Who is Patty McCormack and where is she today? Wiki Bio
Patricia Ellen ‘Patty’ Russo was born in Brooklyn, New York City USA, on 21 August 1945, so her zodiac sign is Leo and she holds American nationality. She is an actress, best known for appearing in the sitcom “The Ropers” as well as in the play “Playhouse 90”. It has been rumored that Patty has retired from acting, and while this is not true, she is acting less often as she prefers to spend her time at home resting.
Early life and education
Patty was raised in Brooklyn by her mother Elizabeth who was a competitive roller skater, and her father Frank Russo who was a fireman – Patty appears to be an only child.
She studied at New Utrecht High School where she practiced her acting skills at the school’s drama club, having already started acting long before that when she was six years old, appearing in the comedy movie “Two Gals and a Guy” released in 1951; two years later, she appeared in the TV series “Mama”. At the age of eight, she made her debut theatre appearance in the play “Touchstone”, and then won her first lead role in the play “The Bad Seed” portraying Rhoda Penmark.
After matriculating from high school, Patty didn’t attend college but became a full-time actress.
Career as an actress
She continued her career playing Angel in the film “The Snow Queen” in 1957, and appeared in the melodrama film “All Mine to Give” in the same year. Patty played the lead role of Kathy O’Rourke in the comedy movie “Kathy-O’” in 1958, while the next year saw her portray Torey Peck in the comedy movie “Peck’s Bad Girl”, which was the remake of the original film released in 1918 (which is today lost).
She appeared in single episodes of the TV series’ “Wagon Train” and “Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond” in 1959, while 1960 saw her star in the movie “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” starring Tony Randall and Eddie Hodges, and was a huge hit.
It is based on the story Mark Twain wrote in 1851, which follows two friends, one black and one white boy, who run away from home in search of freedom and exciting adventures.
Patty went on to appear in movies “The Explosive Generation” and “Jacktown” in 1961 and 1962, while the following year saw her portray Karen Kegler in the TV series “The New Breed”. In 1968, she was cast to portray Susan Hoffman in the feature film “Maryjane” which follows an art teacher who ends up in jail after being framed for drug possession. She appeared in two other movies in the same year – “The Mini-Skirt Mob” and “The Young Runaways” – before taking a seven-year long break from acting.
She continued her career in 1975, appearing in the horror movie “Bug”, the of the genre she appeared in, and then took another long break before appearing in the supernatural horror movie “Invitation to Hell”.
She went on to appear in several TV series, including “Murder, She Wrote” and “Cold Case” while she also appeared in the movies “Mommy” and “Mommy’s Day”. She portrayed Helen in “Heart of the Beholder” in 2005 as well as Marcia Gordon in “Criminal Minds”, while the next couple of years saw her guest star in TV series such as “Private Practice”, “Desperate Housewives”, and “Supernatural”.
Some of Patty’s most recent roles have been in the comedy TV series “Hart of Dixie” in 2013, “The Bad Seed” horror drama film in 2018, and in the movie “Home Abduction” in 2019.
Awards and recognition
Patty won a Milky Way Award for the most outstanding juvenile performer in 1956, while she has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for her performance in “The Bad Seed”. She is the youngest person to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the age of just 15. She was invited to be the guest of honor at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in 2009, at which many of her movies were shown.
Love life and relationships
Patty met Robert Richard Catania, a restaurateur, in 1962 while she was shooting for a movie in Los Angeles, and the two dated for nearly four years before becoming engaged in 1966, and marrying in 1967 at a ceremony attended by over 300 people. On 27 July 1969, Patty gave birth to their son Robert R. Catania, and decided to take time off her acting career to raise her son. Two years later, she gave birth to their second child, but she and Robert divorced in 1973 for to unknown reasons.
In 1981, she started dating Ernest Thompson who is a playwright and screenwriter best known 117lbs (53kgs).
As of March for writing the drama movie “On Golden Pond”. The two dated for the next eight years without marrying or having children together. Patty is currently single, and is still acting.
Hobbies and other interests
Patty has been a philanthropist since the launch of her career, and has donated large amounts of money to charity organizations while she has also volunteered in Asia, Africa, and Europe as well. Her main hobby during her teenage years was travelling, and she has visited many European countries such as Germany, France and Italy while her dream travel destination is Miami in Florida.
She has her own favorite actor and actress, who are Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep while some of her favorite movies include “One Day”, “Message in a Bottle”, and “Life is Beautiful”. Patty is a lover of animals, and has had several pets including dogs, cats and parrots. She was very good at sports while she was younger, especially tennis and lacrosse, but no longer plays any.
Appearance and net worth
Patty is 74 years old. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, and weighs around 2020, her net worth is estimated at over $5 million.