Lee Purcell
Lee Purcell | |
|---|---|
 Purcell in September 2012 | |
| Born | Lee Jeune Williams June 15, 1947 |
| Occupation(s) | actress, writer, producer |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Website | http://www.leepurcell.com/ |
Lee Purcell (born Lee Jeune Williams; June 15, 1947) is an American actress and writer-producer who has starred in films including Mr. Majestyk, Big Wednesday, Stir Crazy, and Valley Girl. She has also appeared in numerous television and stage productions.
Early life
Purcell was born at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina.[1] Her father, an aviator and Marine major, died when Purcell was a young child. She then lived with her grandparents[2] until her mother married Navy doctor Don Purcell. She has a half-sister, Paige.[3] Like many service personnel relatives, Purcell and her family moved multiple times to different states and military bases.[2] After the military service ended, they eventually settled in Paragould, Arkansas, where Purcell spent much of her youth. She graduated from their high school in 1965[3] and attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri from 1965-1967 as a dance and theatre student.[4][5] [6]
Career
Purcell made her debut as a performer at 5 years of age, appearing on a Memphis, Tennessee TV show.[7] She arrived in California in 1967[8] and studied acting, writing, music and other arts. Casting off her southern accent was another goal she successfully worked on.[9] While refining her craft, Purcell supported herself by doing modeling assignments,[2] starring in commercials,[6] and selling clothes at a disco.[9] In 1969 Purcell was personally chosen for her first feature film by Steve McQueen in his company's production of Adam at Six A.M., co-starring Michael Douglas.[10] Asked to explain why he picked Purcell among nearly 500 other available actresses, McQueen said...
It wasn't easy. We kept narrowing down the field over a period of weeks until it came to giving screen tests to six of them. All of them were good, but Lee seemed to jump right out of the screen.
In the early 1970s Purcell temporarily moved to England, studying acting in London[12] under the private training of Professor Margot Lister.[13] During this time she frequently returned to the United States to act in American movies and TV shows.[14] Years later, she told a reporter..."I had a great time. I thought it was a permanent move. But I wasn't allowed to work there and it became difficult to go elsewhere to work."[9]
To prepare for her role as a 16-year-old high school student in the 1978 coming of age feature film Almost Summer, Purcell enrolled at North Hollywood High School in the junior class (with the secret assistance of the principal and teachers). Using the name of her character from the film, Purcell later recounted that the ruse was successful until she revealed her true identity to the other students.[15]
She portrayed actresses Billie Dove and Olivia de Havilland in two biopic TV movies: The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977)[16] and My Wicked, Wicked Ways...the Legend of Errol Flynn (1985).[17]
Purcell has been nominated for two Emmy Awards. The first occurred in 1991 in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress for Long Road Home starring opposite Mark Harmon[18] and the other in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actress for Secret Sins of the Father starring opposite Beau Bridges and Lloyd Bridges, directed by Beau Bridges.[19] She was co-producer, and starred in the 1998 HBO cable-TV movie Malaika (alternate title Tons of Trouble.)[20][21] Among her stage credits are Lady Anne in Richard III, Madge in Picnic, and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream.[7] Purcell's most recent work is the role of Eleanor Sullivan in the 2010 thirteen episode NBC-TV miniseries Persons Unknown.[22]
She was the co-owner of an award-winning video production company.[23]
Personal life
Her third marriage produced a son, Dylan Purcell, who was briefly an actor.[15][24][25] The two appeared together in A Woman's Guide to Firearms, Malaika and The Unknown (alternate title Clawed: The Legend of Sasquatch.)[26]
She has competed in rodeos,[14] owned motorcycles,[2] and flown planes.[27] Purcell has produced, directed and performed narrations of poetry and fiction in front of live audiences and taught workshops that specialize in auditions for film and television.[28][29][30] She is a former NRA (National Rifle Association) director [31][32] and has been involved with Scientology.[33]
In December 2010 Purcell launched an interactive fashion and beauty website, BoomerBabes, that is geared towards women over 40 and Baby Boomer women born between 1946-1964.[34]
Charity work
Purcell is on the board of directors for Heart of a Horse, a non profit organization which seeks to rescue and rehabilitate abused and neglected horses. In addition, she works with VET (Veterans Entertainment Team), a military veterans assistance group.[2][35]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Film | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Adam at Six A.M. | Jerri Jo Hopper | Robert Scheerer |
| 1972 | Dirty Little Billy | Berle | Stan Dragoti |
| Stand Up and Be Counted | Karen Hammond | Jackie Cooper | |
| Necromancy | Priscilla | Bert I. Gordon | |
| 1973 | Kid Blue | Molly Ford | James Frawley |
| 1974 | Mr. Majestyk | Wiley | Richard Fleischer |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday | Peggy Gordon | John Milius |
| Almost Summer | Christine Alexander | Martin Davidson | |
| 1980 | Stir Crazy | Susan | Sidney Poitier |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Mrs. Seluchi | Ken Finkleman |
| Homework | Ms. Jackson | James Beshears | |
| 1983 | Eddie Macon's Run | Jilly Buck | Jeff Kanew |
| Valley Girl | Beth Brent | Martha Coolidge | |
| 1985 | Space Rage | Maggie | Conrad E. Palmisano |
| 1996 | Movies, Money, Murder | Lilah | Stephen Eckelberry, Arthur Webb |
| 1998 | Dizzyland | Dennis Hackin | |
| 2005 | The Unknown aka Clawed: The Legend of Sasquatch | Doris Winslow | Karl Kozak |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Cathy Cullen | Made a second appearance in 1972, as 'Carol Lockett' |
| Bonanza | Angie | ||
| The Young Rebels | Maggie Todd | ||
| 1972 | Medical Center | Liza | |
| 1973 | Cannon | Marian Luke | Made two additional appearances in 1975, various characters |
| Hijack | Eileen Noonan | TV movie | |
| 1974 | Wide World Mystery | Donna | |
| The Rockford Files | Susan Parsons | ||
| 1975 | The Waltons | Bobby Strom | |
| Insight | Tracy | ||
| Barnaby Jones | Kathy Cooper | Made a second appearance in 1977, as 'Peggy Giroux' | |
| 1976 | Hawaii Five-0 | Molly Taggert | Made a second appearance in 1977, same character |
| Jigsaw John | Virginia Sand | ||
| 1977 | The Amazing Howard Hughes | Billie Dove | TV movie |
| The Streets of San Francisco | Carol Revson | ||
| 1978 | Stranger in Our House aka Summer of Fear | Julia Trent | TV movie |
| 1979 | Murder in Music City aka The Country Western Murders | Samantha Hunt | TV movie |
| A Man Called Sloane | Michele Blake | ||
| 1980 | Kenny Rogers as the Gambler | Jennie Reed | TV movie |
| My Wife Next Door | Lisa Pallick | Pilot for proposed TV series | |
| The Secret War of Jackie’s Girls | Casey McCann | TV movie | |
| 1981 | The Girl, the Gold Watch and Dynamite | Bonnie Lee Beaumont | TV movie and pilot for proposed TV series |
| Killing at Hell’s Gate | Jane Pasco | TV movie | |
| 1982 | The Phoenix | Cindy Houghton | |
| 1985 | Magnum, P.I. | Goldie Morris | |
| Murder, She Wrote | Joanna Benson | Made four additional appearances in 1986, 1989 and 1994, various characters | |
| My Wicked, Wicked Ways...the Legend of Errol Flynn | Olivia de Havilland | TV movie | |
| Hollywood Beat | Maggie | ||
| 1986 | Betrayed by Innocence | Sharon DeLeon | TV movie |
| 1987 | Matlock | Andrea Colter | |
| MacGyver | Shadow | ||
| 1988 | To Heal a Nation | Sandie | TV movie |
| The Incredible Hulk Returns | Maggie Shaw | TV movie | |
| Jake and the Fatman | Pamela Parker | ||
| 1989 | Simon & Simon | Colleen Huntley/Missy Taylor | |
| 1990 | Shades of LA | Alex Taylor | |
| 1991 | Long Road Home | Bessie Robertson | TV movie |
| 1994 | Secret Sins of the Father | Ann Thielman | TV movie |
| 1995 | Due South | Louise St. Laurent | Made five additional appearances in 1995 and 1996, same character |
| Dazzle | Red | TV movie | |
| The Magic of Christmas | Herself | Holiday special | |
| 1997 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Dr. Kim O'Farrell | |
| 1998 | Promised Land | Beth Hixon | |
| Malaika aka Tons of Trouble | Molly DeMornay | TV movie | |
| Christmas in Hollywood | Herself | Holiday special | |
| 2010 | Persons Unknown | Eleanor Sullivan | Mini-series. Five appearances |
Special projects
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Road to Freedom: L. Ron Hubbard and Friends | Herself (singer) | Video short and record album |
| 1987 | A Woman's Guide to Firearms | Herself | Instructional video |
| Your First Gun- A Family Guide To Shooting | The mother | Instructional video | |
| 1988 | The Married Couple | Video short | |
| 1992 | The Joke | Jane | 35mm short |
| How to Use Dianetics: A Visual Guidebook to the Human Mind | Video short | ||
| 1996 | Orientation: A Scientology Information Film | LRH Communicator | Video short |
| 1997 | This World, Then the Fireworks | ADR work (additional dialogue recording) | |
| 2006 | White Picket Fence | Bonnie Durley | Super 16mm short |
External links
Media related to Lee Purcell at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website of Lee Purcell
- Lee Purcell--IMDb page and TV schedule
- Fashion and beauty website created by Lee Purcell
References
- ^ John Willis' Screen World, Volume 32
- ^ a b c d e About Lee Purcell
- ^ a b Usgennet.org "Paragould Took Hats Off For Lee Purcell"
- ^ Columbia Missourian January 15, 1967 “Picnic in 2nd Week at Stephens”
- ^ Columbia Missourian September 21, 1969 “Adam Travels to Excelsior Springs”
- ^ a b Columbia Missourian November 26, 1972 “Success for Lee Purcell”
- ^ a b Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography
- ^ The Sumter Daily Item-Dec 26, 1969
- ^ a b c Daily News, Bowling Green, KY May 8, 1981
- ^ 30 Years Ago Today: Actress Lee Purcell Remembers Her Mentor, Steve McQueen (2010 Internet interview)
- ^ Beaver County Times, September 25, 1969
- ^ Sun Sentinel-Fort Lauderdale February 26, 1985
- ^ Spotlight: Lee Purcell
- ^ a b Class Actress: An Interview with Lee Purcell (2009 Internet interview)
- ^ a b Schenectady Gazette March 30, 1977”
- ^ Times Daily April 11, 1977
- ^ Lakeland Ledger January 20, 1985
- ^ SunSentinel July 19, 1991
- ^ Los Angeles Times-Emmy Award Nominations July 22, 1994
- ^ inbaseline-Lee Purcell Credits
- ^ New York Times, production credits--Tons of Trouble
- ^ Interview with Starry Constellation Magazine
- ^ Chocolate is not better than Sex cast bio
- ^ Rome News-Tribune July 8, 1983
- ^ CelebrityPhoto.com July 31, 2008
- ^ The Unknown-IMDb page
- ^ The Milwaukee Journal February 24, 1976
- ^ Saint Hill International Arts Festival
- ^ Poetic Preservation A group of actors will perform traditional and contemporary cowboy writings at the Gene Autry museum
- ^ The Golden Age Theater
- ^ Crossfire: The War Behind the Closed Doors of the NRA
- ^ The Gun Zone
- ^ Richardson, John (September 11, 1993). "The Scientology church of Hollywood". The Globe and Mail (Thomas Canada Limited): p. D5.
- ^ BoomerBabes.com
- ^ About Heart of a Horse
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