Jessica Walter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Walter in 1974 as titular characterAmy Prentiss | |
| Born | (1941-01-31)January 31, 1941 New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 2021(2021-03-24) (aged 80) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | High School of Performing Arts |
| Alma mater | Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1958–2021 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Richard Walter (brother) |
| Awards | See below |
| Signature | |
 | |
Jessica Ann Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in more than 170 film, stage, and television productions.
In films, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in the 1971Clint Eastwood thriller,Play Misty for Me. On television, she was most recently known for her role ofLucille Bluth on the sitcomArrested Development (2003–2006, 2013–2019) and for providing the voice ofMalory Archer on theFX animated seriesArcher (2009–2021). Walter received various awards over the course of her television career, including aPrimetime Emmy Award forAmy Prentiss (1975). She also received twoGolden Globe Award nominations and threeScreen Actors Guild Award nominations.[1] For her starring role opposite Eastwood inPlay Misty for Me, Walter received a Golden Globe nomination forBest Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
After studying acting at theNeighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, Walter began her career on theBroadway stage, winning a 1963Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. She made her film debut in the 1964 neo-noir dramaLilith, subsequently starring in the 1966 filmsGrand Prix andThe Group. Both performances earned her critical acclaim.
Throughout her career, Walter was a regular presence on American television, playing the title role in the short-lived police proceduralAmy Prentiss, appearing in a recurring role onTrapper John, M.D., working as a series regular for the first half of season one of90210, and providing the voice of Fran Sinclair on the seriesDinosaurs. Her role as scheming socialite Lucille Bluth inArrested Development brought her renewed attention, and she contributed voiceover work to animated series such asArcher (2009–2023), andStar vs. the Forces of Evil (2015–2018).
Walter was born on January 31, 1941, inBrooklyn, New York,[2][3] to Esther (née Groisser), a teacher,[4] and David Walter, a musician who was a member of theNBC Symphony Orchestra and theNew York City Ballet Orchestra.[5][6][7] Both of Walter's parents were Jewish,[8] with her mother having immigrated to the US from the Soviet Union in 1923.[4][9] Her brother,Richard, is a retired professor who led the screenwriting program atUCLA.[10] The siblings were raised inElmhurst, Queens.[11] Walter attended theHigh School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, graduating in 1959.[12][13]
Walter began her acting career on stage, winning aClarence Derwent Award in 1963 for Outstanding Debut Broadway Performance inPhoto Finish byPeter Ustinov. She soon moved to television, and played Julie Muranoon on the television series,Love of Life.[14] While appearing onLove of Life from 1962 to 1965, she also acted on many other popular television series, includingNaked City,East Side/West Side,Ben Casey,Route 66,The Doctors and the Nurses,The Rogues, andThe Defenders. Among those series is Walter's role as Lorna Richmond on "The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow" episode ofThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour (April 14, 1964), and a supporting role asWilliam Shatner's wife on the legal dramaFor the People (1965).
In 1964, Walter appeared in the first episode of the television seriesFlipper as well as the episode "How Much for a Prince?" inCBS's dramaThe Reporter. In 1966, she appeared in "The White Knight" episode ofThe Fugitive.[15]
Her earliest notable and acclaimed screen role was in the Clint Eastwood-directed film,Play Misty for Me (1971). Walter played Evelyn, a young woman who becomes violently obsessed with a disc jockey. Evelyn is known to repeatedly call a California radio station during ajazz music program hosted by Eastwood's character, Dave Garver, always requesting he play theErroll Garner standard,"Misty". In the course of becoming infatuated with Garver, Evelyn seduces him and then attempts suicide in his home. Her obsessive behavior intensifies and she begins stalking him relentlessly and eventually breaks into his house. In a frenzy, Evelyn destroys the interior of the home and stabs his housekeeper Birdie (played byClarice Taylor), who is hospitalized but survives. For her performance, Walter received aGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama category[10][16] as well as critical praise. Film criticRoger Ebert described Walter as demonstrating "unnerving effectiveness" in the role.[17]
Walter's other film credits from that era includeLilith (1964),Grand Prix (1966),The Group (1966),Bye Bye Braverman (1968), andNumber One (1969). She was also in three episodes ofMannix (starringMike Connors) in three separate seasons.
During the 1970s, Walter co-starred in an episode ofColumbo, "Mind Over Mayhem", had a recurring role onTrapper John, M.D. as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's former wife, and starred on the seriesAmy Prentiss, a spinoff ofIronside, for which she won aPrimetime Emmy Award.
In 1980s, she had a role on theNBC primetime soap operaBare Essence as Ava Marshall. FollowingBare Essence, Walter worked most frequently in television and theater, though she did appear in some films includingThe Flamingo Kid (1984) andPCU (1994). She recorded a performance as the doll form ofChucky for the 1988 horror filmChild's Play, but her lines were redubbed byBrad Dourif after negative test screenings whichTom Holland andDon Mancini attributed partially to Walter's performance; they claimed Walter was effectively frightening in the role but failed to convey the sense of black humor they envisioned the character to have and that her voice seemed out of place because the character was male.[18][19]
In the 1990s, Walter voiced Fran Sinclair on theABC comedyDinosaurs, and appeared onJust Shoot Me! as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo.
From 2003 to 2006, she appeared in a regular role as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarchLucille Bluth onFox's comedy seriesArrested Development. In 2005, she received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role. Despite her convincing portrayal of Lucille, she stated: "I'm nothing like Lucille. Nothing. My daughter will tell you. I'm really a very nice, boring person."[20] Despite acclaim from critics,Arrested Development received low ratings and viewership on Fox, which cancelled the series in 2006. It was revived byNetflix for season four in 2013, where it gained huge popularity. Walter reprised her role for season five, premiering in 2018.[21]
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Walter played Tabitha Wilson on the first season of90210 (2008-2009), until the character was written off halfway through the season. In 2007, she guest-starred on the sitcomRules of Engagement in the episode titled "Kids" and in 2009 guest-starred in an episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit as legal-aid lawyer Petra Gilmartin. Previously in 2008, she had appeared inLaw & Order: Criminal Intent as Eleanor Reynolds in the episode "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger".[22] From 2011 to 2012, she starred in theTV Land sitcomRetired at 35 alongside herBye Bye Braverman co-starGeorge Segal.[23]
Walter starred as Evangeline Harcourt in the Broadway revival ofAnything Goes, which began previews in March 2011 and officially opened on April 7, 2011.[24]
Walter voicedspymaster Malory Archer on theFX animated seriesArcher.[10] Walter mentioned that her performance inArrested Development was explicitly referenced when auditions for the part of Malory were sought.[25]
In May 2018, Walter became part of an on-set controversy regarding harassment she said she had received fromArrested Development co-starJeffrey Tambor. During a cast interview with theNew York Times, Walter was asked about an incident which Tambor had alluded to several months before.[26] Walter teared up and stated that "[i]n like almost 60 years of working, I've never had anybody yell at me like that on a set. And it's hard to deal with, but I'm over it now", while also noting that Tambor had apologized and had not done anything sexually inappropriate, and that she would work with him again.[26][27][28] During the same interview, co-starsJason Bateman,Tony Hale, andDavid Cross were criticized in multiple media outlets for appearing to excuse Tambor's behavior without acknowledging Walter's experience.[29][30] Within days, all three men had issued apologies to Walter.[31]
On March 27, 1966, Walter married Ross Bowman, a Broadway stage manager and television director fromPortland, Oregon.[32] The couple had a daughter, Brooke (born May 18, 1972), once an executive for21st Century Fox and later a Senior Vice President of development atABC Family.[33] Walter filed for divorce from Bowman in November 1976, and the divorce became final in 1978.[34][35] Their grandson Micah was born on July 7, 2013, to Brooke and her husband, David Heymann.[36]
During her first marriage, a fire broke out in the couple's tenth-floor apartment on September 28, 1966, while Bowman was out of town. Walter was rescued by a firefighter.[37]
On June 26, 1983, Walter married actorRon Leibman.[35] They remained married until his death on December 6, 2019.[38] Walter and Leibman appeared together inNeil Simon's playRumors, and portrayed a husband and wife in the filmDummy (2003), and onLaw & Order (in the episode "House Counsel"). Leibman joined the cast ofArcher, voicing her character's new husband.
While Walter's mother raised her in the Jewish tradition, Walter later described herself as not religious but "very Jewish in my heart".[39]
On March 24, 2021, Walter died in her sleep at herManhattan home. She was 80 years old.[40][41][42] The Season 12 finale ofArcher ("Mission: Difficult") was dedicated to her memory.[43]
| Year | Title | Roles | Rf. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Lilith | Laura | [44] |
| 1966 | Grand Prix | Pat Stoddard | [10][16] |
| The Group | Libby | [10] | |
| 1968 | Bye Bye Braverman | Inez Braverman | [45] |
| 1969 | Number One | Julie Catlan | [45] |
| 1971 | Play Misty for Me | Evelyn Draper | [10][16] |
| 1979 | Goldengirl | Melody | [46] |
| 1981 | Going Ape! | Fiona Sabatini | [45] |
| 1982 | Spring Fever | Celia Berryman | [45] |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Phyllis Brody | [47] |
| 1988 | Tapeheads | Kay Mart | [45] |
| 1993 | Ghost in the Machine | Elaine Spencer | [45] |
| 1994 | PCU | President Garcia-Thompson | [48] |
| 1995 | Temptress | Dr. Phyllis Evergreen | [48] |
| 1998 | Slums of Beverly Hills | Doris Zimmerman | [47] |
| 2003 | Dummy | Fern | [45][47] |
| 2006 | Unaccompanied Minors | Cindi | [47] |
| 2012 | Bending the Rules | Lena Gold | [49] |
| 2017 | Undercover Grandpa | Maddy Harcourt | [50] |
| Keep the Change | Carrie | [47][51] | |
| 2020 | The Mimic | Estelle | [52] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Diagnosis: Unknown | Episode: "The Curse of the Gypsy" | |
| 1962–65 | Love of Life | Julie Murano | |
| 1962–63 | Naked City | Girl / Louise | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Route 66 | Liz Marshall | Episode: "A Long Way from St. Louie" |
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | Phyllis Dowling | Episode: "Take Sides with the Sun" |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Lorna Richmond | Episode: "The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow" | |
| Ben Casey | Flora Farr | Episode: "August Is the Month Before Christmas" | |
| Flipper | Elena | Episode: "300 Feet Below" | |
| The Doctors and the Nurses | Edith Robertson | 2 episodes | |
| The Reporter | Jennifer | Episode: "How Much for a Prince?" | |
| The Rogues | Linda Tennant | Episode: "House of Cards" | |
| 1964–65 | The Defenders | Sharon Ruskin / Myra Maxwell | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | For the People | Phyllis Koster | 13 episodes |
| The Trials of O'Brien | Carole Ann Muffit | Episode: "Picture Me a Murder" | |
| 1966 | The Fugitive | Pat Haynes | Episode: "The White Knight" |
| Preview Tonight | Vivian Scott | Episode: "Pursue and Destroy" | |
| 1966–73 | The F.B.I. | Various | 6 episodes |
| 1968 | Kiss Me, Kate | Lois Lane /Bianca | Television film |
| 1968–71 | The Name of the Game | Linda Ramsey / Rita Mason / Allie Chambers | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | It Takes a Thief | Lori Brooks | Episode: "The Baranoff Timetable" |
| The Immortal | Janet Braddock | Pilot for TV series | |
| Then Came Bronson | Morgana Mendoza | Episode: "Where Will the Trumpets Be?" | |
| Three's a Crowd | Jessica Carson | Television film | |
| 1969–73 | Love, American Style | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1970 | Mission: Impossible | Valerie | Episode: "Orpheus" |
| The Most Deadly Game | Leslie | Episode: "Breakdown" | |
| 1970–73 | Mannix | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1971 | Men at Law | Kate Callendar | Episode: "Let the Dier Beware" |
| Alias Smith and Jones | Louise Carson | Episode: "Everything Else You Can Steal" | |
| They Call It Murder | Jane Antrim | Television film | |
| 1971–73 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Marian Lawrence / Jenny Alquist | 2 episodes |
| 1971–74 | Medical Center | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | Jordana Theland | Episode: "The Heart That Wouldn't Stay Buried" |
| Women in Chains | Dee Dee | Television film | |
| Banyon | Emily | Episode: "The Old College Try" | |
| Cannon | Jane Butler | Episode: "That Was No Lady" | |
| Home for the Holidays | Frederica "Freddie" Morgan | Television film | |
| 1973 | Banacek | Erica Osburn | Episode: "The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack" |
| Jigsaw | Episode: "Kiss the Dream Goodbye" | ||
| Tenafly | Joyce Harrison | Episode: "The Cash and Carry Caper" | |
| 1973–76 | The Streets of San Francisco | Glen Williams / Glen Conway / Maggie Jarris | 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Barnaby Jones | Brooke Leighton / Bernice Kellner | |
| Columbo | Dr. Margaret Nicholson | Episode: "Mind Over Mayhem" | |
| The Magician | Marian Tripp | Episode: "The Illusion Of The Evil Spikes" | |
| Ironside | Amy Prentiss | Episode: "Amy Prentiss AKA The Chief" Pilot forAmy Prentiss | |
| Hurricane | Louise Damon | Television film | |
| Hawaii Five-O | Carla Crystal | Episode: "The Two Faced Corpse" | |
| 1974–75 | Amy Prentiss | Amy Prentiss | 3 episodes |
| 1975 | McCloud | Mrs. Jessica Wright | Episode: "Park Avenue Pirates" |
| 1976 | Having Babies | Sally McNamara | Television film |
| McMillan | Donna Drake | Episode: "All Bets Off" | |
| Victory at Entebbe | Nomi Haroun | Television film | |
| 1977 | Visions | Anna II | Episode: "The Prison Game" |
| All That Glitters | Joan Hamlyn | ||
| The New Adventures of Wonder Woman | Gloria | Episode: "The Return of Wonder Woman" | |
| Black Market Baby | Louise Carmino | Television film | |
| What Really Happened to the Class of '65? | Fran | Episode: "The Girl Nobody Knew" | |
| Gibbsville | Episode: "The Grand Gesture" | ||
| 1978 | Wild and Wooly | Megan | Television film |
| Wheels | Ursula | TV miniseries, Episode #1.1 | |
| Dr. Strange | Morgan le Fay | Television film | |
| Secrets of Three Hungry Wives | Christina Wood | ||
| Quincy, M.E. | Jessica Ross | Episode: "Images" | |
| 1978–85 | The Love Boat | Various | 8 episodes |
| 1979 | Vampire | Nicole DeCamp | Television film |
| She's Dressed to Kill | Irene Barton | ||
| 1979–85 | Trapper John, M.D. | Melanie Townsend McIntyre | 10 episodes |
| 1981 | Miracle on Ice | Pat Brooks | Television film |
| Aloha Paradise | Episode: "The Best of Friends/Success/9 Carats" | ||
| Scruples | Maggie | Television film | |
| 1982 | Knots Landing | Victoria Hill | Episode: "Reunion" |
| Joanie Loves Chachi | Vanessa Sterling | Episode: "Everybody Loves Aunt Vanessa" | |
| Matt Houston | Glynnis Durand | Episode: "Joey's Here" | |
| Bare Essence | Ava Marshall | TV miniseries, 11 episodes | |
| 1983 | Thursday's Child | Roz Richardson | Television film |
| 1984 | The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. | Astrid Carlisle | |
| 1984–85 | Three's a Crowd | Claudia Bradford | 8 episodes |
| 1985 | The Execution | Gertrude Simon | Television film |
| 1985–94 | Murder, She Wrote | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1986 | Hotel | Irene Fitzgerald | Episode: "Child's Play" |
| Magnum, P.I. | Joan Fulton | Episode: "Novel Connection" | |
| Wildfire | Lady Diabolyn (voice) | Main role | |
| 1987 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Dr. Stein | Episode: "Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story" |
| 1988 | J.J. Starbuck | Brin Coltan | Episode: "Murder by Design" |
| Aaron's Way | Connie Lo Verde | 14 episodes | |
| 1991 | The Pirates of Dark Water | Additional voices | 2 episodes |
| 1991–94 | Dinosaurs | Fran Sinclair (voice) | 65 episodes |
| 1992 | Jack's Place | Claire | Episode: "Romance Takes a Curtain Call" |
| The Round Table | Anne McPherson | Episode: "Yesterday We Were Playing Football" | |
| 1993 | Roseanne | Marge | Episode: "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" |
| 1994 | Babylon 5 | Senator Elise Voudreau | Episode: "A Spider in the Web" |
| Coach | Susan Miller | 5 episodes | |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Anna Kopell | Episode: "House Counsel" |
| 1996 | Wing Commander Academy | Admiral Rhea Bergstrom (voice) | Episode: "Chain of Command" |
| The Magic School Bus | Ashley Walker-Club-Dupree (voice) | Episode: "Rocks and Rolls"[53] | |
| 1996–97 | One Life to Live | Eleanor Armitage | 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Doomsday Rock | Secretary | Television film |
| You Wish | Estelle | Episode: "The Big Ride" | |
| 1998 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Suzanne Barnard | Episode: "The Light" |
| Just Shoot Me! | Eve Gallo | Episode: "Eve of Destruction" | |
| 1998–2000 | Oh Baby | Celia Calloway | 20 episodes |
| 2000–01 | Jack & Jill | Mrs. Louise Zane | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Touched by an Angel | Naomi | Episode: "The Show Must Not Go On" |
| 2003–06, 2013, 2018–19 | Arrested Development | Lucille Bluth | 82 episodes |
| 2004 | I Do (But I Don't) | Gennifer Douglas | Television film |
| 2006 | The X's | Louise (voice) | Episode: "In-Law Enforcement"[53] |
| 2006–07 | The Life and Times of Juniper Lee | Demoness (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | The Land Before Time | Old One (voice) | Episode: "The Brave Longneck Scheme"[53] |
| Rules of Engagement | Constance | Episode: "Kids" | |
| The Wedding Bells | Candace Sinclair | Episode: "Partly Cloudy, with a Chance of Disaster" | |
| 2007–10 | Saving Grace | Betty Hanadarko | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Eleanor Reynolds | Episode: "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger" |
| Happy Hour | Nanette | Episode: "Thanksgiving" | |
| 2008–09 | 90210 | Tabitha Wilson | 13 episodes |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Attorney Petra Gilmartin | Episode: "Solitary" |
| 2009–21 | Archer | Malory Archer, "Mother" (voice) | 110 episodes; 12th season released posthumously |
| 2010 | Gravity | Henrietta | 5 episodes |
| Make It or Break It | Grandma Tanner | Episode: "Battle of the Flexes" | |
| Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Mrs. Wyatt (voice) | Episode: "Howl of the Fright Hound" | |
| 2011 | The Big Bang Theory | Mrs. Latham | Episode: "The Benefactor Factor"[54] |
| 2011–12 | Retired at 35 | Elaine Robbins | Main cast, 20 episodes |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | Maggie | Main cast, 10 episodes |
| 2015–18 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Miss Heinous / Meteora Butterfly (voice) | 9 episodes[53] |
| 2015, 2017 | NCIS | Judith McKnight | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Turbo Fast | Tabitha (voice) | Episode: "Worst in Show"[53] |
| The Odd Couple | Meredith | Episode: "Felix Navidad" | |
| 2017 | Justice League Action | Athena (voice) | Episode: "The Trouble with Truth"[53] |
| Difficult People | Mrs. Chuck | Episode: "Criminal Minds" | |
| 2018 | Clarence | Ma (voice) | Episode: "Brain TV"[53] |
| 2019 | At Home with Amy Sedaris | Alice Brittlecrunch | 2 episodes |
| 2019–20 | Good Girls | Judith | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Harley Quinn | Granny Goodness, Wendy Brown (voice) | Episode: "Inner (Para) Demons"[53] |
| 2021 | American Housewife | Margaret | Episode: "Getting Frank with the Ottos"; final television role |
| Year | Title | Roles | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Middle Of The Night | Kid Sister | Bucks County Playhouse |
| 1960 | Come Blow Your Horn | Nurse | |
| Advise and Consent | Liz | Cort Theatre | |
| 1962 | Night Life | Cigarette Girl | Brooks Atkinson Theatre |
| 1963 | Photo Finish | Clarice, Ada Cooney | |
| 1964 | A Severed Head | Georgie Hands | Royale Theatre |
| 1967 | Barefoot in the Park | Corie Bratter | Kenley Players |
| Gypsy | Gypsy Rose Lee | The Muny | |
| 1969 | How Now, Dow Jones | Cynthia Pike | Kenley Players |
| 1970 | Oliver! | Nancy | Sacramento Light Opera |
| 1970 | The Women | Sylvia Fowler | Repertory Theatre of New Orleans |
| 1977 | The Royal Family | Cavendish | Parker Playhouse |
| 1985 | Fighting International Fat | Rosalind Gambol | Playwrights Horizons |
| 1986 | Tartuffe | Elmire | Los Angeles Theatre Center |
| 1988 | Rumors | Claire Ganz | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 1990 | Doolittle Theatre, Los Angeles | ||
| 2001 | The Vagina Monologues | Performer | Westside Theatre |
| A Connecticut Yankee | Guinevere | Encores! | |
| 2002 | Going Native | Mother | Long Wharf Theatre |
| 2003 | The Stillborn Lover | Juliet Riordan | Berkshire Theater Festival |
| 2005 | Side By Side by Sondheim | Narrator | |
| 2011 | Anything Goes | Evangeline Harcourt | Stephen Sondheim Theatre |
| 2016 | Steel Magnolias | Ouiser Boudreaux | Bucks County Playhouse |
| 2018 | Show Boat in Concert | Parthy Ann Hawks |
... actor Jessica Walter in 1941 (age 79)
Glenn Madison (Steven Hill), a war hero with political ambitions, is rescued from a plane crash by Richard Kimble (David Janssen). Normally, this would make Kimble a hero, but both he and Madison are anxious to keep the rescue a secret from the public--Kimble because he is a fugitive from justice, and Madison because his traveling companion was his mistress Pat Haynes (Jessica Walter).
