Joan Hackett

Actor

About

Also Known As

Joan Ann Hackett

Birth Place

East Harlem, New York, USA

Born

March 01, 1934

Died

October 08, 1983

Cause of Death

Cancer

Biography

Filmography

The Long Summer of George Adams (1982)

Norma Adams

Paper Dolls (1982)

The Escape Artist (1982)

Only When I Laugh (1981)

Flicks (1981)

One-Trick Pony (1980)

Photos & Videos

View All

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) You've Been Given Ten Milligrams

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) In Unfamiliar Surroundings

Family & Companions

Richard Mulligan

Husband

Actor. Had worked together in "The Group" (1966); were divorced; perhaps best known for his work on the sitcoms "Soap" and "Empty Nest" and for his roles in several Blake Edwards feature comedies.

Biography

Slender, gentle-featured lead and supporting actress of the 1960s and 70s, most typically in nonglamorous roles. After experience as a model and acting training under Lee Strasberg and others, Hackett gained notice off-Broadway with her award-winning work in "Call Me by My Rightful Name" (1961). She became prominent in TV work soon thereafter, copping an Emmy nomination for an episode of "Ben Casey" and playing Robert Reed's girlfriend on the first season of the popular father-and-son lawyer drama, "The Defenders." Hackett's quiet intensity suited her well for a TV adaptation of "Rebecca" (1962) in which she played the mousy second Mrs. DeWinter. By 1964 she was playing leads in two feature-length installments of "The Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre," "Echo of Evil" and "The Highest Fall of All."

Hackett moved to feature work soon thereafter with an excellent debut in Sidney Lumet's ensemble study of female college classmates, "The Group" (1966), in which her wide emotional range as an actress was given full scope. Her subsequent screen work was intermittent but occasionally interesting (e.g. "Will Penny" 1968) but, beginning with the intriguing "The Last of Sheila" (1973), Hackett began alternating supporting roles with leads. TV-movies, often melodramas or thrillers, kept her busy, and included "Lights Out" (1972), "The Possessed" (1977) and "Paper Dolls" (1982). "Pleasure Cove" (1979) and a failed sitcom, "Another Day" (1978), did not properly exploit her potential for comedy, but, in one of her last feature roles, she brought a grim, rueful humor to her Oscar-nominated role as Marsha Mason's vain, edgy girlfriend in "Only When I Laugh" (1981). Divorced from actor Richard Mulligan, Hackett succumbed to cancer in 1983.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Long Summer of George Adams (1982)

Norma Adams

Paper Dolls (1982)

The Escape Artist (1982)

Only When I Laugh (1981)

Flicks (1981)

One-Trick Pony (1980)

The Long Days of Summer (1980)

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)

Pleasure Cove (1979)

Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? (1977)

Jessica Hilliard

The Possessed (1977)

Louise Gelson

Treasure of Matecumbe (1976)

Lauriette Paxton

Mac Kintosh & T.J. (1975)

Reflections of Murder (1974)

The Terminal Man (1974)

Class of '63 (1973)

The Last Of Sheila (1973)

Lee

Rivals (1972)

Christine [Sutton]

Five Desperate Women (1971)

Dorian

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

Prudy Perkins

Assignment To Kill (1969)

Cast (Special)

Life Events

1952

Began working as a clothes model and cover girl

1959

Made New York stage debut in "A Clearing in the Woods"

1959

TV debut, in an episode of "Ellery Queen"

1961

Played Joan Miller on the CBS crime drama, "The Defenders"

1962

Portrayed the leading role of the second Mrs. DeWinter in the NBC drama special adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca"

1966

Made feature film debut in a leading role in "The Group"

1970

Appeared on Broadway in the musical "Park"

1978

Played the leading role of Ginny Gardner on the short-lived CBS comedy series, "Another Day"

1982

Last feature film, "The Escape Artist"

1983

Last TV work included the NBC comedy pilot, "A Girl's Life"

Videos

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) You've Been Given Ten Milligrams Unbridled corporate scientists, Donald Moffat as McPherson, with Richard Dysart, Michael C. Gwynne, Matt Clark as technician Gerhard and Joan Hackett as Dr. Ross, with their post-surgical patient, the title character, George Segal as psychotic computer genius Harry, delight at their ability to control his laughter, then contain his seizure, in The Terminal Man, 1974.

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) In Unfamiliar Surroundings Psychiatrist Ross (Joan Hackett) lectures an absurdly large assemblage of colleagues about her patient (George Segal as the title character, psychotic computer genius Harry Benson) before his radical brain surgery procedure, Mike Hodges directing from his script based on the Michael Crichton novel, in The Terminal Man, 1974.

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) He's Very Heavily Sedated As violent psychotic computer scientist Harry (George Segal, title character) is prepared for experimental brain surgery, one of his doctors (Michael C. Gwynne as Morris) receives unexpected visitor Angela (Jill Clayburgh, in one of her first movie roles), while a nurse (Dee Carroll) reads a disturbing report, in The Terminal Man, 1974, directed by Mike Hodges.

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Where Psycho-Surgery Is Concerned An unexplained shot of a helicopter, then photos of the title character (George Segal) and family in a forensic context, as doctor Donald Moffat, P-R man James B. Sikking and surgeon Richard Dysart converse in a rooftop L-A restaurant, opening director and screenwriter Mike Hodges’ adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel, The Terminal Man, 1974.

Group, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) More Pantheistic After the rushed wedding of a fellow 1933 graduate of an un-named New England ladies' college, Dottie (Joan Hackett) with Dick (Richard Mulligan), artist and bohemian pal of the groom, in The Group, 1966, Sidney Lumet's film from Vassar grad Mary McCarthy's novel.

Group, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Dottie Renfrew Is Engaged Director Sidney Lumet resumes his narrative device with Kathleen Widdoes as college “class scribe” Helena typing, Joan Hackett as Dottie on the train, to a 1930-something New York party hosted by Kay and her boozy playwright husband (Joanna Pettet, Larry Hagman), Jessica Walter, Shirley Knight, et al conversing, in The Group, 1966.

Group, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Landlord, Fill The Flowing Bowl Somewhat bawdy English traditional song Landlord, Fill The Flowing Bowl among several choral pieces opening Sidney Lumet's The Group, 1966, introducing classmates Joan Hackett, Candice Bergen, Shirley Knight, Joanna Pettet et al, and their valedictorian Kathleen Widdoes.

Group, The (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Not To The Manor Born New England ladies' college graduates led by "Lakey" (Candice Bergen) at the speedily arranged New York wedding of classmate Kay (Joanna Pettet) to aspiring playwright Harald (Larry Hagman) in Sidney Lumet's The Group, 1966, from the Mary McCarthy novel.

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) -- (Movie Clip) -- Sobered Up The Whole Town Accident-prone daughter Prudy (Joan Hackett) is preparing her first meal for her father (Harry Morgan) and their new boarder, the new sheriff, McCullough (James Garner), upon whom she’s made an erratic impression, in Support Your Local Sheriff!, 1969.

Will Penny -- (Movie Clip) Open, Git Along Elongated opening sequence featuring star Charlton Heston and Slim Pickens as the crusty cook, in writer-director Tom Gries' Western Will Penny, 1968, photographed by Lucien Ballard.

Will Penny -- (Movie Clip) Line Rider's Shack Title character (Charlton Heston) in his new job rides up on nervous frontier mom Catherine (Joan Hackett) and son (Jon Francis) in writer-director Tom Gries' Will Penny, 1968, photographed by Lucien Ballard.

Group, The (1966) -- Original Trailer No doubt attributable to producer Charles K. Feldman, who invested heavily in the book by Vassar graduate, novelist and political essayist/agitator Mary McCarthy, the luxurious trailer for the partly autobiographical The Group, 1966, with commentary by all the members, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight, Mary-Robin Redd, Jessica Walter, Kathleen Widdoes, Joanna Pettet and Candice Bergen.

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Original Trailer) Theatrical trailer for director Mike Hodges’ 1974 adaptation, co-written with the original novelist Michael Crichton, of The Terminal Man, starring George Segal, with Joan Hackett, Richard Dysart and Jill Clayburgh.

Last of Sheila, The - (Original Trailer) The Last of Sheila (1973), an all-star whodunit written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins.

Only When I Laugh - (Original Trailer) An alcoholic actress (Marsha Mason) fights to come back while trying to raise her teen daughter (Kristy McNichol) in Neil Simon's Only When I Laugh (1981).

Support Your Local Sheriff! - (Original Trailer) A mild-mannered cowboy (James Garner) drifts into a town so lawless they refuse to Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969).

Will Penny - (Original Trailer) Charlton Heston, an outlaw betrayed by his gang, takes refuge with a frontiers woman in Will Penny (1968).

Companions

Richard Mulligan

Husband

Actor. Had worked together in "The Group" (1966); were divorced; perhaps best known for his work on the sitcoms "Soap" and "Empty Nest" and for his roles in several Blake Edwards feature comedies.

About

Biography

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Cast (Special)

Life Events

1952

1959

1959

1961

1962

1966

1970

1978

1982

1983

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Companions

Bibliography

TCM Emails