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Elizabeth Ann Wedgeworth (January 21, 1934 – November 16, 2017) was an American character actress, known for her roles as Lana Shields in Three's Company, Hilda Hensley in Sweet Dreams, and Merleen Elldridge in Evening Shade. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Chapter Two (1978).
Wedgeworth appeared off-Broadway at New York's Promenade Theatre from December 5, 1985, until June 1, 1986, in Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, co-starring Harvey Keitel and Geraldine Page; coincidentally, Page, a decade Wedgeworth's senior, had married actor Rip Torn after his divorce from Wedgeworth. At the time, Page and Torn were married, but were estranged at the time of Page's death in 1987. For her performance in A Lie of the Mind, Wedgeworth was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.
Through the 1980s, Wedgeworth had many supporting roles, often playing mothers, such as in No Small Affair as Jon Cryer's character's, in Sweet Dreams as Patsy Cline's mother, followed by 1987's Made in Heaven as one unknowingly reunited with her dead son. In 1989, she portrayed Aunt Fern in Steel Magnolias. She appeared as Sissy Spacek's character's mother in the 1991 film Hard Promises. She also appeared in two films opposite Renée Zellweger: Love and a .45 and The Whole Wide World. Wedgeworth had her final film role in The Hawk Is Dying, with Paul Giamatti, which opened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006.
In 1979, Wedgeworth was cast as divorcée Lana Shields on the hit ABC sitcom Three's Company. Producers introduced her character to fill the void left by Audra Lindley, who had left to star in the show's spin-off, The Ropers. According to behind-the-scenes reports, the addition of Lana to the cast caused tension between series star John Ritter and the show's writers. Ritter believed it would be out of character for his character, the womanizing Jack Tripper, to inexplicably turn down the advances of Lana, a sexually voracious, attractive older woman. The writers reasoned that because Lana was older than Jack, he would be turned off. Ritter did not believe that the middle-aged Lana, only meant to be in her 40s (whereas Jack was in his late 20s/early 30s), would repel Jack. Wedgeworth claimed that she asked to be released from her contract because of Lana's dwindling role in the show. Wedgeworth appeared in just nine episodes of the series before her character was written out without any explanation and never referred to again.
In 1982, Wedgeworth worked with Linda Bloodworth-Thomason in her first comedy series, Filthy Rich, playing ditsy, good-natured Bootsie Westchester. The series was canceled after two seasons in 1983. In 1989, she guest-starred as Audrey Conner, the emotionally fragile mother of Dan Conner (played by John Goodman) on the ABC sitcom, Roseanne. Her longest role was on the CBS sitcom Evening Shade as Merleen Eldridge. The series aired from 1990 to 1994. In 1994, Wedgeworth starred in the unsuccessful Evening Shade spin-off, Harlan & Merleen.
Film
Wedgeworth had supporting roles in many movies. She had the female leading role opposite Gene Hackman in the 1973 film Scarecrow. She later co-starred in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), Law and Disorder (1974), One Summer Love (1976), and Thieves (1977). In 1977, she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Handle with Care.
Television
In early years, Wedgeworth had main roles on numerous daytime . She played the roles of Angela Talbot on The Edge of Night from 1966 to 1967, and later joined the cast of Another World as Lahoma Vane Lucas. She played the role from 1967 to 1970, and from 1970 to 1973 appeared on its spinoff, Somerset.
Personal life
Wedgeworth married Rip Torn in 1955. They had a daughter, actress Danae Torn. The couple divorced in 1961. In 1970, she married acting teacher and director Ernie Martin, and, in 1972, had a daughter, actress/acting teacher/writer Diánna Martin.
Death
In 2017, Wedgeworth died after a long illness, at a nursing home in North Bergen, New Jersey, aged 83.
Filmography
Film
1965 Andy Margie 1973 Scarecrow Frenchy 1973 Bang the Drum Slowly Katie 1974 Law and Disorder Sally 1974 Kit Loring 1976 One Summer Love Pearlie 1976 Birch Interval Marie 1977 Thieves Nancy 1977 Handle with Care Dallas Angel National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress 1977 The War Between the Tates Danielle Zimmerman TV movie 1980 Bogie Mayo Methot TV movie 1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Aunt Betty TV movie 1981 Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Dusty Wheeler 1981 Killjoy Rosie TV movie 1984 No Small Affair Joan Cummings 1985 Right to Kill? Eve Whitcomb TV movie 1985 My Science Project Dolores 1985 Sweet Dreams Hilda Hensley Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress 1986 The Men's Club Jo 1987 A Stranger Waits Susan Berger TV movie 1987 A Tiger's Tale Claudine 1987 Made in Heaven Annette Shea 1988 Far North Amy 1989 Miss Firecracker Miss Blue 1989 Steel Magnolias Aunt Fern 1990 Green Card Party Guest #1 1991 Hard Promises Chris's Mom 1993 Cooperstown Lila Kunznick TV movie 1994 Love and a .45 Thaylene Cheatham 1994 Mrs. O'Flaherty TV movie 1995 Fight for Justice: The Nancy Conn Story Mary Howell TV movie 1996 The Whole Wide World Mrs. Howard 1999 The Hunter's Moon Borlene 2006 The Hawk Is Dying Ma Gattling (final film role)
Television
1957 Kraft Theatre Ruth Cashel Episode: "Vengeance" 1964 The Defenders Sally Bernard Episode: "Hero of the People" 1966–1967 The Edge of Night Angela 'Angie' Talbot Unknown episodes 1966 Hawk Helen Rainey Episode: "Death Comes Full Circle" 1967–1970 Another World Lahoma Vane Lucas Unknown episodes 1970 Somerset Lahoma Vane Lucas Episode: "#1.1" 1975 Bronk Kate Episode: "The Gauntlet" 1979 Three's Company Lana Shields 9 episodes 1980 When the Whistle Blows Sheila Norris Episode: "Wildcatters" 1982–1983 Filthy Rich Bootsie Westchester 15 episodes 1985 One Life to Live Charlie Barnes Unknown episodes 1986 The Twilight Zone Clerk Episode: "The After Hours" 1987 The Equalizer Irene Baylor Episode: "Suspicion of Innocence" 1989 Roseanne Audrey Conner Episode: "We Gather Together" 1990–1994 Evening Shade Merleen Elldridge 98 episodes
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Specialty Player
External links
Categories: 1934 Births, 2017 Deaths, 20th-century American Actresses, 21st-century American Actresses, Actresses From Texas, American Stage Actresses, American Soap Opera Actresses, American Television Actresses, American Film Actresses, People From Abilene, Texas, University Of Texas At Austin Alumni
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