Over the years, she became a household name, starring in numerous films such as Mrs. Sundance (1973), A Case of Rape (1974), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), Black Widow Murders (1993), The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1994), and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995).
Yet, her portrayal of Samantha Stephens in Bewitched remains one of her most beloved roles. In a 1965 interview, she admitted that she hadn’t initially considered doing a television series because she preferred choosing scripts that suited her. However, she embraced the challenge of playing a single character day in and day out.
Throughout her life, she was married four times. Her first marriage was brief, followed by another to an award-winning actor, which ended in 1963. She met her third husband while filming Johnny Cool, and together they had three children. Her fourth marriage lasted until her passing.
Described as the first “Queen of the TV movies” by a biographer, she successfully transitioned from her witchy role to a wide range of television films, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates.
In 1995, her life was tragically cut short by colon cancer, which had already spread to her liver by the time it was discovered. She passed away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her husband and daughters. Her remains were cremated in Los Angeles, and her memory lives on as an extraordinary talent deeply missed by her fans.
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