Patty Duke Astin
| Patty Duke | |
|---|---|
Duke in 1975
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| Born |
Anna Marie Duke December 14, 1946 Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 29, 2016 (aged 69) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Sepsis from a ruptured intestine |
| Other names | Patty Duke Astin Anna Duke-Pearce |
| Occupation | Actress, author, mental health advocate |
| Years active | 1950–2015 |
| Spouse(s) |
Harry Falk (m. 1965; div. 1969) Michael Tell (m. 1970; annulled 1970) John Astin (m. 1972; div. 1985) Michael Pearce (m. 1986; her death 2016) |
| Children | 3, including Sean and Mackenzie Astin |
| Website | officialpattyduke |
| 21st President of the Screen Actors Guild | |
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In office 1985–1988 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Asner |
| Succeeded by | Barry Gordon |
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She first became known as a teen star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), a role which she had originated on Broadway. The following year she was given her own show, The Patty Duke Show, in which she portrayed "identical cousins". She later progressed to more mature roles such as that of Neely O'Hara in the film Valley of the Dolls (1967). Over the course of her career, she received ten Emmy Award nominations and three Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Duke also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988.
Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982, after which she devoted much of her time to advocating for and educating the public on mental health issues.
Duke was born in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, the youngest of three children of Frances Margaret (née McMahon; June 7, 1913 – April 6, 1993), a cashier, and John Patrick Duke (May 9, 1913 – February 6, 1964), a handyman and cab driver. She was of Irish, and more distant German, descent.
Duke, her brother Raymond, and her sister Carol experienced a difficult childhood. Their father was an alcoholic, and their mother suffered from clinical depression and was prone to violence. When Duke was six, her mother forced her father to leave the family home. When Duke was eight, her care was turned over to talent managers John and Ethel Ross, who, after promoting Patty's brother, were looking for a girl to add to their stable of child actors.
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