Jessica Walter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Walter in 1974 | |
| Born | January 31, 1941 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 2021 (aged 80) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–2021 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Richard Walter (brother) |
| Awards | See below |
| Signature | |
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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 1971 Clint Eastwood thriller, Play Misty for Me. On television, she was most recently known for her role of Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013–2019) and for providing the voice of Malory Archer on the FX animated series Archer (2009–2021). Walter received various awards over the course of her television career, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Amy Prentiss (1975). She also received two Golden Globe Award nominations and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.[1] For her starring role opposite Eastwood in Play Misty for Me, Walter received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
After studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, Walter began her career on the Broadway stage, winning a 1963 Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. She made her film debut in the 1964 neo-noir drama Lilith, subsequently starring in the 1966 films Grand Prix and The 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 procedural Amy Prentiss, appearing in a recurring role on Trapper John, M.D., working as a series regular for the first half of season one of 90210, and providing the voice of Fran Sinclair on the series Dinosaurs. Her role as scheming socialite Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development brought her renewed attention, and she contributed voiceover work to animated shows like Archer and Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2015–18).
- ^ "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - 1975". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.