Jill Clayburgh Dies at 66
aadavid
Jill Clayburgh, an Oscar-nominated actress known for portraying
strong, independent women, died on Friday at her home in Lakeville,
Conn. She was 66.
The cause was chronic leukemia, with which she had lived for 21 years,
her husband, the playwright David Rabe, said.
Ms. Clayburgh, who began her career in films and on Broadway in the
late 1960s, was among the first generation of young actresses —
including Ellen Burstyn, Carrie Snodgress and Marsha Mason — who
regularly portrayed characters sprung from the new feminist ethos:
smart, capable and gritty, sometimes neurotic, but no less glamorous
for all that.
“I guess people look at me and they think I’m a ladylike character,”
Ms. Clayburgh told The New York Times in 1982. “But it’s not what I do
best. I do best with characters who are coming apart at the seams.”
She was known in particular for her starring role in “An Unmarried
Woman” (1978), directed by Paul Mazursky. For her performance as
Erica, a New Yorker who must right herself after her husband leaves
her for another woman, Ms. Clayburgh was nominated for an Academy
Award. (The best-actress Oscar that year went to Jane Fonda in “Coming
Home.”)
Reviewing “An Unmarried Woman” in The Times, Vincent Canby wrote:
“Miss Clayburgh is nothing less than extraordinary in what is the
performance of the year to date. In her we see intelligence battling
feeling — reason backed against the wall by pushy needs.”
Ms. Clayburgh also received an Oscar nomination for “Starting
Over” (1979), directed by Alan J. Pakula. She played Marilyn Holmberg,
a teacher who embarks on a relationship with Phil, a newly divorced
man played by Burt Reynolds.
Reviewing that film in The Times, Janet Maslin wrote, “Miss Clayburgh
delivers a particularly sharp characterization that’s letter-perfect
during the first part of the story.” She added, “Her Marilyn is all
wrong for Phil — that’s what makes their affair so unexpectedly
touching and gives the story so much life.”
Ms. Clayburgh’s other films include “Semi-Tough” (1977), opposite Mr.
Reynolds; “It’s My Turn” (1980), opposite Michael Douglas; “First
Monday in October” (1981), opposite Walter Matthau, in which she
played the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court;
and “I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can” (1982), based on the memoir by
Barbara Gordon about a driven career woman’s addiction to valium.
Jill Clayburgh was born in Manhattan on April 30, 1944, the daughter
of Albert, an industrial textile salesman, and Julie Clayburgh. She
earned a bachelor’s degree in theater from Sarah Lawrence College in
1966.
Ms. Clayburgh made her Broadway debut in 1968 in “The Sudden &
Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson,” a play starring Jack
Klugman that ran for five performances. Her other Broadway credits
included far more successful shows, among them the Jerry Bock-Sheldon
Harnick musical “The Rothschilds” (1970), opposite Hal Linden; the
Stephen Schwartz musical “Pippin” (1972), opposite John Rubinstein;
and a 1984 revival of Noël Coward’s “Design for Living” that also
starred Frank Langella and Raul Julia.
Her last Broadway appearance, in 2006, was in a revival of “Barefoot
in the Park” at the Cort Theater, with Tony Roberts and Amanda Peet.
Besides Mr. Rabe, whom she married in 1978, Ms. Clayburgh is survived
by a daughter, the actress Lily Rabe, who is starring in the Broadway
production of “The Merchant of Venice,” now in previews at the
Broadhurst Theater; a son, Michael; a stepson, Jason; and a brother,
James.
Her many television credits include guest appearances on “Law &
Order,” “The Practice” and “Nip/Tuck,” and a recurring role on “Ally
McBeal” as Ally’s mother, Jeannie. Most recently Ms. Clayburgh was a
member of the regular cast of “Dirty Sexy Money,” broadcast from 2007
to 2009 on ABC.
Despite her acclaim, Ms. Clayburgh, by all appearances, had a healthy
sense of herself. “People think about me, ‘This wonderful lucky woman,
she’s got it all,’ ” she told The Times in 1982. “But gee, that’s how
I feel about Meryl Streep.”
AndrewJ
> included far more successful shows, among them the Jerry Bock-Sheldon
> Harnick musical “The Rothschilds” (1970), opposite Hal Linden
And of course Jerry Bock died earlier this week, and Bock's "Fiddler
on the Roof" collaborator Joseph Stein and "Fiorello!" star Tom Bosley
also died in the last few weeks.
Hyfler/Rosner
"aadavid" <aad...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5cd8506f-ccb2-4014...@s4g2000yql.googlegroups.com...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/arts/06clayburgh.html
Her last Broadway appearance, in 2006, was in a revival of
“Barefoot
in the Park” at the Cort Theater, with Tony Roberts and
Amanda Peet.
I saw her at Lincoln Center, which I think is considered
Broadway, in December of 2006 in The Clean House. She
looked terrible, but she was supposed to.
Anyway, the Times got it wrong.
Loved her.
An Unmarried Woman is one of my favorite films and it holds
up. Saw it not long ago. Alan Bates, Clayburgh, Cliff
Gorman all dead. Michael Murphy and Mazursky still kicking.
Louis Epstein
: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/arts/06clayburgh.html
:
: Jill Clayburgh, an Oscar-nominated actress known for portraying
: strong, independent women, died on Friday at her home in Lakeville,
: Conn. She was 66.
:
: The cause was chronic leukemia, with which she had lived for 21 years,
: her husband, the playwright David Rabe, said.
:
: Ms. Clayburgh, who began her career in films and on Broadway in the
: including Ellen Burstyn, Carrie Snodgress and Marsha Mason ? who
: regularly portrayed characters sprung from the new feminist ethos:
: smart, capable and gritty, sometimes neurotic, but no less glamorous
: for all that.
: ?I guess people look at me and they think I?m a ladylike character,?
: Ms. Clayburgh told The New York Times in 1982. ?But it?s not what I do
: best. I do best with characters who are coming apart at the seams.?
:
: She was known in particular for her starring role in ?An Unmarried
: Woman? (1978), directed by Paul Mazursky. For her performance as
: Erica, a New Yorker who must right herself after her husband leaves
: her for another woman, Ms. Clayburgh was nominated for an Academy
: Home.?)
I presume she'll be in the Oscar Memoriam but where's the latest list?
: Reviewing ?An Unmarried Woman? in The Times, Vincent Canby wrote:
: ?Miss Clayburgh is nothing less than extraordinary in what is the
: performance of the year to date. In her we see intelligence battling
: feeling ? reason backed against the wall by pushy needs.?
:
: Ms. Clayburgh also received an Oscar nomination for ?Starting
: Over? (1979), directed by Alan J. Pakula. She played Marilyn Holmberg,
: a teacher who embarks on a relationship with Phil, a newly divorced
: man played by Burt Reynolds.
:
: Reviewing that film in The Times, Janet Maslin wrote, ?Miss Clayburgh
: delivers a particularly sharp characterization that?s letter-perfect
: during the first part of the story.? She added, ?Her Marilyn is all
: wrong for Phil ? that?s what makes their affair so unexpectedly
: touching and gives the story so much life.?
: Ms. Clayburgh?s other films include ?Semi-Tough? (1977), opposite Mr.
: Reynolds;
I think that's when I first heard of her...
: ?It?s My Turn? (1980), opposite Michael Douglas; ?First
: Monday in October? (1981), opposite Walter Matthau, in which she
: played the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court;
: and ?I?m Dancing as Fast as I Can? (1982), based on the memoir by
: Barbara Gordon about a driven career woman?s addiction to valium.
Batgirl was on meds?
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
Louis Epstein
:> Her other Broadway credits
:> included far more successful shows, among them the Jerry Bock-Sheldon
:
: And of course Jerry Bock died earlier this week, and Bock's "Fiddler
: on the Roof" collaborator Joseph Stein and "Fiorello!" star Tom Bosley
: also died in the last few weeks.
Rule of 4?
Or the Bock Bier?
islanders
>
> Batgirl was on meds?
>
Leave the jokes to the professionals, louie.
Laurie Mann
> An Unmarried Woman is one of my favorite films and it holds
> up. Saw it not long ago. Alan Bates, Clayburgh, Cliff
> Gorman all dead. Michael Murphy and Mazursky still kicking.
Haven't seen it in ages, but loved it back on cable in the '80s.
She has two movies coming out - Love and Other Drugs (due out
Thanksgiving weekend) and Bridesmaids (due out next year).
Laurie Mann
Dead People Server
http://www.dpsinfo.com/dps
Michael O'Connor
been a much bigger movie star. I don't know if it was that she was
typecast in strong feminist roles, or she hit her late thirties when
the good film lead film roles generally dry up for actresses, Meryl
Streep excepted. Sorry to see her go.
Charlene
Sheldon Harnick must be quaking in his books.
wd46
R H Draney
>
>Looks as if the obituarists are forgetting she co-starred in "Gable
>and Lombard" (1976).
I suspect she'd be okay with that....
Around 1980, there was a candid shot of her in the "celebrity news" column in
the back of Playboy, taken while she was out jogging...what I remember most
vividly was that she was wearing a t-shirt that said "look out, keep away, I
have pink eye"....r
--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.
AndrewJ
> AndrewJ <ajmil...@cavtel.net> wrote:
>
> :> Her other Broadway credits
> :> included far more successful shows, among them the Jerry Bock-Sheldon
> :> Harnick musical ?The Rothschilds? (1970), opposite Hal Linden
> :
> : And of course Jerry Bock died earlier this week, and Bock's "Fiddler
> : on the Roof" collaborator Joseph Stein and "Fiorello!" star Tom Bosley
> : also died in the last few weeks.
>
> Rule of 4?
>
> Or the Bock Bier?
>
health is precarious...