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Name: Patty Duke
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Date of Birth:
December 14, 1946
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Place of Birth:
Elmhurst, New York, USA
Mini-bio:
American actress Patty Duke was groomed almost from infancy for a starring career by her manager/guardian John Ross. She studied at the Quintano School for Young Professionals and earned her Equity ca... read morerd at age seven, appearing in numerous TV productions and in such Hollywood films as I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), The Goddess (1958) (playing young Kim Stanley, the "Marilyn Monroe" character in that film), and Happy Anniversary (1959). Duke also appeared as a quiz-show contestant, and was later compelled to testify as to her honesty during the cheating scandals of 1958 and 1959. Just before her 13th birthday, Duke made her stage debut in the role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker; the production won the girl instant stardom and later an Academy Award for the film version of Miracle Worker (1962). Manager John Ross very carefully monitored Duke's public appearances, making certain the world saw her as a sweet, uncomplicated young lady. The truth was that Duke was terribly unhappy, feeling pressured into performing and into suppressing her own emotions. That's not what the world saw in the three seasons of The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966), a sitcom wherein the young actress literally talked to herself in the dual role of cousins Patty and Cathy Lane. She became cynical with stardom in a hurry, and in a bold act of defiance, 18-year-old Duke married a man twice her age, director Harry Falk Jr. Her first grown-up role as a Judy Garland type in Valley of the Dolls (1967) was panned, and it was suggested that she'd lost her talent. The next few years she was cast in a series of unsuccessful films but made a strong comeback with the 1969 TV movie My Sweet Charlie, which won her the first of three Emmys; the others being for the miniseries Captains and the Kings(1976) and a remake of The Miracle Worker (1979) in which she played the role of Annie Sullivan, co-starring with Melissa Gilbert as Helen Keller. In 1972 she married actor John Astin. Their union produced actor sons, Sean Astin and Mackenzie Astin. Duke also briefly changed her professional name to Patty Duke Astin. The Astins worked together prolifically for the duration of their marriage (which eventually ended in divorce). Building up her self-confidence and completely rebuilding her reputation in the '80s, Patty Duke served from 1985 through 1988 as president of the Screen Actor's Guild (the first woman to do so), starred in three separate network sitcoms, and wrote her harrowing best-selling memoirs, Call Me Anna, which in 1990 was adapted into a TV movie that she co-produced and starred in. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Patty Duke mini-bio: Born on December 14, 1946 in Elmhurst, New York, as Anna Marie Duke. Her
acting career began when she was introduced to her brother Ray Duke's
managers, John and Ethel Ross. Soon after, Anna Marie became Patty, the
actress. Patty started off in commercials, a few movies and some bit parts.
Her first big, memorable role came when she was chosen to portray the blind
and deaf Helen Keller in the Broadway version of "The Miracle Worker". The
play lasted almost two years, from October 19, 1959 - July 1, 1961 (Patty
left on May, 1961). In 1962, The Miracle Worker (1962) became a movie and
Patty won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. She was 16 years
old, making her the youngest person ever to win an Oscar. She then starred
in her own sitcom titled "The Patty Duke Show" (1963). It lasted for three
seasons and Patty was nominated for an Emmy. In 1965 she starred in the
movie Billie (1965). It was a success and was the first movie ever sold to a
television network. That same year she married director Harry Falk. Their
marriage lasted four years. She then starred in Valley of the Dolls (1967),
which was a financial but not a critical success. In 1969 she secured a part
in an independent film called Me, Natalie (1969). The film was a box-office
flop but she won her second Golden Globe Award for her performance in it. In
1976 she won her second Emmy award for the highly successful mini-series
"Captains and the Kings" (1976) (mini). Other successful TV films followed.
She received two Emmy nominations in 1978 for A Family Upside Down (1978)
(TV) and Having Babies III (1978) (TV). She then won her third Emmy in the
1979 TV movie version of The Miracle Worker (1979) (TV), this time
portraying Annie Sullivan. In 1982 she was diagnosed with manic-depressive
illness. In 1984 she became President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). In
1986, she married Michael Pierce, a drill sergeant whom she met while
preparing for a role in the TV movie A Time to Triumph (1986) (TV). In 1987
she wrote her autobiography "Call Me Anna". In 1989 she and Mike adopted a
baby, who they named Kevin. Her autobiography became a TV movie in 1990,
with Patty playing herself from her 30s onward. In 1992 she wrote her second
book, "A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depression Illness". Anna
Marie Duke has had a long and successful career, winning three Emmys. She is
a mother, a political advocate for issues such as the ERA (Equal Rights
Amendment), AIDS and nuclear disarmament, all despite having
Manic-Depression. She has proven her strength as an actress and as a person.
