Leigh Taylor-Young
| Leigh Taylor-Young | |
|---|---|
Leigh Taylor-Young at the 1994 Emmy Awards
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| Born |
Leigh Young January 25, 1945 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Other names | Leigh Taylor Leigh Taylor Young |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Ryan O'Neal (m. 1967; div. 1973) Guy McElwaine (m. 1978; div. 1983) John Morton (m. 2013) |
| Children | Patrick O'Neal |
| Website | www |
Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio, and television.
"Someone once told me that success is when preparation meets with opportunity. So obviously the most important thing is to be prepared when the opportunity comes."
Young was born on January 25, 1945, in Washington, D.C. She added the surname Taylor, which was the surname of her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive. Her father was a diplomat, and her younger siblings are actress/sculptor Dey Young and writer/director/producer Lance Young. The siblings were raised in Oakland County, Michigan. Leigh graduated from Groves High School, Beverly Hills, Michigan in 1962. Before attending Northwestern University as an economics major, she spent a summer shifting scenery, modelling, acting, and sweeping up at a Detroit little theater. However, she left Northwestern before graduating to pursue a full-time acting career, making her professional debut on Broadway in Three Bags Full. About dropping out of college, the actress explained:
Taylor-Young got her first big break in 1966, when she was cast as Rachel Welles in the prime time soap opera Peyton Place. Her character was written in the show as a replacement for the character of Allison MacKenzie, previously played by Mia Farrow. The show's producer, Everett Chambers, cast her because of her "great warmth and sweet angelic qualities not unlike Mia". At the time she received the role, Taylor-Young had been in California for only a few days. She initially went there in April 1966 to recuperate from an attack of pneumonia. She impressed the head producer of Peyton Place, Paul Monash, with a performance from The Glass Menagerie and was immediately signed to a seven-year television and multiple motion picture contract.
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