Jessica Walter

Jessica Walter (born January 31, 1941) is an American actress. She is known for appearing in the films Play Misty for Me (1971), Grand Prix and The Group (both 1966), her role as Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development, and providing the voice of Malory Archer on the FX animated series Archer. Walter studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.

Jessica Walter
Walter at the 2019 WonderCon
Born (1941-01-31) January 31, 1941
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active1960–present
Spouse(s)
Ross Bowman
(m. 1966; div. 1978)

(m. 1983; died 2019)
Children1
RelativesRichard Walter (brother)
AwardsEmmy Award
Signature

Walter was a series regular for the first half of season one of 90210, provided the voice of Fran Sinclair on the series Dinosaurs, and starred as the title character of the series Amy Prentiss, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.[1]

Early life

Walter was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Esther (née Groisser) and David Walter, a musician who was a member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the NYC Ballet Orchestra.[2][3] Walter attended New York City's High School of Performing Arts.[4] Her family is Jewish.[5] Her mother was an immigrant from the USSR.[6] Her brother is screenwriter Richard Walter.

Career

Walter began her acting career on the stage. She won the Clarence Derwent Awards in 1963 for Outstanding Debut Broadway Performance in Photo Finish by Peter Ustinov. She soon moved to television, and she played the character Julie Murano on the television series, Love of Life. While appearing on Love of Life from 1962 to 1965, she also acted on many other popular television series, including Naked City, East Side/West Side, Ben Casey, Route 66, The Doctors and the Nurses, The Rogues and The Defenders. Among those series is Walter's notable role as Lorna Richmond on "The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow" episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour which aired on April 14, 1964, and a supporting role as William Shatner's wife on the short-lived drama For the People (1965).[7]

Walter appeared in the first episode of Flipper, shown in September 1964. Also in 1964, she guest-starred in the episode "How Much for a Prince?" of CBS's short-lived drama The Reporter. In 1966, she appeared in an episode of The Fugitive entitled "The White Knight".

Her earliest notable film role was in the movie Play Misty for Me (1971), in which she played a young woman with behavior consistent with borderline personality disorder who becomes infatuated with and ultimately stalks a disc jockey. For her performance, Walter received a Golden Globe Awards nomination in the Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama category[8] and critical praise, with Roger Ebert describing Walter as demonstrating "unnerving effectiveness" in the role.[9] Walter's other film credits from that era include Lilith (1964), Grand Prix (1966), The Group (1966), Bye Bye Braverman (1968) and Number One (1969). She also was in an episode of Mannix (starring Mike Connors) - Episode 18 - 'Moving Target' in Season 5.

In 1974, Walter co-starred in an episode of Columbo, "Mind Over Mayhem". She starred on the short-lived series Amy Prentiss, a spinoff of Ironside and had a recurring role on Trapper John, M.D. as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's former wife. In 1983, she had a role on the short-lived NBC primetime soap opera Bare Essence as Ava Marshall. Since then, she has worked most frequently in television and theater, though she did appear in some films including The Flamingo Kid (1984) and the film PCU (1994). In the 1990s, she voiced Fran Sinclair on the ABC comedy Dinosaurs, and appeared on Just Shoot Me! as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo.

From 2003 to 2006, she appeared in a regular role as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarch Lucille Bluth on Fox's critically acclaimed comedy series Arrested Development. In 2005, she received an Emmy nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series for the role. Despite her convincing portrayal of Lucille, she states: "I'm nothing like Lucille. Nothing. My daughter will tell you. I'm really a very nice, boring person."[10] Despite acclaim from critics, Arrested Development received low ratings and viewership on Fox, which cancelled the series in 2006. It was revived by Netflix for season four in 2013, where it gained huge popularity. Walter reprised her role for season five, premiering in 2018.[11]

Walter played Tabitha Wilson on the first season of 90210, until the character was written off halfway through the season. She also guest-starred on the sitcom Rules of Engagement in the episode titled "Kids". She guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: SVU in 2009, and appeared again later on as legal-aid lawyer Petra Gilmartin.[12]

Walter starred as Evangeline Harcourt in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which began previews in March 2011 and officially opened on April 7, 2011.[13]

She currently voices spymaster Malory Archer on the FX animated series Archer. She was drawn to the role after learning that the script for the pilot explicitly drew comparisons between Malory and Lucille Bluth.

Walter was at the center of a controversy which erupted in May 2018 over harassment she had received from Arrested Development co-star Jeffrey Tambor. During a cast interview with the New York Times, Walter was asked about an on-set incident which Tambor had alluded to several months before.[14] Walter teared up and stated that "in almost 60 years of working, I’ve never had anybody yell at me like that on a set and it's hard to deal with, but I’m over it now...He never crossed the line on our show, with any, you know, sexual whatever. Verbally, yes, he harassed me, but he did apologize. I have to let it go."[14] In the following exchange, Walter's co-stars Jason Bateman, Tony Hale and David Cross were criticized in multiple outlets for appearing to excuse Tambor's behavior without acknowledging Walter's experience.[15][16] Within days all three men had issued apologies to Walter.[17]

Personal life

Walter was married to Ross Bowman, a former Broadway stage manager and television director,[18] from 1966 to 1978.[19] With him, she has a daughter, Brooke Bowman, who was born in 1972 and is currently an executive for 21st Century Fox Television.[20]

She later married actor Ron Leibman in 1983; they remained married until his death in 2019.[21] They appeared together in Neil Simon's play Rumors, and portrayed husband and wife in the film Dummy (2003) and on Law & Order (in the episode "House Counsel"). He joined the cast of Archer, voicing her character's new husband. She describes herself as not religious but "very Jewish in my heart".[22]

Filmography

Film

Year I'm Title Roles Notes
1964 Lilith Laura
1966 Grand Prix Pat Stoddard Nominated - Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress
1966 The Group Libby
1968 Bye Bye Braverman Inez Braverman
1969 Number One Julie Catlan
1971 Play Misty for Me Evelyn Draper Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1976 Victory at Entebbe Nomi Haroun
1979 Goldengirl Melody
1979 The Concorde ... Airport '79 Helen Patroni Uncredited deleted scene
1981 Going Ape! Fiona Sabatini
1982 Spring Fever Celia Berryman
1984 Terror in the Aisles Evelyn Draper Archival footage
1984 The Flamingo Kid Phyllis Brody
1988 Tapeheads Kay Mart
1993 Ghost in the Machine Elaine Spencer
1994 PCU President Garcia-Thompson
1995 Temptress Dr. Phyllis Evergreen
1998 Slums of Beverly Hills Doris Zimmerman
2001 My Best Friend's Wife Mrs. Epstein
2003 Dummy Fern Schoichet
2006 Unaccompanied Minors Cindi
2012 Bending the Rules Lena Gold
2017 Undercover Grandpa Maddy Harcourt

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 Flipper Elena Episode: "300 Feet Below"
1966 The Fugitive Pat Haynes Episode: "The White Knight"
1968 Name of the Game Linda Ramsey Episode: "Ordeal"
1969 The Immortal Janet Braddock Pilot for TV series
1970 Mannix Kathy Graves Episode: "Who is Sylvia?"
1970 Mission: Impossible Valerie Episode: "Orpheus"
1970–71 The Immortal Janet Braddock
1971 Name of the Game Rita Mason / Allie Chambers Episode: "The Showdown"
1971 Alias Smith and Jones Louise Carson Episode: "Everything Else You Can Steal"
1972 Cannon Jane Butler Episode: "That was No Lady"
1972 Women in Chains Dee Dee Television movie
1972 Home for the Holidays Frederica "Freddie" Morgan Television movie
1972 Mannix Althea Blake Episode: "Moving Target"
1973 Banacek Erica Osburn Episode: "Two Million Clams for Cap'N Jack"
1974 Barnaby Jones Brooke Leighton Episode: "Venus as in Flytrap"
1974 The Magician Marian Tripp Episode: "The Illusion Of The Evil Spikes"
1974 Columbo Dr. Margaret Nicholson Episode: "Mind Over Mayhem"
1974 Hawaii Five-O Carla Crystal Episode: "The Two Faced Corpse"
1974 Ironside Amy Prentiss Episode: "Amy Prentiss AKA The Chief" A two-hour episode shown in two parts in syndication. Pilot for the same-named series.
1974 Hurricane Louise Damon Television movie
1974–75 Amy Prentiss Amy Prentiss 3 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1975 McCloud Mrs. Jessica Wright Episode: "Park Avenue Pirates"
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Maggie Jarris Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
1977 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman Gloria Episode: "The Return of Wonder Woman"
1977 McMillan Donna Drake Linguist Episode: "All Bets Off"
1978 Wheels Ursula Episode #1.1
1978 Dr. Strange Morgan le Fay Television movie
1978 Wild and Wooly Megan Television movie
1978 Quincy M.E. Jessica Ross Episode: "Images"
1979 Vampire Nicole DeCamp Television movie
1979 She's Dressed to Kill Irene Barton Television movie
1982 Joanie Loves Chachi Vanessa Sterling Episode: "Everybody Loves Aunt Vanessa"
1982 Knots Landing Victoria Hill Episode: "Reunion"
1984–85 Three's a Crowd Claudia Bradford 8 episodes
1985 Murder, She Wrote Joyce Holleran Episode: "Murder In The Afternoon"
1985 The Execution Gertrude Simon Television movie
1986 Magnum, P.I. Joan Fulton Episode: "Novel Connection"
1986 Murder, She Wrote Joan Fulton Episode: "Magnum On Ice"
1986 Wildfire Lady Diabolyn (voice) 13 episodes
1991 Murder, She Wrote Jane Dawson Episode: "Unauthorized Obituary"
1991–94 Dinosaurs Fran Sinclair (voice) 65 episodes
1994 Murder, She Wrote Gwen Noble Episode: "The Murder Channel"
1994 Babylon 5 Senator Elise Voudreau Episode: "A Spider in the Web"
1995 Law & Order Anna Kopell Episode: "House Counsel"
1996 The Magic School Bus Ashley Walker-Club-Dupree Episode: "Rocks and Rolls"
1998 Just Shoot Me! Eve Gallo Episode: "Eve of Destruction"
2003–06, 2013, 2018–19 Arrested Development Lucille Bluth 82 episodes
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2003)
TV Land Award for Future Classic (2004)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2005)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005, 2006)
2006–07 The Life and Times of Juniper Lee Demoness (voice) 2 episodes
2007 Rules of Engagement Constance Episode: "Kids"
2007 The Land Before Time Old One (voice) Episode: "The Brave Longneck Scheme"
2007–10 Saving Grace Betty Hanadarko 5 episodes
2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Eleanor Reynolds Episode: "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger"
2008–09 90210 Tabitha Wilson 13 episodes
2009 Make It or Break It Grandma Tanner Episode: "Battle of the Flexes"
2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Attorney Petra Gilmartin Episode: "Solitary"
2009–present Archer Malory Archer (voice) 110 episodes
2010 Gravity Henrietta 5 episodes
2010 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Mrs. Wyatt (voice) Episode: "Howl Of The Fright Hound"
2011 The Big Bang Theory Mrs. Latham Episode: "The Benefactor Factor"[23]
2011–12 Retired at 35 Elaine Robbins Main cast, 20 episodes
2013 Turbo: F.A.S.T. Tabitha (voice) 1 episode
2014 Jennifer Falls Maggie Main cast, 10 episodes
2015–18 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Miss Heinous / Meteora Butterfly (voice) 9 episodes
2015, 2017 NCIS Judith McKnight Episodes: "16 Years"; "Nonstop"
2016 The Odd Couple Meredith Episode: "Felix Navidad"
2017 Justice League Action Athena (voice) Episode: "The Trouble with Truth"
2017 Difficult People Mrs. Chuck Episode: "Criminal Minds"
2019 At Home with Amy Sedaris Alice Brittlecrunch 2 episodes
2019–20 Good Girls Judith 2 episodes
2020 Harley Quinn Wendy Brown, Granny Goodness (voice) Episode: "Inner (Para) Demons"

Theater

Year Title Roles Venue
1960 Advise and Consent Liz Cort Theatre
1962 Night Life Cigarette Girl Brooks Atkinson Theatre
1963 Photo Finish Clarice, Ada Cooney Brooks Atkinson Theatre
1964 A Severed Head Georgie Hands Royale Theatre
1977 The Royal Family (play) Cavendish Parker Playhouse
1986 Tartuffe Elmire Los Angeles Theatre Center
1988 Rumors Claire Ganz Broadhurst Theatre
2001 A Connecticut Yankee Guinevere Encores!
2002 Going Native Mother Long Wharf Theatre
2011 Anything Goes Evangeline Harcourt Stephen Sondheim Theatre
2016 Steel Magnolias Ouiser Boudreaux Bucks County Playhouse

References

  1. "Jessica Walter". IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  2. "Jessica Walter profile at". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  3. "David Walter". Liben.com. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  4. King, Susan. "Classic Hollywood Jessica Walter tests boundaries in 'Jennifer Falls'," Los Angeles Times (July 5, 2014).
  5. Brook, Vincent (2006). 'You Should See Yourself': Jewish Identity in Postmodern American Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 278. ISBN 9780813539966. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  6. https://www.elle.com/culture/a26431649/Jessica-Walter-Arrested-Development-interview/
  7. https://www.imdb.com/tt0058804
  8. "Golden Globe". imdb.com. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  9. Ebert, Roger (1971) Play Misty for Me, retrieved March 6, 2014
  10. "Jessica Walter: Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development talks about her kooky character". Entertainment Weekly. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  11. "Netflix reveals trailer for Arrested Development season 5, confirms premiere date: Watch". Consequence of Sound. 7 May 2018.
  12. Robyn Ross (August 5, 2009). "Jessica Walter on SVU: An Arresting Development". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  13. Jones, Kenneth."Bon Voyage! Anything Goes, With Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, Opens on Broadway" Archived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com; accessed May 19, 2014.
  14. Deb, Sopan (May 23, 2018). "'Arrested Development. We Sat Down with the Cast. It Got Raw". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  15. Debbie Emery (2018-05-23). "'Arrested Development' Men Accused of Gaslighting Jessica Walter to Defend Jeffrey Tambor". The Wrap. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  16. Fallon, Kevin (May 23, 2018). "Jessica Walter Shamed by Male 'Arrest Development' Co-Stars Over Jeffrey Tambor's 'Harassment'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  17. "Arrested Development cancels UK visit after tearful interview". BBC. May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  18. "Egg Rolls Brought Ron Leibman and Jessica Walter to the Altar and Left Them Hungry for More", People, July 16, 1984; accessed May 19, 2014.
  19. https://www.people.com/archive/egg-rolls-brought-R0n-Leibman-and-Jessica-Walter-to-the-altar-and-left-them-hungry-for-more-vol-22-no-3/amp/
  20. Keck, William (2005-09-16). "A terrific 'Development' boosts Jessica Walter's career". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  21. Koseluk, Chris (December 6, 2019). "Ron Leibman, Actor in 'Angels in America,' 'Where's Poppa?' and 'Friends,' Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  22. Sicha, Choire (October 26, 2008). "Her phone's still busy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  23. "Listings – BIG BANG THEORY, THE on CBS". TheFutonCritic.com. 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
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