Sondra Locke | |
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 Locke in 1969 | |
| Born | Sandra Louise Smith May 28, 1944 Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | November 3, 2018 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Alma mater | Middle Tennessee State University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active |
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| Spouse |
Gordon Anderson (m. 1967) |
| Partner(s) | Clint Eastwood (1975–1989) Scott Cunneen (1990–?) |
| Signature | |
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Sandra Louise Anderson (née Smith; May 28, 1944 – November 3, 2018), professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director.
An alumna of Middle Tennessee State University, Locke broke into regional show business with assorted posts at the Nashville-based radio station WSM-AM, then segued into television as a promotions assistant for WSM-TV. She performed in the theater company Circle Players Inc. while employed at WSM. In 1968, she made her film debut in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and earned dual Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress and New Star of the Year.
Locke went on to appear in such box office successes as Willard (1971), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Gauntlet (1977), Every Which Way but Loose (1978), Bronco Billy (1980), Any Which Way You Can (1980) and Sudden Impact (1983). She worked regularly with Clint Eastwood, who was her companion from 1975 to 1989 despite their marriages to other people. She also directed four films, notably Impulse (1990). She published an autobiography, The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, in 1997.
Locke's persona belied her age. She claimed to have been born several years later than 1944, often playing roles written for women far younger than herself, and kept her true age a secret throughout her career.[1] For reasons never made clear, her death was not publicly announced and was only confirmed by vital statistics six weeks after she died of cardiac arrest at the age of 74.[2][3] From 1967 until her death, Locke was the wife of sculptor Gordon Leigh Anderson, in a mixed-orientation union they reputedly never consummated.[4][5]
- ^ Stecher, Raquel (March 18, 2022). "Starring Sondra Locke". Turner Classic Movies.
- ^ "Actress Sondra Locke Dies Unpublicized in November at Age 74". CBS News. December 13, 2018.
- ^ "Mystery six-week delay in announcement of Hollywood actress death". The New Zealand Herald. December 13, 2018.
- ^ Harrison, John (December 16, 2018). "A Fond Farewell to Sondra Locke (1944 – 2018)". FilmInk.
- ^ "Sondra Locke, actress who appeared with Clint Eastwood in hit films of the 1970s such as ‘Every Which Way but Loose’ and ‘The Gauntlet’ – obituary". The Telegraph. December 14, 2018.