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Jake Busey’s (Stranger Things) Net Worth, Height, Family

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• William Jacob Busey Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California in 1971.
• He is an actor, film producer, and a musician, best known for his role in the movie "The Frighteners".
• He grew up travelling around southern California with his father who was a gypsy musician.
• He has appeared in multiple movies and TV series, including "The Predator", "Ray Donovan", and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D".
• Jake is 48 years old, has a net worth of over $1.5 million, and is an instrument-rated pilot.

Who is Jake Busey (Stranger Things)? Wiki Bio

William Jacob Busey Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California USA, on 15 June 1971 – his zodiac sign is Gemini and he holds American nationality. He is an actor, film producer, and a musician, perhaps still best known for having portrayed Johnny Bartlett in the horror comedy movie “The Frighteners” in 1996 which starred Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, and Peter Dobson, about a man who starts talking to ghosts after his wife dies in a car accident, and has to deal with a demon before it kills both ghosts and humans on Earth. The movie won three awards and was nominated for 16 others.

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Childhood and education

Jake was raised an only child in Malibu, California by his mother Judy Busey who was a photographer, and his father Gary Busey who is a noted actor and musician. Jake spent most of his early life travelling around southern California, as his father was living as a gypsy and was on the road most of the time performing with bands and musicians such as Leon Russell and Little Feat, and took Jake with him. This is when Jake became interested in singing, and while attending Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, he was a member of a band as a vocalist and drummer, and he was also interested in sports playing football and basketball. His parents divorced during his teenage years, and so Jake has a half-sister Alectra Elizabeth and a half-brother Luke who is 10 years old as of 2020.

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Upon matriculation in 1989, he enrolled at Santa Barbara City College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre in 1992. After that, he moved to Los Angeles and focused entirely on his career as an actor.

Jake’s roles in movies and TV series (1978-2000)

Jake made his debut film appearance in 1978 at the age of seven, when he portrayed Henry Darin in the crime drama movie “Straight Time” which starred Dustin Hoffman, Theresa Russell and Gary Busey, and is about a man who returns to crime after he is released on parole. In 1982, Jake portrayed the Cook Boy in the western movie “Barbarosa”, which starred Willie Nelson and Gary Busey, about a young cowboy who becomes friends with a bandit, and goes traveling with him while running away from the law.

In 1989 Jake appeared in the thriller movie “Hider in the House”, which starred his father Gary, Mimi Rogers and Michael McKean, about a man living in the attic of a family who are unaware of his presence; the movie was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Genre Video Release. The year 1992 saw him star in the two-part crime drama film “Cruel Doubt”, which is about three college students who are being tried for a murder and assault. The film was a success, winning two awards and being nominated for three others including two Primetime Emmys. The following year saw Jake appear in the drama “Shimmer”, which starred Marcus Klemp and Elijah James Shepard, the story of two boys who become friends while staying at the Midwestern Juvenile Detention Center.

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In 1994, Jake had an opportunity to star alongside the famous Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the short film “The Foot Shooting Party”, about a musician who decides to shoot his own foot to avoid being sent to fight in Vietnam. He appeared in several other movies in the same year, such as the black comedy movie “S.F.W.”, the comedy “The Stoned Age”, and the satirical comedy drama “I’ll Do Anything”. The following year saw him play the supporting character Curt in the German drama movie “Quiet Days in Hollywood”, followed by his portrayal of Dave Promisco in the family fantasy film “Windrunner”, but which went unnoticed.

In the following years, Jake appeared in many movies, such as the disaster film “Twister” in 1996, produced by Steven Spielberg, the satirical military science fiction film “Starship Troopers” in 1997, and the critically acclaimed action thriller film “Enemy of the State” in 1998, which starred Will Smith and Gene Hackman and is about a lawyer who is framed by a corrupt politician who ends up trying to kill him; the movie won five awards and was nominated for 16 others.

Several roles followed such as those in the drama movie “Home Fries” in 1998, his debut series appearance in the comedy “Shasta McNasty”, and the crime buddy comedy film “Held Up” in 1999.

Appearances in movies and TV series (2001 – Present)

The year 2001 saw Jake portray one of the lead characters – Kyle Brenner – in the comedy movie “Tomcats”, which also starred Jerry O’Connell and Shannon Elizabeth, and he also played Jake Davenport in the American-Canadian post-apocalyptic action drama series “Jeremiah”, about life on Earth after all adults died due to a deadly virus.

In 2002, Jake was invited to portray Darell in the comedy drama movie “The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest”, which starred Adam Garcia and which is closely based on the eponymous novel written by Po Bronson.

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In the same year, he appeared in the episode “Chosen” of the series “The Twilight Zone”, and then played the supporting character Robert Maine in the psychological slasher film “Identity”, and Jack in the horror thriller movie “The Hitcher II: I’ve Been Waiting” in 2003. Some of the roles which followed were as Officer Treen in the Christmas comedy film “Christmas with the Kranks”, and as Warlock in the episode “WitchStock” of the fantasy drama series “Charmed” in 2004.

He worked as an assistant producer for the first time on the action drama movie “The Rain Makers” in 2005, which starred himself, Ray Wise and David Andrews but which received rather poor reviews as it has 3.8/10 rating on the movie and TV series rating website IMDb.

He then appeared in the action movie “Road House 2”, and the black comedy film “Wristcutters: A Love Story” in 2006, while the year 2008 saw him star in the thriller movie “Time Bomb”, but which was a box office failure. He produced another poorly received movie “Cross” in 2011, which starred Brian Austin Green and Michael Clarke Duncan, about a man with superhuman abilities battling evil in Los Angeles.

In 2012, Jake played supporting characters in the independent film “Don’t Pass Me By”, the science fiction movie “Nazis at the Center of the Earth”, and the family comedy film “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!”. He made a cameo appearance as an FBI Agent in the episode “Santabarbaratown 2” of the detective comedy drama series “Psych” in 2013, before being cast in his first lead role in a series, portraying Professor Aiden ‘Sex Machine’ Tanner in the horror series “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” from 2014 to 2016.

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He then appeared in the drama movie “Last Man Cub”, and the psychological thriller film “Deserted” both in 2016, before playing the supporting character Carl in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama series “Day 5” in 2017. In the same year, Jake appeared in three episodes of the crime drama series “Ray Donovan”, and five episodes of the horror web series “Freakish”.

He was cast to portray Sean Keyes in the science fiction action movie “The Predator” in 2018, as well as Tony Caine in the series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, and Whit Dexter in a single episode of the action police procedural series “NCIS”.

Some of his latest roles have been in the third season of the web science fiction horror drama series “Stranger Things”, the crime drama series “L.A.’s Finest”, and the drama thriller series “Mr. Robot” all shot in 2019.

Love life and relationships

Jake met April Hutchison on the set of a movie he was cast to appear in, and on which April was working in the make-up department. While doing his make-up, Jake asked her out on a date and two have been together to this day counting over 10 years of their relationship. In 2012, April gave birth to their daughter Autumn Rosalia Busey, but they’ve been keeping her out of the spotlight. Jake and April have agreed not to marry, and are currently living together with their daughter at their home in Los Angeles, California.

April has worked as a make-up artist for over 30 movies and TV series,  some of the most popular among these include the biographical adventure drama movie “Into the Wild” in 2007, the documentary “Cathouse: The Musical” in 2008, and the short documentary film “Space Junk 3D” in 2012. In 2018, she was nominated for an Artisan Award for Best Makeup – Commercials and Music Videos for the short comedy music video “Katy Perry Feat. Nicki Minaj: Swish Swish”.

Hobbies and other interests

While shooting for the film “Starship Troopers” in 1997, Jake learntto play the violin as required of him for the role, and he today knows how to play several music pieces; he had many problems during the shooting for the film which was in the desert, and he suffered a heatstroke as well as around 25 other people every day.

Jake became interested in piloting at a very early age, as his father pilots both planes and helicopters, and Jake received his instrument-rated piloting license in 1998, as he wanted to fly the helicopter in the film “Home Fries” himself, rather than to hire a stuntman. He is also interested in building custom motorcycles, which he usually sells although leaving the best for himself, and he is keen on off-road racing.

Some of his personal favorite actors are Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Tom Hanks, while some of his favorite movies are “Inception”, “The Number 23”, and “Dead Poets Society”.

Appearance and net worth

Jake is 48 years old. He has short blonde hair and blue eyes, is 6ft 3ins (1.91m) tall, and weighs around 187lbs (85kgs). As of May 2020, his net worth is estimated at over $1.5 million.

As the Managing Editor at The Legit, I direct a dynamic team dedicated to creating rich content that profiles the lives and accomplishments of influential figures. My commitment to detail and storytelling drives the production of biographies that truly engage our audience. I manage all aspects of the editorial process, from conducting thorough research to crafting vivid narratives, all while ensuring the accuracy and quality of our work. At The Legit, our goal is to offer our readers comprehensive profiles that provide deep insights into the realms of business, entertainment, and more. Through diligent research and engaging storytelling, we highlight the exceptional journeys and achievements of those who both inspire and intrigue us.

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Naked Truth Of Kathleen Kinmont – Where is she today? Wiki

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Kathleen Kinmont is an American actress and author, who became known through her roles in action and horror movies, as well as her work on the popular television series in the 1990’s, “The Renegade,” with her former husband, actor Lorenzo Lamas.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Kinmont was born on 3 February 1965, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to parents Jack Smith, an electrical parts distributor, and Abby Dalton, an actress. She and her two brothers were raised in Toluca Lake in the San Fernando Valley, just 12 miles away from downtown Los Angeles.

Education

There is little information about her early years including her educational attainment, except that she matriculated from Our Lady of Corvallis High School, a Catholic school in Studio City, California in 1982.

Career

First Steps

In 1965, Kathleen debuted in the world of television when she was still a baby, along with her older brother, in the last season of “The Joey Bishop Show,” in which her mom was a series regular. By the time she finished high school, she had a brief modeling career and decided to pursue an acting career just like her mother. She debuted with a minor role in the movie called “Hardbodies,” a sex comedy released in 1984. One would think she would have it easy due to her mother’s connections, but she struggled through a few years, accepting minor roles. She even took part in movies that sometimes wouldn’t be released in theaters, but direct to video, such as “Nightforce” and “Winner Take All.”

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Her hard work paid off in 1988, when she was given a major role in “She-Wolves of the Wasteland,” also known as “Phoenix the Warrior.” She played the titular role of Phoenix with Peggy McIntaggart and Persis Khambatta, in which they battle for the last man on Earth during the post-apocalyptic era. It was followed in the same year by the horror movie “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” which was a commercial success.

Further Success

The following year she did an action movie, “Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster,” with Lorenzo Lamas, and the comedy-horror movie “Bride of Re-Animator,” and continued to make movies mostly in the action and horror-slasher genres.

A couple of them were with her husband Lorenzo Lamas, including “CIA Code Name: Alexa” and its sequel “CIA II: Target Alexa,” which were released in 1992 and 1993, respectively.

Their working relationship was successful, so that Lorenzo made her a regular in his television series “The Renegade,” which aired from September of 1992 up to April of 1997. She played the role of Cheyenne Phillips, who was part of the bounty hunter crew headed by Lorenzo’s character. While the series ran for five seasons, Kathleen was only part of the series until the fourth season – the official reason was that due to the separation of the couple, working together grew uncomfortable, not only for them but to the rest of the production crew as well.

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Kathleen also made numerous guest appearances, playing supporting roles in several TV series including favorite daytime series “Dallas” (1991), “Santa Barbara” (1992), and “Days of Our Lives” (2002). She was also seen in the popular lifeguard drama series, “Baywatch,” in 1994, and had the recurring role as Charlene Ballard in “Silk Stalkings” from 1997 to 1999. She was also part of Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, “That Thing You Do,” in 1996.

In the 2000’s, she was into making movies made for television, and also short movies; nothing significant that would make headlines, but her work as supporting cast was continuous.

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She also tried her hand in screenwriting for TV and movies, including for the short movie “Mrs. Sweeney,” and for the TV movie “BFF Ent Variety Comedy,” which she also co-produced, both released in 2013. Kathleen also wrote, co-produced and directed the pilot episode for “Fame Game” in 2014.

When web series became a new medium for entertainment, she accepted a recurring role in “Zoe Valentine” with Anna Cathcart, appearing in four episodes in 2019. She was also seen as a series regular in the TV series “Phoenix,” a sci-fi thriller aired in 2019 over at Amazon Prime Video.

This 2020, before the Covid19 pandemic happened, she was announced to be a part of the movie “The Whack Job,” with Richard Norton.

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Personal Life

Kathleen is currently single, living in Los Angeles with her daughter, Ayden Grace, and a dog named Bolt. She was previously married and divorced three times.

First Husband – Lorenzo Lamas

Her first husband was actor Lorenzo Lamas, whom she met through her mother when she was still a senior in high school. Abby was filming Falcon Crest with Lorenzo when he saw a picture of Kathleen in a swimsuit, and begged for an introduction. He was 25 and just divorced when they started to date. It didn’t work out as Lorenzo was a flirtatious ladies man who made a pass on one of her girlfriends during Kathleen’s 18th birthday, and during one Falcon Crest press tour Lorenzo had his publicist pregnant, whom he married before the birth of his son.

After a couple of years Lorenzo separated from his wife, and Kathleen started dating him again but he decided to reconcile with his estranged wife for his son’s sake, and Kathleen started dating other men. Lorenzo divorced his wife and tried winning Kathleen back, but she declined as she was engaged to another actor at that time. When they met again in 1987, he was engaged to another actress, but they made a vow that they wouldn’t marry anyone. Later that year, she broke off her engagement and reached out to Lorenzo, only to find out that he’d married his fiancée. After a while, he divorced his second wife and went back to Kathleen.

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This time he approached her parents and told them he couldn’t live without her, and on 25 January 1989, they were married at Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas with his children as best man and maid of honor. It was great for a time, but they filed for divorce after five years of marriage.

Second Husband – Jere Burns

In 1997 she married actor Jere Eugene Burns, who is best known for his villainous roles in the television series “Justified” and “Burn Notice.” The marriage lasted for about three years – they were divorced by 1999.

Third Husband – Doug Swander

She took the plunge again and married Doug Swander in 2006. There is no information about her third husband and about their marriage, but they divorced in 2011, since when she’s been officially single.

Interesting Facts

  • She wrote an illustrated book for children entitled “Magic and Beauty”, published on 4 November 2019 with April Ballantine providing the illustrations.
  • Among her three husbands, she remained close friends with Lorenzo Lamas and she would post about him on her Instagram account.
  • She has a penchant for getting engaged, as she’s said yes too many times to several marriage proposals from various men when she was younger, only to break them off after a few months. She claimed to be in love with love.
  • The real reason she was booted out from “The Renegade” was not solely because they were uncomfortable working as a former couple, but Kathleen said many bad things to the media about Lorenzo’s new girlfriend. Apparently, the new girl made a guest appearance in the TV series, and she didn’t like it.

Appearance

She stands 5ft 10ins. (1.78m) tall and weighs around 132lbs (60kgs). She maintains a fit body due to her love of Yoga and Meditation. She is Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Net worth

Authoritative sources estimated Kathleen’s net worth to be over $3 million, as of June 2020.

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Danny Pintauro’s (Who’s the Boss?) Net Worth, Gay Wedding

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Danny Pintauro is an American actor born on 6 January 1976, in Milltown, New Jersey USA. He’s best known for this role in the 1984 TV series “Who’s The Boss”, and in the film “Cujo” from 1982.

Early Life

Daniel John Pintauro was born the son of John J. Pintauro, a manager of Italian and Polish origins, and Margaret L. Pintauro, who worked as an agent. There’s not much information about Danny’s early life, childhood and education, however, it’s known that in 1994 he took time away from his acting career to study in Middlesex County College in New Jersey, and then in Stanford University, from where he graduated with a Major in Drama and Theater in 1998. He also played in Leland Stanford University Marching Band, with the trumpet as his instrument.

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Career

Debut: 1982 – 1983

Danny started his career at the very young age of seven years old, when in 1982 he made his acting debut in the series “As the World Turns”, replacing actor Canaan Crouch in the role of Paul Ryan. He started this role on January 1983, and was eventually replaced by Elden Ratliff in February 1984.

His next role was Tad Trenton in the 1982 film “Cujo”, directed by Lewis Teague, an adaptation of the screenplay by Don Carlos Dunaway and Lauren Currier based on the novel by Stephen King of the same name.

“Cujo” is the story of a St. Bernard dog named Cujo. The dog struggles with the rabies disease caused by the bite of a bat, which provokes several changes in its behavior.

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After its owners get out of town to visit some relatives, Cujo becomes a blood-thirsty beast that kills everyone who comes close to the house. On the other side, Donna and her son Ted, who happened to arrive to Cujo’s owners’ house for a brief visit, are stuck in their car as they wait for an opportunity to escape Cujo.

The movie was released on 12 August 1983, and received poor reviews by critics, who described “Cujo” as ‘cliché’ and ‘a mess’. However, nowadays the movie is regarded as a horror movie classic, and has gathered appreciation from fans of Stephen King’s novel.

Who’s the Boss and Other Projects: 1984 – 1992

In 1984 Danny Pintauro started his most memorable role in the series “Who’s the Boss?” His role as Jonathan Bower would steal hearts around the US for the eight years the sitcom was on air on ABC, which lasted 196 episodes.

The show centers on the story of a former major league baseball player, Tony Micelli, and lawyer Angela Bower. Tony moves out to Connecticut along his daughter, Samantha to work as Angela’s housekeeper, who has a son named Jonathan. The show breaks gender stereotypes about domesticity, and portrays intellectual and sensitive characters.

When the show was aired for the first time in September 1984 Danny Pintauro was only eight years old, and when it finished after eight seasons in April 1992 he was 16 years old.

During that time Danny worked in several other productions, such as the film “The Beniker Gang” in 1984 and in the TV-Movie “Timestalkers” from 1987.

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The same year he was cast to appear in two episodes of the series “Highway to Hell” as Alex, then appeared as Kevin Worth in the TV-Movie “Jury Duty: The Comedy” in 1990. He also appeared in TV commercials for Liptons, Quacker Corn Brain and Lots-A-Noodles Cup-A-Soup. His constant work as an actor made him a present and memorable child-star in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Smaller Projects: 1992 – Present

After the end of “Who’s the Boss?” Danny didn’t receive many job offers as an actor, so he only participated in stage plays such as “The Velocity of Gary” and “Mommie Queerest”. In 1994 he took a break from acting to focus on his studies, and it wasn’t until 2001 that he made his TV comeback.

He appeared in the child-star edition of the TV-Show “The Weakest Link”, but was voted off it in the fourth round.

Five years later in 2006, he appeared in the film “The Still Life” directed by Joel Miller, a story about Julian Lamont, an artist who struggles to put his life together. Danny had the role of Stefan in this film.

In 2010, Danny participated in two TV series: “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”, and as Milton in “Laugh Track Mash-ups”. In 2017, Danny was cast in the role of Gary in the TV series “Unsure/Positive”, which tells the story of Kieran McCullay, who is diagnosed as HIV positive and tries to find the courage to tell his family and friends about it. Although the show started filming in 2017, it hasn’t been to air yet. In 2020 Danny appeared in “The Quarantine Bunch”, in which various former child-stars encourage people to stay home during the COVID-19 spread, by streaming various situations through Zoom.

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Other Jobs

As of 2020, Danny works in Las Vegas at Austin Pets Alive, an organization aiming to preserve animal life.

Personal Life

Sexuality

Danny Pintauro came out as homosexual in 1997, after the tabloid “National Enquirer” threatened to reveal it for him. He said: ‘I couldn’t deny it anymore. It was just the right time (post-Ellen) to come out… I’m proud to be gay’. Years later, Danny also said that he wanted to be a ‘beacon of light’ for the LGBT community.

Health

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2015, Danny reveled that he was diagnosed in March 2003 as HIV Positive. ‘I’m HIV positive’ he said to Winfrey. ‘And I have been for 12 years.’ ‘I went in for a regular checkup.

You know, as a responsible gay man, you’re getting an HIV test done every six months …. And you sort of waited two weeks on pins and needles, or at least I did, because I was just terrified of the idea of getting HIV.’

However, his diagnosis was relieving for Pintauro: ‘You’ve spent so much time terrified that you’re going to get it, and then you have it. You don’t have to be terrified anymore’.

Addiction

Danny also revealed to Oprah that at the time he got HIV, he was struggling with his addiction to Crystal meth. He revealed to People magazine that he started using drugs to explore his sexuality more deeply: ‘crystal meth takes away your inhibitions – you have no limits’. He continued ‘On crystal meth, you have no boundaries, you feel invincible. You feel incredibly heightened when it comes to your sexuality, and everything sounds and feels exciting to you’.

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He also revealed how his addiction was consuming his life: ‘It would make me so angry with myself that I had done it, and that I was now suffering through this three-day period of nonsense that I couldn’t even go to work or find a job or make something happen or even make myself some food. For me, that was so deeply upsetting, and it made me so angry that that was enough’.

Danny hasn’t consumed any drugs since quitting in 2005.

Marriage

Danny Pintauro married his boyfriend Wil Tabares on 3 April 2014, one year after their engagement, in a small and intimate beach ceremony. Pintauro told US Magazine: ‘The wedding was terrific and everyone was so happy to be there. We had fun!’.

Net Worth

Danny Pintauro has an estimated net worth of $600,000 as of early 2020, which is a result of his work as an actor, and as an Austin Pets Alive’s employee.

Appearance

Danny is a man of white ethnicity, with green eyes and blond hair. He’s 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall.

Interesting Facts

Danny Considers actress Judith Light as his ‘TV mom’, as she acted that role in the TV series “Who’s the Boss?”.

In 1997 after the National Enquirer threatened to reveal his sexuality, Danny asked Judith for advice on what he should do in such a situation. She encouraged him to say the truth: ‘as long as you give really responsible and mature answers, it can’t be a bad article’.

After Danny reveled himself as HIV positive, he has become an activist for HIV awareness.

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About Donna Douglas: Cause of Death, Spouses, Net Worth, Wiki

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Who was Donna Douglas?

The late American actress and singer Donna Douglas was born as Doris Ione Smith in Pride, Louisiana USA, on 26 September 1932, meaning that Libra was her zodiac sign. She appeared in 43 TV series and movies, and is perhaps still remembered best for starring as Elly May Clampett in all the 274 episodes of the family comedy series “The Beverly Hillbillies”, which Paul Henning created, and which also starred Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan. It follows a hillbilly family who’ve just become wealthy and have moved to Beverly Hills; the series aired from 1962 through 1971, and won three of its 21 award nominations.

Education and early life

Donna was raised in Pride alongside her one older sibling, by their mother Elma (nee Robinson) who was a housewife, and father Emmett Ratcliff Smith Sr. who worked at Standard Oil.

Donna became interested in acting while attending St. Gerard Catholic High School, while she was also into playing basketball and softball with her peers. She matriculated in 1951, and then found work to financially support herself, while she was named Miss Baton Rouge sometime in the mid-1950s, and Miss New Orleans in 1957, and then moved to New York City to pursue a career in the movie industry.

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Roles in TV series

Donna made her debut TV series appearance in the 1959 comedy “The Steve Allen Plymouth Show”, and the same year saw her play Nancy in the episode “The Casino” of the crime drama “Tightrope”; she could then have been seen appearing in an episode of the family comedy “Bachelor Father”, the adventure “Whirlybirds” and the critically acclaimed family comedy “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”.

She was mostly focused on shooting for “The Beverly Hillbillies” in the ‘60s, and only appeared in a couple of other TV series in the decade, such as the drama “Sam Benedict”, the crime drama “The Defenders” and the family fantasy comedy “Mister Ed”.

From 1970 through 1972, Donna played Annabelle and Gloria Gilchrest in the romantic comedy “Love, American Style”, which starred William Callaway, Barbara Minkus and Stuart Margolin, and is a collection of short love stories; the series won four of its nine award nominations. Donna also remains known for playing Mrs Ferrell in the science fiction “Project U. F. O.”, created by Harold Jack Bloom, and which starred Caskey Swaim and Edward Winter; it follows two men employed by the US government as they’re investigating UFO sightings.

Donna retired from acting in 1981, but returned to voice Ellie Mae in the 1989 episode “Mario Hillbillies” of the animated action adventure “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”, and to play a supporting character in the 1999 episode “California, Here We Come” of the romantic family comedy “The Nanny”.

Roles in movies

Donna’s debut film role was playing Woman on Sidewalk in the critically acclaimed 1959 action adventure mystery “North by Northwest”, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and which starred Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. It follows an advertising executive who’s trying to hide from a group of foreign spies, as they believe him to be a government agent; the film won nine of its 22 award nominations, including three Oscar nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction – Set Direction, Color and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Some of Donna’s following roles were in the drama “Career” and the family musical comedy “Li’l Abner” both in 1959, and the 1960 romantic musical comedy “Bells Are Ringing”.

In 1961, she portrayed Deborah, Peter’s Secretary in the romantic comedy “Lover Come Back”, directed by Delbert Mann, and which starred Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall. It follows a man who’s been left with a campaign for a product which is yet to be invented, and the film won two of its eight award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

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Donna had only two other film roles prior to retiring, playing Frankie in the 1966 romantic musical comedy “Frankie and Johnny” and Elly May Clampett in the 1981 comedy “The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies”, while she was later featured in the 2008 short family drama “Chronicles of Life Starfish” and the 2013 family drama “Chronicles of Life Trials”.

Other credits

Donna sang the song “Look Out Broadway” in the 1966 movie “Frankie and Johnny”, and the song “Real Love” in the 1999 video game “Grand Theft Auto 2”.

Some of her talk-show appearances were in “TV Land’s Top Ten”, “Biography” and “The Jim Bakker Show”.

Awards and nominations

Donna was named Miss Golden Globe in 1963, and won a 2004 TV Land Award for Favorite ‘Fish Out of Water’, for her and her colleagues performance in “The Beverly Hillbillies”.

Career after acting

Donna became a real estate agent upon retiring from acting, but only worked the job for two years as she then returned to the film industry, appearing in several TV series and movies, and helping friends with writing and producing their projects.

She became a motivational speaker, giving speeches at schools and churches across the USA, and was also a gospel singer. Donna published her first children’s book “Donna’s Critters and Kids: Children’s Stories with a Bible Touch” sometime in the 2000s, and it was followed by her second “Miss Donna’s Mulberry Acres Farm” in November 2011; she published her cookbook “Southern Favorites with a Taste of Hollywood” in 2013.

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Love life and marriages

Donna was married twice. She and her first husband, non-celebrity American Roland Bourgeois Jr. exchanged vows in 1951, and Donna gave birth to their son Danny Bourgeois in 1954; she and Roland divorced in the same year, for unknown reasons.

Her second husband was the late American film editor and director Robert M. Leeds; they married in 1971 and divorced in 1980.

Donna didn’t speak about other men whom she had perhaps been with, she was single at the time of her death, had married twice and had a son with her first husband Roland Bourgeois Jr.

Interesting facts about Donna

She enrolled at Rhema Bible Training Center in 1982, graduating with a degree in children’s ministry in 1984.

Her closest friend was the late American actor and dancer Buddy Ebsen (born as Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr), who passed away aged 95 on 6 July 2003.

Donna and Curt Wilson filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company and some of its employees on 10 June 1993, claiming that their 1992 comedy movie “Sister Act” was plagiarized from the book “A Nun in the Closet”; The Walt Disney Company won the case. She also filed a federal lawsuit against CBS Consumer Products and Mattel on 4 May 2011, claiming that they used her appearance for a Barbie doll; the case was settled on 27 December 2011.

Donna spent the last years of her life answering her fan mail, being with her friends and family members, and gardening.

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Death, appearance and wealth

Donna was 82 when she died from pancreatic cancer on 1 January 2015, at Baton Rouge General Hospital, and so would’ve been 90 today. She had blue eyes and blonde hair, was 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall and weighed around 150lbs (67kgs).

Donna’s net worth was estimated at over $500,000 at the time of her death.

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