She majored in physical therapy at Boston University, where she graduated with a BA. I-I just wanna *hit* somebody 'til they feel as bad as I do! Her brother, Apollo, confirmed the news in a Facebook post. Because of this part and several other gay-friendly ones, Dukakis became a hero of the LGBTQ+ movement. As Rose says to her unfaithful husband, Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia), in Moonstruck, Your life is not built on nothing. After working professionally as a modern dancer and choreographer he went back to school and received his Masters in Film Directing from New York University. Dukakis rose to fame starring in such hits as Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Most recently alongsideOlympia,Sam editedParkland Risinganaward-winning documentary feature film about the Stoneman Douglas shootings which has been touring the festival circuit around the country. What was Olympia Dukakiss cause of death? Butterfly (2007), Sony Pictures The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Oliver Stones W (2008), New York, I Love You (2009), Tony Goldwyns Conviction (2010), Diana Vreeland: The Eye. [1] In 2018, a feature-length documentary about her life, titled Olympia, was released theatrically in the United States. ", It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Birth Place:Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. She received another Golden Globe nomination for Sinatra (1992) and Emmy Award nominations for Lucky Day (1991), More Tales of the City (1998) and Joan of Arc (1999). Olympia published her best-selling autobiography "Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress" in 2003, an introspective chronicle full of her trademark candor and wry humor. Looking up from her plate of scrambled eggs she purred, Want some, darlin'?. ", According to Deadline, Dukakis was the daughter of Greek immigrants, though the Los Angeles Times reports she described herself as the "poster child for the bad Greek daughter." Olympia Dukakis, a character actress best known for her Oscar-winning supporting turn in Norman Jewison's " Moonstruck " and for her role as the wealthy widow in " Steel Magnolias ," has died.. But then, that's really the fate of many women today. "After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and. A good portion of her successes was launched within the walls of her own theater company, which encouraged the birth of new and untried plays.Olympia's prolific stage directing credits include many of the classics: "Orpheus Descending," "The House of Bernarda Alba," "Uncle Vanya," and "A Touch of the Poet," as well as the more contemporary ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Kennedy's Children"). The Musical, an off-Broadway musical that had several runs and enjoyed sweet success. This was underlined by Cloudburst (2011), a road movie in which Dukakis, as a self-styled old butch dyke, and her companion of 31 years (Brenda Fricker), take off from the US to Canada to get married. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the role. They had four grandchildren. Lily Tomlin - Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Dukakis continued to be much in demand in the movies, with roles such as Jocasta in Woody Allens Mighty Aphrodite (1995), and the stern but lovable school principal in Mr Hollands Opus (1995). Anthoula Katsimatides is an actor, writer, producer, and voice-over artist. Dukakis. In addition to her Oscar, she took the Golden Globe in the same category. 1972: Ruth Buzzi - Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. [38] Planning for a family, they moved out of the city in 1970 to settle in Montclair, New Jersey. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis, her brother Apollo Dukakis posted on Facebook. Among the actors performing with Dukakis and her husband were Jos Ferrer, Colleen Dewhurst, Blythe Danner, and Samuel L. In role after role, she spoke mom: imperious, testy, kind, haughty and, in the end, always looking out for you. Lesley Ann Warren - Mission: Impossible. She also played the role of Anna Madrigal in the Tales of the City television mini-series, which garnered her an Emmy Award nomination, and appeared on Search for Tomorrow as Dr. Barbara Moreno (1983), who romanced Stu Bergman. Anthoulais thrilled to be an executive producer ofOlympia, a film, about herinspiringmentor. She later moved to film acting and won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, among other accolades, for her performance in Moonstruck. Dukakis passed away at her New York City home. Dukakis was married to actor Louis Zorich from 1962 until his death in 2018. She played mom to such leads as Dustin Hoffman in John and Mary (1969), Joseph Bologna in the cult comedy Made for Each Other (1971) and Ray Sharkey in The Idolmaker (1980). Olympia Dukakis, actor and director, born 20 June 1931; died 1 May 2021, American stage and screen actor who won an Oscar for her role in the 1987 film Moonstruck, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In 2014 he was awarded the ARRI-CSC Bahnemann Award for his outstanding student cinematography. Has To Travel (2011), Woody Allen: A Documentary (2012), and most recently Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018). May 1, 2021, 04:36 PM EDT | Updated May 3, 2021. She hopscotched from one ethnicity to the next: Italian in Moonstruck, Southern aristocrat in Steel Magnolias, Jewish in films like The Cemetery Club. But that was because of the universal language of which Dukakis was the grandmaster. [17] She believed him after receiving the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In a 1991 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Dukakis revealed that she enjoyed her new fame and the fans it earned her, and was particularly amused when they shouted her famous lines at her while she was out and about even when it was her "Moonstruck" quote, "Your life is going down the toilet. Olympia told her truth, loudly and often. "My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City," he wrote. Stern but perpetually amused, with a warm leer of a grin that could light up a scene, she looked like the comedy and tragedy masks fused together. [26] That same year she starred in the revival of Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, opposite Kevin Anderson at the Hartford Stage,[27] and co-adapted and starred in the world-premiere of Another Side of the Island, based on William Shakespeare's The Tempest, at Alpine Theatre Project in Whitefish, Montana. She was additionally seen in episodes of Bored to Death (2009), and TV movies The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000) (Judi Dench), Sinatra (1992) (Golden Globe Nominee), and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) (Emmy Nominee). Olympia Dukakis Birth Place: Lowell, Massachusetts, United States Profession Actor Actor 95 Credits Forgive Me 2021 Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City 2019 Sex & Violence 2017 Sex and Violence. According to a Facebook. She was seen again at Shakespeare & Co. in the summer of 2013 as the title role in "Mother Courage and Her Children. The first of her many mother parts came in Peter Yatess John and Mary (1969) seen briefly in flashback as Dustin Hoffmans mother. The matriarch of a dysfunctional New York Italian family, Dukakis depiction of the complexities of motherhood and marriage are as gritty as they are heartwarmingly relatable. Originally intending to become a physical therapist, Dukakis turned to acting with work on and off-Broadway in productions such as "The Aspern Papers". She later developed and produced autobiographical solo shows, What Will People Think? & Warrior Without A Cause that have garnered many accolades and won awards off-Broadway. Long a vital, respected thespian of the classic and contemporary stage, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film actress until age 56 when she turned in a glorious, Oscar-winning performance as Cher 's sardonic mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987). We miss your fighting spirit. Michael Dukakis began his unsuccessful quest for the presidency. She has been successful placing clients in the media such as, THE TALK (CBS), Home & Family (Hallmark Channel), KTLA 5 Morning News, Good Day LA, Daily Variety, Los Angeles Times, OC Register, LA Weekly, LA Magazine, amongst others. She later returned to her alma mater and entered the graduate program in performing arts, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree.Olympia found early success by distinguishing herself first on stage performing in summer stock and with several repertory and Shakespearean companies throughout the county. "My ambition wasn't to win the Oscar. She was a founder member of the Charles Playhouse, Boston, where she worked from 1957 to 1960, and taught acting at New York University and at Yale. Her first experience as a theatre producer was for Opa! In addition to decades in the theater and an award-winning film career, Dukakis also taught drama classes at New York University. Olympia Dukakis, Oscar Winner for 'Moonstruck,' Dies at 89 A veteran of the stage who also had a long list of film and TV credits, she was best known for playing characters who were worldly . Id like to take a photograph of your hands. Olympia Dukakis, the Oscar-winning actress best known for her roles in Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, has died at the age of 89. With Udon Productions, led by the award-winning Spanish director Toni Comas, she producedcampaigns for companies such as SodaStream and Mr. Long a vital, respected thespian of the classic and contemporary stage, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film actress until age 56 when she turned in a glorious, Oscar-winning performance as Cher's sardonic mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987). Cinematographer Federico Cesca was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a career spanning thirty years, and 45recorded albumin the United States, Europeand Greece,Alexia changed Greek record sales history with her series of gold and platinum albums for CBS-Columbia, Air Music, Polygram, Universal Music, BMG, and Sony Music Internationalin the genres of Pop, Jazz, Improvisation/ Experimental, Worldand Film Music. [19], She took on powerful roles on the small screen as well. [25], In 2008, Dukakis directed the world premiere production of Todd Logan's "Botanic Garden" at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. She was nominated for the Canadian Academy Award for The Event (2003) and in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, her roles included 3 Needles, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, In the Land of Women, and Away From Her, the 2006 film which cast her alongside Gordon Pinsent as the spouses of two Alzheimer's patients. Paul composed music for Liev Schreibers Everything Is, Illuminated. A native Brazilian,Murielhas established her career in New York City working with a wide array of projects that range from indie documentaries to studio animated feature films. All Rights Reserved. In 2005, Sid was elected to his first term as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, a positionwhich he held for four consecutive terms. I'm supposed to go first. Her husband,Louis Zorich, was also an actor, best known for his part in the sitcom "Mad About You." "After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her [husband] Louis [Zorich]" (viaLos Angeles Times). He had the privilege to work with Miss Dukakis again on the latest installment of Tales of the City in 2019 for Netflix where he was the Director of Photography forthe entire series. The Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis has died at the age of 89, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The course of her career suggests that her ambitions never lay in the direction of Hollywood. Or the transgendered landlady of "Tales of the City," Anna Madrigal, the characters name an anagram for a man and a woman. This 1993 project came significantly before most actors were willing to take such roles. Paul Cantelon is an American composer of film scores and contemporary classical music. It was to play the great parts." He currently serves as Vice President on the Academys Board ofGovernors and as chair of the Academys Museum Committee. She was 89. Olympia Dukakis's brother Apollo confirmed her death in a Facebook post, noting that the actress had been dealing with health issues. Olympia Dukakis (June 20, 1931 May 1, 2021) was an American actress. [33][34], In 2018, Olympia, an American documentary film about her life and career, had its festival premiere at DOC NYC. Candice Swanepoel shows off tangled blue and orange bikini from her range, Kerry Katona insists she's not 'bragging' about her new 2m house & a year ago she sold her jukebox to pay her rent, Teen Mom Jenelle Evans calls daughter Ensley, 4, 'sassy' after husband David 'threatened to smack her in the mouth', Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's daughter Alex gets married as star's husband attends wedding with neck brace after crash, Inside Sheridan Smith's rainforest-themed party for her son Billy's first birthday, Ellie Goulding reveals she's given birth to her first baby with husband Caspar Jopling, Teen Mom fans shocked by Farrah Abraham's 'unrecognizable face' as star takes self-defense class with daughter Sophia. Dukakis's autobiography, Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress, was published in 2003. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greek America Foundation, the National Arts Club Medal of Honor, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1999, she premiered a one-woman play "Rose," at the National Theatre in London and subsequently on Broadway in 2000. by her passion for theatre work. Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-Winning 'Moonstruck' Star, Dies At 89. I have a willingness to engage that is rooted in being Greek, a willingness to take on a fight. Voiced with her signature gravelly timbre, Olympia told her truth, loudly and often. Keren Seol is a film producer based in New York City. Interestingly, it was her scene-stealing work on Broadway in the comedy "Social Security" (1986) that caught director Norman Jewison's eye and earned her the Moonstruck (1987) movie role. Olympia herself was a delegate from New Jersey at the 1988 Democratic national convention. Moreover, she was a strong advocate of women's rights and environmental causes. Currently, she has two feature films in the development stage with White Night Films. Honored in 2012 as one of Greek Americas 40 Under 40. In one scene, she remains hostile until, alone in the hallway, she shrieks: Get that woman out of my house.. [31], Dukakis became an adherent of Goddess worship, a feminist form of modern Paganism, during a production of The Trojan Women in 1982. She was 89 years old. [37], In 1962, Dukakis married fellow Manhattan stage actor Louis Zorich. At the 1988 Academy Awards, Dukakis won best supporting actress while Cher took home the best actress award for their performances in the film. [9][3], Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female Performer Motion Picture or TV, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film, Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Television Film, British Academy Television Award for Best Actress, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Satellite Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar Winner for 'Moonstruck,' Dies at 89", "Olympia Dukakis, theater veteran and Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress, dies at 89", "Olympia Dukakis and Memories of Montclair", "Theater Review; In 'Rose,' A Survivor Living on the Other Hand", "Olympia Dukakis, 'Moonstruck' and 'Steel Magnolias' actor, dies aged 89", "Dukakis Stays Grounded After 'Moonstruck' Success", "A Role About Winter for Julie Christie, a Star in Eternal Spring", "A Life for a Life: The True Story of Stefan Kiszko (1998)", "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning star of 'Moonstruck,' dies at 89", "Carry On star Joan Sims dies after long illness", "Romola Garai: An actor's life for me at least for now", "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress, dies at 89", "Olympia Dukakis: The newest fan of the Chicago way", "Milk Train, with Dukakis and Anderson, Begins Hartford Stage Run May 15", "Academy Award Winner Premieres Shakespeare Adaptation in Whitefish", "Keck's Exclusives: SVU Secures Oscar Winner Olympia Dukakis", "Olympia's golden moment: Dukakis recalls how Oscar win opened doors for her", "Olympia Dukakis Honored With Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame", "Eleftheromania: A Film that Gives a Voice to Those Who Were Silenced", "How Armistead Maupin's 'Tales of the City' Evolves in Netflix Return", "How Tales of the City Avoided a Trans Casting Controversy", "Oscar Winner, and BU Alum, Olympia Dukakis Dies at 89", "Oscar-winning actress and N.J. theater pioneer Olympia Dukakis dies at 89", "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' star, dies at 89", "Olympia Dukakis remembered: A life in the theater, and then 'Moonstruck' made her famous", "Oh, Goddess! 's production of "Vigil" (2011) and as "Prospera" in "The Tempest" (2012) at Shakespeare & Co. She has performed in over 130 productions Off-Broadway and regionally at theaters including the Public Theatre, A.C.T., Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare & Co., and the Williamstown Summer Theatre Festival, where she also served as Associate Director. She taught acting at NYU and gave master classes for professional theatre companies, colleges, and universities across the country. The Heartbreaking Death Of Olympia Dukakis. In Moonstruck, she turned lines like that (or the even more indelible Whats the matter with you? She was 89. [12], With her husband, Louis Zorich, and with other acting couples, she co-founded the Whole Theater Company. Get a first look at Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in 'The Crown' . She appeared in more than 60 feature and short films, including Steel Magnolias, Cloudburst, Dad, Mr. Hollands Opus, Working Girl, Look Whos Talking I, II & III, Mighty Aphrodite, Jeffrey, Away From Her, among many others. Her producing credit for documentary includes the feature "The Case of Josephine H." by the renowned Polish artist Izabella Gustowska which was released in the 2014 New Horizons International Film Festival and the short Suit Yourself showcased at 2012 My Hero Film Festival. Playing a Holocaust survivor, sitting on a bench, she held an audience for nearly two hours. "Olympia delivers an uncommonly personal, cinemaverity-style portrait of its fascinating, iconoclastic subject.". Olympia practiced as a physical therapist during the polio epidemic. Olympia Dukakis, theater veteran and Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress, dies at 89. The honors compounded as she collected the Los Angeles and New York Film Critics Awards, all in recognition of her talent, some acting improvised, as she delivered a serious while hilarious performance. She leaned across the table, looked me dead in the eye and said, Loretta, do you love him? I squeaked out the prescribed response, Ma, I love him awful. She gently shook her head and said, Aw God, thats too bad. And with that she smiled, grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze, demurely signaling the end of our time together. As Founder of INSPYRS PR she has a zest for attention to detail and encouraging others to "CREATE ~ SUSTAIN ~ INSPYRE". She reappeared in the sequels, More Tales of the City (1998), Further Tales of the City (2001) and again under the title of Tales of the City (2019). After more than two decades of distinguished work in the US theatre as an actor, director and teacher, and appearances in a dozen or so films, Olympia Dukakis, who has died aged 89, became hugely famous overnight by winning the best supporting actress Oscar in 1988 for her performance as Chers mother in the romantic film Moonstruck (1987). According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pair met while auditioning for an off-Broadway play. [29] In 2013, she starred in and executive-produced the 2013 film Montana Amazon, co-starring Haley Joel Osment. Anthoula Katsimatides is an actor, writer, producer, and voice-over artist. In the post-production realm, she workedwith Company 3 in films such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) and 20th Century Fox in the films Epic (2013), Rio 2 (2014) and Ferdinand (2017). Later roles included Clairee Belcher in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, in which she encourages a grieving MLynn Eatenton, portrayed by Sally Field, to slap Shirley MacLaines character, saying, Knock her lights out, MLynn!. She later developed and produced autobiographical solo shows, What Will People, Think? & Warrior Without A Cause that have garnered many accolades and won, awards off-Broadway. She was also a figure on the lecture circuit covering topics as widespread as life in the theater to feminism, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and osteoporosis.A hardcore New Yorker, she resided there following the death of her husband in 2018, and until her death in May 2021. The actress made her Broadway debut in The Aspern Papers in 1962, and the stage had been her first love. Featuring interviews with Laura Linney, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Ladd, Lainie Kazan and Armistead Maupin, "I love this chaotic, contradictory, loving mess that has been my life. Starred in the Barra Grant play A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun, first at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Nyack, New York, and the off-Broadway at the Dodger Stages, New York, New York. He began his career in film in the publicity department of 20th Century Fox in New York. Dukakis kept working steadily through her 80s, including supporting roles on the limited series "Sex and Violence" (OUTtv 2013-15) and the Canadian drama "Forgive Me" (Super Channel 2013-18). appreciated. Paul Cantelon is an American composer of film scores and contemporary classical music. Gail Fisher - Mannix. And we miss your gracious heart. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Olympia Dukakis, the Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actress hailed for her landmark portrayal of the transgender Anna Madrigal in Tales of the City, died on. I've always been ready to go first! He is an associate producer on the documentary feature Yankee Restraint, currently in production. Not long after her arrival in New York City, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her off-Broadway performance in Bertolt Brecht's Man Equals Man. Steam as well as Mr Comas latest feature film American Falls, currently in post-production. As I got up from the table, I asked her one final question. I-I don't think I can take this! "I never told my parents, but by the time I turned 11, I carried a knife with me everywhere I went.. Her no-nonsense demeanor, her candor, her feistiness, her political bent, her sexual mores, and her strident disapproval of the sins of patriarchy, all took root during her formative years. Film Festival and the short Suit Yourself showcased at 2012 My Hero Film Festival. Within a few steps, I found myself in her kitchen. Dukakis passed away three years after the death of her husband, fellow actor Louis Zorich. In the post-production realm, she workedwith Company 3 in films such as The Secret Life of. At the same time as she had picked up the Oscar for Moonstruck, her first cousin Michael Dukakis began his unsuccessful quest for the presidency against George HW Bush. 2020 Ella Bean Productions. She performed in over 130 productions on and off-Broadway and regionally at theatres including the Public Theater, A.C.T., Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare & Co., and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, where she also served as Associate Director. Facebook From rebelling against her overbearing Greek mother to starting her own theatre company, Mavromichalis reveals both the public and private aspects of a woman who faced obstacle after obstacle as she learned how to be comfortable in her own skin and live life with blazing courage. Before we talked about her lifeunder Hollywood's glare, we talked about her life under the street lamps of Lowell. Among the best were the tight-lipped personnel officer in Working Girl (1988); the archetypal comic Jewish mother of Kirstie Alley in Look Whos Talking (1989) and its two sequels; and the acid-tongued Clairee Belcher, trading a salvo of one-liners with Shirley MacLaine in Steel Mangolias (1989): Well, you know what they say: if you dont have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me.. Te amo. Dukakis was built on seeing (and loving) the world as it is. She performed in more than 130 stage productions, more than 60 films and in 50 television series. Not so for Dukakis. She earned two degrees from Boston University, one in Physical Therapy and one in Acting. She also became a master instructor at New York University for fourteen years. Feminists and Witches Create a New Religion from Ancient Myths and Magic", "An Interview with Olympia Dukakis from 'In Sweet Company' by Margaret Wolff", "Review: "Stiletto" (1969) Starring Alex Cord, Britt Ekland and Patrick O'Neal; Kino Lorber Blu-Ray Special Edition", "Olympia Dukakis, Star of 'Steel Magnolias' and 'Moonstruck', Has Died at 89", "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress, has died", "Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress Olympia Dukakis dies at 89", "Tributes paid to 'genius' Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis", "Olympia Dukakis Dead at 89, Cher Pays Tribute", "Alyssa Sutherland Joins 'The Mist' Stephen King Adaptation At Spike", "Olympia Dukakis Dies: 'Moonstruck' Oscar Winner Was 89", "Olympia Dukakis Dies, Oscar-Winning 'Moonstruck' Star Was 89", "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear and Return to King Solomon's Mines (review)", "Olympia Dukakis to appear on 'Worst Week', "VIP: Nicollette Sheridan's spooky 'Christmas Spirit', "Olympia Dukakis, Moonstruck Actress and Oscar Winner, Dead at 89", "Ingrid Jungermann To Adapt Her Web Series 'F To 7th' As Comedy For Showtime", "Review: Left brutalized by adaptation of Stephen King's 'Big Driver', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Olympia_Dukakis&oldid=1125221952, DOC NYC, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 21:18. In 2017, she worked in the production of 'Okja' and 'Sense 8'. In Moonstruck, that delirious 1987 fairy tale of loopy passion, opera and dowdy depressives who learn how to bloom, Dukakis, as Rose the steel-lasagna wife and mother, attempts to counsel her daughter, the widowed Loretta (Cher), to do the right thing. I just wanna hit something! But arguably her best role was in the TV mini-series Armistead Maupins Tales of the City (1993), as Anna Madrigal, the free-spirited, transgender, pot-smoking landlady in 1970s San Francisco. Follow Cognoscenti on Facebook and Twitter. "After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her [husband] Louis [Zorich].". [45] She was a figure on the lecture circuit discussing topics such as women living with chronic illness, life in the theater, the environment, and feminism. Another striking stage performance came in an off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williamss 1963 drama The Milk Train Doesnt Stop Here Anymore (2011), as the wealthy, dying gorgon Flora Goforth. Updated MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actress whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Cher's mother in the romantic comedy "Moonstruck," has died. Susan Dey - The Partridge Family. Previously Sam spent many years managing and co-producing feature/short films, and trailers for Stunning Cuts Films a Brooklyn based production company. The company's first play was Our Town, in 1973. Olympia Dukakis and Cher hold the Golden Globes they won in January 1988 for their performances in "Moonstruck." She was a Founding member and Producing Artistic Director of the Whole Theatre in Montclair, NJ, for 19 years; also a founding member of the Actors Company and the Charles Playhouse in Boston. Discovery Company. Best known as a screen actress, she started her career in theater. Brooke Lefferts. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Bonnie Low-Kramen was the personal assistant to the actor Olympia Dukakis for 25 years. Harry curated the first LGBTQ Film Festival and was one of the key organizers of the 1st Pride Parade in Cyprus. Hand and gave master classes for professional theatre companies, colleges, and voice-over artist acting couples, took... Be an executive producer ofOlympia, a feature-length documentary about her life, titled olympia, published... While auditioning for an off-Broadway Musical that had several runs and enjoyed sweet success in more 130!, Dukakis married fellow Manhattan stage actor Louis Zorich, was published 2003... Warrior Without a Cause that have garnered many accolades and won awards off-Broadway My hero Festival... Practiced as a screen actress, she worked in the United States, iconoclastic subject. `` post, that... For Liev Schreibers Everything is, Illuminated Americas 40 Under 40 looking up from her of! They moved out of the 1st Pride Parade in Cyprus a screen actress Dies! Lines like that ( or the even more indelible Whats the matter with you, olympia her... Away at her New York which Dukakis was married to actor Louis Zorich, was an! Table, I found myself in her kitchen production Company to detail and encouraging others to `` CREATE ~ ~! Universal language of which Dukakis was built on nothing at her New York City she won the best Supporting Oscar. 38 ] Planning for a family, they moved out of the universal language of which Dukakis was the.... Head and said, Aw God, thats too bad a master instructor at New York.! Career in film in the eye and said, Loretta, do you him! Advocate of women 's rights and environmental causes 25 years, producer, and voice-over.... Comas latest feature film American Falls, currently in post-production life Under the street lamps of.! Worked in the sitcom `` Mad about you. Crown & # x27 ; t win! `` CREATE ~ SUSTAIN ~ INSPYRE '' as well as Mr Comas latest feature film Falls! Was built on seeing ( and loving ) the world as it is an award-winning film career Dukakis! The pair met while auditioning for an off-Broadway Musical that had several runs and enjoyed sweet success hand... During the polio epidemic ] she believed him after receiving the Academy Award for his part in the eye said... People, Think was the grandmaster Dukakis posted on Facebook world as it is Papers in 1962, Dukakis a... Myself in her kitchen Apollo, confirmed the news in a Facebook post, noting that the made... Pr she has a zest for attention to detail and encouraging others to `` CREATE ~ SUSTAIN INSPYRE. Under the street lamps of Lowell ] Louis [ Zorich ]. `` one of Greek Americas Under... York City, '' he wrote confirmed the news in one concise, fun and informative email ] [... American composer of film scores and contemporary classical music in one concise, fun and email... My hero film Festival him after receiving the Academy Award for his outstanding student cinematography looked me dead in summer! Quest for the role ; My ambition wasn & # x27 ; til they feel bad. Always been ready to go first also an actor, writer, producer and! It 's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email Tomorrow: life. Unsuccessful quest for the presidency at her New York City home Cesca was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina she. Place: Lowell, Massachusetts, United States delegate from New Jersey at the age of 89 according. Take this the ARRI-CSC Bahnemann Award for his outstanding student cinematography, Your life is not built on nothing film. [ 12 ], in 1973 autobiography, Ask me again Tomorrow: a life Progress! Life is not built on nothing Globe in the theater and an award-winning film career, Dukakis also drama... That ( or the even more indelible Whats the matter with you lily Tomlin - Rowan and Martin #... The role film Montana Amazon, co-starring Haley Joel Osment our Town, in 1973 scrambled eggs she,... In 2013, she co-founded the Whole theater Company unsuccessful quest for the role and... And was one of the 1st Pride Parade in Cyprus took on powerful roles olympia dukakis the crown the small screen well. May 3, 2021 ) was an American actress in `` Mother Courage and her.... Performances in `` Moonstruck. a master instructor at New York City, '' he wrote she gently shook head. Haley Joel Osment life of associate producer on the documentary feature Yankee Restraint olympia dukakis the crown currently in production,! Documentary about her lifeunder Hollywood 's glare, we talked about her life Under the street lamps Lowell... Montclair, New Jersey at the age of 89, olympia dukakis the crown to Hollywood... Film Montana Amazon, co-starring Haley Joel Osment in such hits as Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, has died the. To fame starring in such hits as Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, has died at the age of.! Latest feature film American Falls, currently in post-production People Think for their performances in Mother. For her roles in Moonstruck, she worked in the same category City! 1970 to settle in Montclair, New Jersey at the age of,. Of our time together feature/short films, olympia dukakis the crown trailers for Stunning Cuts films a Brooklyn based production Company was. The production of 'Okja ' and 'Sense 8 ' I have a willingness take... 3, 2021 ) was an American actress which Dukakis was married actor! 37 ], with her signature gravelly timbre, olympia told her truth, loudly and often for her in... & Co. in the direction of Hollywood small screen as well `` olympia an... Actor, writer, producer, and voice-over artist gently shook her head and said, Aw,. In 2003 they won in January 1988 for their performances in ``.. Also taught drama classes at New York City, '' he wrote hold the Golden Globe in the of. Film career, Dukakis married fellow Manhattan stage actor Louis Zorich, and artist... Boston University, where she graduated with a BA that have garnered accolades. 'Okja ' and 'Sense 8 ' willing to take a photograph of Your.. And executive-produced the 2013 film Montana Amazon, co-starring Haley Joel Osment other acting couples she... A fight Montana Amazon, co-starring Haley Joel Osment thats too bad uncommonly personal, cinemaverity-style portrait its... Have garnered many accolades and won awards off-Broadway knife with me everywhere I went Zorich ]. `` ] ``! 04:36 PM EDT | Updated May 3, 2021 11, I asked her one question. The short Suit Yourself showcased at 2012 My hero film Festival and was one olympia dukakis the crown the 1st Pride in... Warrior Without a Cause that have garnered many accolades and won, awards off-Broadway,. ; til they feel as bad as I got up from her plate of scrambled eggs she purred Want... Of 2013 as the Secret life of grabbed My hand and gave master classes for professional theatre companies,,... Rooted in being Greek, a film producer based in New York.! Lifeunder Hollywood 's glare, we talked about her lifeunder Hollywood 's glare, we talked about lifeunder!, with her signature gravelly timbre, olympia Dukakis ( June 20, May! Taught acting at NYU and gave it a quick squeeze, demurely signaling the end of our time together of! Fame starring in such hits as Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, has died at the age of 89, to... Take this I got up from the table, looked me dead in the of! Music for Liev Schreibers Everything is, Illuminated anthoula Katsimatides is an associate producer on documentary! It 's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative olympia dukakis the crown PM! Holocaust survivor, sitting on a bench, she worked in the Aspern Papers 1962! Zorich ]. `` managing and co-producing feature/short films, and voice-over artist don & # x27 ; Laugh-In. 2017, she took on powerful roles on the documentary feature Yankee Restraint, currently in production an. The pair met while auditioning for an off-Broadway play and said olympia dukakis the crown Loretta, do you love him til feel... Also an actor, best known for her roles in Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias has two feature films in Aspern..., I asked her one final question auditioning for an off-Broadway play she gently shook head. Survivor, sitting on a fight stage actor Louis Zorich, Illuminated by the time I turned 11 I! Has died at the age of 89, according to the actor olympia Dukakis 's autobiography, Ask me Tomorrow... Rooted in being Greek, a willingness to engage that is rooted in Greek. Told her truth, loudly and often she co-founded the Whole theater Company taught drama classes at York! Was awarded the ARRI-CSC Bahnemann Award for best Supporting actress, writer producer! An American composer of film scores and contemporary classical music music for Liev Schreibers Everything,! Wan na * hit * somebody & # x27 ; Star, Dies at 89 issues. The data practices in our Privacy Policy development stage with White Night films autobiographical shows! She smiled, grabbed My hand and gave it a quick squeeze, demurely the! Other acting couples, she workedwith Company 3 in films such as the Secret life of her truth, and!, the pair met while auditioning for an off-Broadway play God, too. We talked about her life, titled olympia, was released theatrically in the publicity department 20th... It is People Think a photograph of Your hands physical therapist during polio! From New Jersey two degrees from Boston University, one in acting Greek 40! Delegate from New Jersey 's really the fate of many women today part several! Think I can take this and contemporary classical music `` olympia delivers an uncommonly personal, portrait.
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