Tuesday Weld | |
|---|---|
 Weldc. 1960 | |
| Born | Susan Ker Weld (1943-08-27)August 27, 1943 (age 81) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1955–2001 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Tuesday Weld (bornSusan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is a retired American actress. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won aGolden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over the following decade, she established a career playing dramatic roles in films.
Weld often portrayed impulsive and reckless women and was nominated for a Golden Globe forPlay It as It Lays (1972), anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress forLooking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), anEmmy Award forThe Winter of Our Discontent (1983), and aBAFTA forOnce Upon a Time in America (1984). After the 1980s her acting appearances became infrequent, and her last role to date was in 2001'sChelsea Walls.
Weld was born Susan Ker Weld in Manhattan on Friday, August 27, 1943.[1] Her father was Lathrop Motley Weld, of theWeld family ofMassachusetts. Her father died in 1947 at the age of 49, shortly before his daughter's fourth birthday. Her mother, Yosene Balfour Ker, daughter of the artist andLife illustratorWilliam Balfour Ker, was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England.[2] She was Lathrop Weld's fourth and last wife.[3][4] Canadian-born William Balfour Ker had Scottish ancestry.[5] His mother, Lily Florence Bell Ker, was first cousin of the inventorAlexander Graham Bell,[6] and his father, William Ker, was a Scottish businessman and banker.[7]
Weld had two siblings, Sarah King Weld and David Balfour Weld.[8] Her name became Tuesday, an extension of her childhood nickname, "Tu-Tu", so named by her young cousin, Mary Ker, who could not pronounce "Susan". She legally changed her name to Tuesday Weld on October 9, 1959, a Friday;[9][10] her birthdate of August 27, 1943 was also a Friday.
Left in financial difficulty by her husband's death, Weld's mother put Weld to work as a model to support the family. As the young actress toldLife in 1971:
My father's family came fromTuxedo Park, and they offered to take us kids and pay for our education, on the condition that Mama never see us again. Mama was an orphan who had come here fromLondon but so far as my father's family was concerned, she was strictly from the gutter. I have to give Mama credit—she refused to give us up… So I became the supporter of the family, and I had to take my father's place in many, many ways. I was expected to make up for everything that had ever gone wrong in Mama's life. She became obsessed with me, pouring out her pent-up love—her alleged love—on me, and it's been heavy on my shoulders ever since. Mama still thinks I owe everything to her.[8]
Weld's mother secured her an agent using her résumé from modeling. She made her acting debut on television at the age of 12, and herfeature film debut that year in a bit role in the 1956Alfred Hitchcock crime dramaThe Wrong Man.[11]
In 1956 Weld played the lead inRock, Rock, Rock, which featured record promoterAlan Freed and singersChuck Berry,Frankie Lymon, andJohnny Burnette. In the filmConnie Francis performed the vocals for Weld's singing parts.
On TV, she appeared in an episode ofGoodyear Playhouse, "Backwoods Cinderella". She understudied onBroadway inThe Dark at the Top of the Stairs.
Weld was cast in a supporting role in thePaul Newman–Joanne Woodward comedyRally Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), made by20th Century Fox. AtParamount Pictures, Weld was inThe Five Pennies (1959), playing the daughter ofDanny Kaye, who called Weld "15 going on 27".[12] She guest-starred a number of times onThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1958–59). She appeared in77 Sunset Strip withEfrem Zimbalist Jr., in the 1959 episode, "Secret Island".
Weld's performance inRally 'Round the Flag, Boys! impressed executives at Fox, who signed her to a long-term contract.[13] They cast her in theCBS television seriesThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, with a salary of $35,000 for one year.[14] Weld playedThalia Menninger, the love interest of Dobie Gillis (played byDwayne Hickman), whose rivals for Thalia's affection included Milton Armitage (played byWarren Beatty). Although Weld was a cast member for only one season, the show created considerable national publicity for her,[15] and she was named a co-winner of a "Most Promising Newcomer" award at theGolden Globe Awards.[16][13]
At Columbia, Weld had a leading role in the teen filmBecause They're Young (1960), starringDick Clark. She was second billed inSex Kittens Go to College (1960) made byAlbert Zugsmith atAllied Artists. She made a second film for Zugsmith,The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, made in 1959 but not released for two years.
She guest starred onThe Red Skelton Hour in "Appleby: The Big Producer" (1959) and on77 Sunset Strip (1959) andThe Millionaire (1960).
At Fox, she played Joy, a free-spirited university student inHigh Time, starringBing Crosby andFabian Forte. She sang a love song to Fabian in the season opener ofNBC'sThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show on October 9, 1960. Four weeks later, on November 13, Weld returned to the network as a guest star in NBC'sThe Tab Hunter Show. She guested in "The Mormons" forZane Grey Theatre (1960).[17]
For Fox, Weld had a supporting role in the sequelReturn to Peyton Place (1961), in the part played byHope Lange in the original. Her portrayal of anincest victim was well received, but the film was less successful than its predecessor.[8] She supportedElvis Presley inWild in the Country (1962), along with Lange. Weld had an off-screen romance with Presley.[18]
Fox also used her as a guest star onFollow the Sun ("The Highest Wall") andAdventures in Paradise ("The Velvet Trap"). On November 12, 1961, she played a singer, Cherie, in the seventh episode ofABC's television seriesBus Stop, produced by Fox, withMarilyn Maxwell andGary Lockwood. It was an adaptation of the play byWilliam Inge, with Weld in the role originated on screen byMarilyn Monroe.
Weld supportedTerry-Thomas in theFrank Tashlin comedyBachelor Flat (1962), for Fox. Following the film's release, she appeared onWhat's My Line? as the celebrity mystery guest.[19]
Weld's mother was scandalized by her teen daughter's love affairs with older men, such as actorJohn Ireland, but Weld resisted, saying,"'If you don't leave me alone, I'll quit being an actress—which means there ain't gonna be no more money for you, Mama'. Finally, when I was sixteen, I left home. I just went out the door and bought my own house".
She wasStanley Kubrick's first choice to play the role ofLolita inhis 1962 film, but she turned the offer down, saying: "I didn't have to play it. I was Lolita".[20]
Weld took three months off to go to Greenwich Village in New York and "study myself". Then she starred along with Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen inSoldier in the Rain, written by Blake Edwards from a novel byWilliam Goldman, but the film was only a minor success.[21]
She won excellent reviews for a February 7, 1962, episode in theNaked City, "A Case Study of Two Savages", adapted from the real-life case of backwood killersCharles Starkweather (played byRip Torn) and Caril Ann Fugate, (depicted as the character Ora Mae Youngham, played by Weld), Starkweather's young bride, on a homicidal spree ending in New York City.[22] She guest starred onRoute 66 in "Love Is a Skinny Kid" (1962),Ben Casey in "When You See an Evil Man" (1962), andThe Dick Powell Theatre in "A Time to Die" (1962) and "Run Till It's Dark" with Fabian (1962).
In 1963 Weld guest-starred as Denise Dunlear inThe Eleventh Hour, in the episode "Something Crazy's Going on in the Back Room" alongsideAngela Lansbury. She was in "The Legend of Lylah Clare" forThe DuPont Show of the Week (1963), directed byFranklin J. Schaffner.
In 1964 she appeared in the title role of the episode "Keep an Eye on Emily" onCraig Stevens'sCBS drama,Mr. Broadway. In the same year, she appeared as a troubled blind woman in "Dark Corner", an episode ofThe Fugitive.
She appeared with her former co-star Dwayne Hickman inJack Palance's circus dramaThe Greatest Show on Earth onABC, in separate episodes.
Weld supportedBob Hope in the comedyI'll Take Sweden (1965).
Weld appeared in 1965 in theNorman Jewison filmThe Cincinnati Kid, oppositeSteve McQueen. There was some controversy when she refused to meet the local governor at a fund-raiser for hurricane victims, jumping out of a car in view of 70,000 people.[23] The film was a major commercial success.
Weld got a star role inLord Love a Duck (1966), withRoddy McDowall,Ruth Gordon, andHarvey Korman. Weld received excellent reviews, but the film was a box office disappointment.
She followed it playing Abigail in a TV adaptation ofThe Crucible (1967), oppositeGeorge C. Scott andColleen Dewhurst. After guest starring onCimarron Strip (1967), Weld had the starring role inPretty Poison (1968), co-starringAnthony Perkins. The film became a cult success, but she disliked the film and did not get on with directorNoel Black.
Around this time, Weld became famous for turning down roles in films that succeeded at the box office, such asBonnie and Clyde,Rosemary's Baby,True Grit,Cactus Flower, andBob & Carol & Ted & Alice.[20] In a 1971 interview withThe New York Times, Weld explained that she had chosen to reject these roles precisely because she believed they would be commercial successes: "Do you think I want a success? I refused 'Bonnie and Clyde' because I was nursing at the time, but also because deep down I knew it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of 'Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue' or whatever it was called. It reeked of success".[20]
The films Weld did make includedI Walk the Line (1970), oppositeGregory Peck;A Safe Place (1971), co-starringJack Nicholson andOrson Welles and directed byHenry Jaglom, andPlay It as It Lays (1972), again with Perkins, for which she was nominated for aGolden Globe Award.[24]
Weld began to work again in television, starring inReflections of Murder (1974) andF. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1975) in which she playedZelda Fitzgerald.
Weld attracted attention as the favored, out-of-control Katherine inLooking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) – packing into her short screen time an orgy, a divorce, a lot of alcohol, and two abortions – and was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress;[20] later she appeared inWho'll Stop the Rain (1978) oppositeNick Nolte; and the ensemble satireSerial (1980).
She said she preferred television. "What I dig about TV is the pace", she said. "Two weeks for even a heavy part – great. Too much thinking about a role is a disaster for me. I mean, let's do it, let's get it done."[25]
She played the lead in the TV films:A Question of Guilt (1978), in which she plays a woman accused of murdering her children;Mother and Daughter: The Loving War (1980), a remake ofMadame X (1981); a new version ofThe Rainmaker (1982); and co-starred withDonald Sutherland in the TV filmThe Winter of Our Discontent (1983), for which she received an Emmy nomination.
In feature films, Weld had a supporting role inMichael Mann's 1981 filmThief, oppositeJames Caan. She playedAl Pacino's wife inAuthor! Author! (1982), and had a supporting role inHeartbreak Hotel (1988).
In 1984, she appeared inSergio Leone's gangster filmOnce Upon a Time in America, playing a jeweler's secretary, who is in on a plan to steal a shipment of diamonds. During the robbery, her character goadsRobert De Niro's character,David "Noodles" Aaronson, into "raping" her with her complicity. She later meets up with the gang from the robbery, and becomes the moll ofJames Woods' character Max Bercovicz. The performance earned Weld aBAFTA nomination forBest Supporting Actress of 1984.
On TV, Weld was inScorned and Swindled (1984),Circle of Violence (1986) andSomething in Common (1986).
Weld was reunited withAnthony Perkins in an episode ofMistress of Suspense (1990).
In 1993, she played a police officer'sneurotic wife inFalling Down, starringMichael Douglas andRobert Duvall. She had small supporting roles inFeeling Minnesota (1996),Investigating Sex (2001), andChelsea Walls (2001).
Weld has been married three times. She was married to screenwriter Claude Harz from October 23, 1965, until their divorce on February 18, 1971. They had a daughter, Natasha, born on August 26, 1966. Weld was awarded custody of Natasha in the divorce and $100 a month in child support payments.[26]
Weld married British actor, musician and comedianDudley Moore on September 20, 1975. On February 26, 1976, they had a son, Patrick. The couple divorced in 1980, with Weld receiving a $200,000 settlement plus $3,000 monthly alimony for the next 4 years and an additional $2,500 a month in child support.[27]
On October 18, 1985, she married Israeli concert violinist and conductorPinchas Zukerman, becoming stepmother to his daughtersArianna andNatalia. The couple divorced in 2001.[28] In court papers, Zukerman quoted Weld as saying, "Why do I need to go to another concert when I've heard the piece before?" and "I can't stand the backstage scene. I don't want to hear another note."[29]
Between marriages, Weld datedAl Pacino,[30]David Steinberg,[31]Mikhail Baryshnikov[32] (whose previous girlfriend,Jessica Lange, had been Weld's best friend),[33]Omar Sharif,[34]Richard Gere[35] andRyan O'Neal.[36]
Weld sold her beach house inMontauk, New York, in the late 2000s and moved toCarbondale, Colorado. In 2018, she left Colorado and bought a $1.8 million home in theHollywood Hills.[37]
Weld and then-husband Zukerman purchased 74 Surfside Ave in 1990 from the estate of Norman Kean, who produced the long-running Broadway showOh! Calcutta! and who killed himself and his actress wife Gwyda Donhowe in their Manhattan apartment in 1988.[38] Although the Montauk residence was not a crime scene, Weld later struggled to find a buyer for the property due to its murder-suicide connection. Listed in 2006, it sat on the market for three years before selling at a reduced price of $6.75 million in 2009; as of 2018[update], it is a rental property.[39][40] Weld bought a "tiny condo" there in 2021 for $335,000.[41]
The cover ofMatthew Sweet's 1991 albumGirlfriend features a photo of Weld. Originally calledNothing Lasts, the album was retitled after Weld objected.[42] Weld is mentioned in theDonald Fagen song "New Frontier" on his albumThe Nightfly. Sweet's greatest hits compilationTime Capsule features photos of Weld on the front and back covers.[43] British bandThe Real Tuesday Weld is named after a dream the vocalist had which involved the actress.[44]Weld is also mentioned inTiny Tim's version of "Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life" on the albumGod Bless Tiny Tim.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Connie/Cathy | 3 episodes |
| The Red Skelton Hour | Starlet | Episode: "Appleby: The Big Producer" | |
| 77 Sunset Strip | Barrie Connell | Episode: "Secret Island" | |
| 1959–62 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Thalia Menninger | Series regular (season 1) Guest star (seasons 3–4) |
| 1960 | 77 Sunset Strip | Kitten Lang | Episode: "Condor's Lair" |
| The Millionaire | Beth Boland | Episode: "Millionaire Katherine Boland" | |
| The Tab Hunter Show | Ginny | Episode: "The Doll in the Bathtub" | |
| Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Beth Lawson | Episode: "The Mormons" | |
| 1961 | Follow the Sun | Barbara Beaumont | Episode: "The Highest Wall" |
| Bus Stop | Cherie | Episode: "Cherie" | |
| 1962 | Adventures in Paradise | Gloria Dannora | Episode: "The Velvet Trap" |
| Naked City | Ora Mae Youngham | Episode: "A Case Study of Two Savages" | |
| Route 66 | Miriam Moore | Episode: "Love Is a Skinny Kid" | |
| Ben Casey | Melanie Gardner | Episode: "When You See an Evil Man" | |
| 1964 | Mr. Broadway | Emily | Episode: "An Eye on Emily" |
| The Fugitive | Mattie Braydon | Episode: "Dark Corner" | |
| 1967 | The Crucible | Abigail Williams | Television film |
| 1968 | Cimarron Strip | Heller | Episode: "Heller" |
| 1974 | Reflections of Murder | Vicky | Television film |
| 1975 | F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood | Zelda Fitzgerald | Television film |
| 1978 | A Question of Guilt | Doris Winters | Television film |
| 1980 | Mother and Daughter: The Loving War | Lillie Lloyd McCann | Television film |
| 1981 | Madame X | Holly Richardson | Television film |
| 1982 | The Rainmaker | Lizzie | Television film CableACE Award for Actress in a Theatrical or Non-Musical Program |
| 1983 | The Winter of our Discontent | Margie Young-Hunt | Television film Nominated —Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1984 | Scorned and Swindled | Sharon Clark | Television film |
| 1986 | Circle of Violence | Georgia Benfield | Television film |
| Something in Common | Shelly Grant | Television film | |
| 1990 | Chillers | Jessica | Episode: "Something You Have to Live With" |
