Cathryn Damon | |
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Cathryn Damon in 1978
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Born |
Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
September 11, 1930
Died | May 4, 1987 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
(aged 56)
Cause of death | Ovarian cancer |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1957–1987 |
Cathryn Lee Damon (September 11, 1930 – May 4, 1987) was an American actress, best known for her roles on television sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s.
Born in Seattle, Damon was raised in Tacoma and graduated from Stadium High School, moved to New York City at age 16 to pursue ballet and ultimately appeared in several Broadway productions, including Shinbone Alley, Foxy, Flora, The Red Menace, The Boys from Syracuse,The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Sweet Bird of Youth, and The Cherry Orchard. During the 1967-68 season, she was the Mame and Vera understudy for the Angela Lansbury-led tour of Mame.
Damon became familiar to television viewers as middle-class Mary Campbell on the primetime spoof of daytime soaps aptly entitled Soap from 1977 until 1981. Many fans may not know, however, that she was the third and final actress cast in the role. Producer Tony Thomas states, "Cathryn Damon was brilliant. A lot of people don't know this, but we recast that to put her in it." She later appeared with Soap costar Eugene Roche on Webster from 1984-86. The pair played Cassie and Bill Parker, Webster's landlords, on the hit series. Other television credits included guest roles on Matlock, Mike Hammer and Murder, She Wrote.