“I felt I blossomed as a person when I got a chance to act. Through all the many years now, I've never fallen out of love. It's been like an incredible marriage that really worked. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
How very sad. That delightfully scatty comedienne and actress Miss Katherine Helmond has died. Of course, in "real life" she was nothing like her comedic characters - in fact she began her long career as a serious theatre actress back in 1955, and she was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown in 1973. Her later transition to television won her two Golden Globe awards for Who's the Boss? and Soap.
From my post five years ago on the occasion of the lady's 85th birthday:
"I'd really like to show women my age - who've had children grow up or lost husbands or retired after working all their lives - that there are options. There are choices. We don't have to just sit around and be invisible."
And "invisible" she certainly was not as the uber-camp matriarch in Terry Gilliam's Brazil...
But of course, it was for her role as Jessica Tate in Soap that she will forever be remembered...
RIP, Katherine Marie Helmond (5th July 1929 – 23rd February 2019)
I LOVED SOAP! my spouse thought katherine was sexy. and WHO is that handsome guy in pix #2 up there? I'd sure like to see more of THAT!
ReplyDeleteThat's her husband David Christian - they were married from 1962 to her death. No wonder she smiled so much... Jx
DeleteI'm sure she enjoyed every minute of David Christian.
ReplyDeleteOf that I have no doubt. Jx
DeleteHe certainly did look nice, at least the parts we could see.
ReplyDeleteIt may be an old photo... Jx
DeleteOh, Mona from Who's the Boss?, the sexy, cool grandma...Rest in peace. She always stole the scene everytime she was on...I wish her loved ones much peace and comfort. Another star lights up the night sky, another angel shines in heaven.
ReplyDeleteI am sure she would have been pleased with the accolade "sexy, cool grandma". Jx
DeleteAnother sad loss RIP
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. Jx
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