposed to appear in the 1995 movie Mallrats , playing the governor of New Jersey; however, the entire sequence was cut and replaced.[ citation needed ]

Ashley had the role of Kate in Sandburg's Lincoln, a six-part dramatization that ran on NBC in the mid-1970s. [5] :926 Her other television appearances include the 1987 miniseries The Two Mrs. Grenvilles , and guest roles in Ben Casey ; Route 66 ; Sam Benedict ; Stoney Burke ; The Six Million Dollar Man ; Family ; Miami Vice ; Caroline in the City ; Mission: Impossible ; Murder, She Wrote ; Dave's World ; Law & Order ; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ; Touched by an Angel ; The Larry Sanders Show ; Homicide: Life on the Street ; Russian Doll ; and Better Things . She was featured in 14 episodes of the HBO series Treme as Aunt Mimi.

Book

Ashley's autobiography Actress: Postcards from the Road was published in a hardcover edition on June 1, 1978 by M. Evans & Co (now part of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group). A paperback publication followed on October 12, 1979 through Fawcett Publications. [6]

Personal life

Ashley is thrice divorced. Her first and second husbands were actors James Farentino and George Peppard. [7] The latter was her leading man in her first movie, The Carpetbaggers (1964); the couple had a son, Christian (born 1968). [8]

At 25, Ashley retired from acting "to make a home for my husband, see that he had his dinner on time, realize myself as a woman". She resumed her career four years later after the birth of Christian Peppard. [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 The Carpetbaggers Monica Winthrop
1965 Ship of Fools Jenny Brown
1965 The Third Day Alexandria Mallory
1971 The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker Nan
1973 Paperback Hero Loretta
1974 Golden Needles Felicity
1975 Rancho Deluxe Cora Brown
1975 92 in the Shade Jeannie Carter
1976 The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday Nancy Sue
1978 Coma Mrs. Emerson
1980 Windows Andrea Glassen
1981 Paternity Sophia Thatcher
1982 Split Image Diana Stetson
1987 Dragnet Jane Kirkpatrick
1988 Vampire's Kiss Dr. Glaser
1988 Dangerous Curves Miss Reed
1989A Man of PassionGloria
1996Shoot the MoonMrs. Comstock
1997Sleeping TogetherMrs. Tuccinini
1998 Happiness Diane Freed
1999 Just the Ticket Mrs. Paliski
2000Labor PainsJanice
2001Home Sweet HobokenBeth Flowers
2002 Hey Arnold!: The Movie Mrs. Vitello (voice)
2007 The Cake Eaters Marg Kaminski
2017Fry DayDeirdreShort
2017 Just Getting Started Lily
2017SeveranceFrancescaShort, post-production
2018 Ocean's 8 Ethel

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961 The Defenders Joyce Harkavy"The Prowler"
1962 The Nurses Barbara Bowers"The Barbara Bowers Story"
1962 Ben Casey Jane Brewster"And Even Death Shall Die"
1963 Route 66 Maria Cardenas"The Cage Around Maria"
1963 Sam Benedict Cindy Messerman"Season for Vengeance"
1963 Stoney Burke Donna Weston"Tigress by the Tail"
1966 Run for Your Life Dina Fuller"The Grotenberg Mask"
1966 Hawk Donna"H Is for a Dirty Letter"
1969The Skirts of Happy ChanceLaddie TurnbowTV film
1969The File on DevlinSally DevlinTV film
1970 Love, American Style Penny Dunbar"Love and the Banned Book"(with Burt Reynolds)
1970 The Virginian Faith Andrews"The West vs. Colonel MacKenzie"
1970 Medical Center Anne Forley"Brink of Doom"
1971 Insight Sally"The War of the Eggs"
1971HarpyMarianTV film
1971The Face of FearSally DillmanTV film
1971 Mission: Impossible Lois Stoner"Encounter"
1972 When Michael Calls Helen ConnellyTV film
1972 Second Chance Ellie SmithTV film
1972 Ghost Story Karen Dover"At the Cradle Foot"
1972The HeistDiane CraddockTV film
1972 Your Money or Your Wife Laurel PlunkettTV film
1973 Mission: Impossible Andrea"The Question"
1973 The Magician Sally Baker"Pilot"
1973 Police Story Jannette Johnson"Dangerous Games"
1973The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold KidnappingDr. Erica BergnerTV film
1974 Mannix Karen Winslow"The Dark Hours"
1974 Ironside Laura Keyes"Close to Your Heart"
1974 The F.B.I. Claire"Diamond Run"
1975Lincoln Kate Chase Sprague "Sad Figure, Laughing"
1976 One of My Wives Is Missing Elizabeth CorbanTV film
1977 Family Elizabeth Kraft"Lovers and Strangers"
1977 The War Between the Tates Erica TateTV film
1978Tom and JoannJoan HammilTV film
1978 A Fire in the Sky Sharon AllanTV film
1982Saturday Night LiveGuest Host
1983Freedom to SpeakJane Addams / Dorothea DixTV miniseries
1983 Svengali Eve SwissTV film
1984He's Fired, She's HiredFreddie FoxTV film
1985 The Love Boat Nancy Bricker2 episodes
1985 Cagney & Lacey Michelle Zal"The Psychic"
1985 The Hitchhiker Mrs. Baxter"Out of the Night"
1986 Stagecoach DallasTV film
1987 The Two Mrs. Grenvilles Babette Van DeganTV miniseries
1987Warm Hearts, Cold FeetBlanche WebsterTV film
1987 Miami Vice D.E.A. Agent Linda Colby"Knock, Knock... Who's There?"
1988 Eisenhower and Lutz Eleanor"Pride and Prejudice"
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Karen Lawson / Kate Lawson"Mirror Mirror"
1989 B.L. Stryker Althea Campbell"Blues for Buder"
1989 Hunter Felicia Green"A Girl Named Hunter"
1989American Playwrights Theater: The One-ActsAnnie Sweeney"The Rope"
1989 Murder, She Wrote Vera Gerakaris"Truck Stop"
1990Blue BayouLolly FontenotTV film
1990 Another World Emma Frame OrdwayTV series
1990–1994 Evening Shade Freida EvansMain role
1991Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland StoryVickyTV film
1991Love and Curses... And All That JazzEmmalinaTV film
1992 In the Best Interest of the Children Carla ScottTV film
1993 The Larry Sanders Show Elizabeth Ashley"Off Camera"
1993 Harnessing Peacocks GrandmotherTV film
1994 In the Heat of the Night Maybelle Cheseboro"Maybelle Returns"
1994 Law & Order Gwen Young"Second Opinion"
1995The BuccaneersMrs. ClossonTV miniseries
1995 Burke's Law Mary Burton"Who Killed the Motor Car Maverick?"
1995 Women of the House Elizabeth Ashley"Women in Film"
1995 Murder, She Wrote Emily Broussard Renwyck"Big Easy Murder"
1995 Touched by an Angel Sandy Latham"Angels on the Air"
1996 Dave's World Jeanette"Double Fault"
1996 The Big Easy Larissa Fontaine"A Dead Man Is Hard to Find"
1996 All My Children Madge SinclairTV series
1996 Hey Arnold! Mrs. Vitello (voice)"Arnold's Hat/Stoop Kid"
1996–97 Caroline in the City Natalie Karinsky"Caroline and Richard's Mom", "Caroline and the Bad Trip"
1997 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Margaret Lipton"May and June: Part One"
1998 Hey Arnold! Mrs. Vitello (voice)"Part Time Friends/Biosquare"
1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Madeline Pitt"Truth Will Out"
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Serena Benson"Payback"
2010–2013 Treme Aunt MimiRecurring role
2015UnderstudiesDotty BuggettTV film
2019–present Russian Doll Ruth BrennerMain Cast

2019- The bold type, season 4 as Pam

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References

  1. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census
  2. ↑ Reed, Rex (September 22, 1974). "Two First-Rate Talents On Second-Hand Broadway". New York Daily News . p. Leisure-5. Retrieved April 27, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Elizabeth Ashley". Tony Awards. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ Elizabeth Ashley at the Internet Broadway Database
  5. 1 2 Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 313. ISBN   978-0-7864-8641-0 . Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ Actress: Postcards from the Road. Fawcett Crest. 1978. ISBN   978-0-4492-4104-2.
  7. ↑ Manners, Dorothy (May 29, 1966). "George Peppard retains his image as a loner". The News and Courier . Charleston, S.C.
  8. ↑ Gates, Anita (January 20, 2008). "The Unsinkable Elizabeth Ashley" . The New York Times . Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ Smith, Cecil (November 21, 1969). "Elizabeth Ashley Returns to Acting". Los Angeles Times . p. Part IV - 25. Retrieved December 27, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
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