Holly Palance

Holly Kathleen Palance (born August 5, 1950) is an American former actress and journalist. She is perhaps best known for her role as the nanny of Damien Thorn in Richard Donner's The Omen (1976). Palance also appeared in Pete Walker's horror film The Comeback (1978). Beginning in 1984, she also co-hosted the series Ripley's Believe it or Not! with her father, Jack Palance.

Not to be confused with Holly Valance.
Holly Palance
Born
Holly Kathleen Palance

(1950-08-05) August 5, 1950
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1973—1989
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1983; div. 1997)​
(Children 2)
Robert Wallace
​
(m. 2010)​
[1]
Children2
Parent(s)

Palance also had a leading role opposite Robin Williams and Kurt Russell in the comedy The Best of Times (1986) before retiring from acting. She later shifted to a career in journalism, serving as the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times's lifestyle magazine.

Early years

Holly Kathleen Palance was born on August 5, 1950[2] in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of actor Jack Palance and his wife Virginia Baker.[3] Holly was the first of three children born to the couple. She is of Ukrainian descent.[4][1] Palance spent her early life in Los Angeles before relocating with her father to Europe in 1957, where she lived in several European countries over the next seven years, including Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.[1]

Career

At age 19, Palance enrolled in a three-year acting program in London.[1] Before appearing onscreen, Palance performed in theater in England beginning in 1971, appearing in productions at the Oxford Playhouse and in London's West End.[4] She continued to work primarily in England for the remainder of the decade.[4]

Palance played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in his screen test for the title role in Superman (1978). The tests included scenes from the balcony interview in Superman and the Niagara Falls hotel room scene from Superman 2 (1980), where Reeve played Clark Kent; this footage was released to the public as an extra feature on a special edition DVD release of the film in the early 2000s. Palance is notable for her role as an ill-destined young nanny in The Omen (1976), alongside Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.[2] In 1979, after spending eight years working in England, Palance returned to her native United States.[4]

Palance co-hosted the television version of Ripley's Believe It or Not! with her father for two seasons in 1983 and 1984, replacing Jack's former co-host, Catherine Shirriff;[5] Holly would later be replaced as co-host by singer Marie Osmond.

Palance had a leading role opposite Robin Williams and Kurt Russell in the comedy The Best of Times (1986),[1] her final theatrical film. She appeared in the 1989 television film Cast the First Stone before formally retiring from acting.

After leaving acting, Palance began working as a journalist, heading the Santa Barbara Magazine, and later serving as the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times's lifestyle magazine.[1]

Personal life

She married Tomorrow Never Dies director Roger Spottiswoode on April 9, 1983; they had two children and divorced in 1997. In 2010, Palance married journalist Robert Wallace.[1]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 Golf Etiquette A Golfer
1976 The Omen Nanny
1977 The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It Air Hostess
1978 The Comeback Gail Cooper
1982 Tuxedo Warrior Sally / Jane
1983 Under Fire Journalist
1986 The Best of Times Elly Dundee
1989 Cast the First Stone Ellen Armstrong Television film

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Thriller Susie Kay Episode: "The Next Voice You See"
1976 Dickens of London Miss Baldwin Miniseries
1982 Bret Maverick Jessica 'Dolly' D'Nard Series regular
1983 The Thorn Birds Miss Carmichael Miniseries
1983–1984 Ripley's Believe it or Not! Host Seasons 2 and 3

References
  1. Raczkiewycz, Mark (September 29, 2017). "Daughter of Oscar winner Jack Palance talks about heritage during first visit to Ukraine". The Ukrainian Weekly. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
  2. "Holly Palance Filmography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
  3. Severd, Richard (November 11, 2006). "Jack Palance, Rugged Film and TV Actor, Dies at 87". The New York Times. p. C 10. Retrieved October 17, 2020 – via ProQuest.
  4. Raidy, William A. (December 23, 1979). "Holly Palance new girl in town". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Mann, Roderick (January 25, 1986). "Believe it or Not, These are the 'Best of Times' for Palance". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
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