Melinda Dillon

Melinda Dillon
Dillon c. 1976
Born	Melinda Ruth Clardy (1939-10-13)October 13, 1939 Hope, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	January 9, 2023(2023-01-09) (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Hyde Park High School
Alma mater	Art Institute of Chicago
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1959–2007[1]
Known for	Jillian Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Teresa Perrone in Absence of Malice (1981) Mrs. Parker in A Christmas Story (1983)
Spouse	Richard Libertini ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1978)​
Children	1

Melinda Ruth Dillon (October 13, 1939 – January 9, 2023) was an American actress. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles as Jillian Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Teresa Perrone in Absence of Malice (1981). She is well-known for her role as Mother Parker in the holiday classic A Christmas Story (1983). Her other film roles include Bound for Glory (1976), Slap Shot (1977), F.I.S.T. (1978), The Muppet Movie (1979), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), Captain America (1990), The Prince of Tides (1991), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Magnolia (1999), for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, and Reign Over Me (2007).