Margaret Whitton
Margaret Whitton | |
|---|---|
 Margaret Whitton inMajor League(1989) | |
| Born | Margaret Ann Whitton November 30, 1949 |
| Died | December 4, 2016(aged 67) Palm Beach, Florida,U.S. |
| Other names | Peggy Whitton |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director, writer, producer. |
| Years active | 1965–2016 |
| Spouse | Warren Spector (m.1993) |
Margaret Ann Whitton(November 30, 1949 – December 4, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actress.[2]
Life and career[edit]
Whitton was born onFort Meade, Maryland,a US Army base in the suburbs ofBaltimore.She spent many of her formative years in Japan; her father was an Army colonel, and her mother was a nurse. The family eventually relocated toHaddonfield, New Jersey,and then toFort Lauderdale, Florida,where Whitton started acting atNortheast High School.[1]She made herOff-Broadwaydebut in 1973 withBaby Goya,and her Broadway debut in 1982'sSteaming.[3]
Whitton did her primary film work between 1986 and 1993. Her most visible roles were that of socialite Vera Prescott inThe Secret of My Success(1987), and spiteful baseball team owner Rachel Phelps inMajor League(1989),[4]and its sequelMajor League II(1994). Whitton also appeared inThe Best of Times(1986) andThe Man Without a Face(1993). Her other film roles included parts inNational Lampoon Goes to the Movies(1982),Love Child(1982) and9½ Weeks(1986).[5]
Whitton worked as a television actress, with appearances in the soap operasOne Life to LiveandThe Doctors.Her first prime time role was in the 1985dramedyHometown.[5]In 1989, Whitton played a divorcee in the short-lived comedy seriesA Fine Romance.[6]She later starred in the 1991 sitcomGood & Evil,which was cancelled after six episodes.[7]
Whitton returned to the stage, appearing on Broadway inAnd the Apple Doesn't Fall...(1995), as Mac inJeffrey Hatcher'sThe Three Viewings(1995),[8]and in the original musicalMarlene(1999).
Distribution rights to her filmA Bird of the Airwere acquired by Freestyle Digital Media. It was based upon the novelThe LoopbyJoe Coomerand was adapted for film by Roger Towne.[9]At the time of her death, Whitton served as president of Tashtego Films, an independent-film production company, co-founded with producer Steven Tabakin.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Whitton was married toBear, Stearns & Co.executive Warren Spector from 1993 until her death in 2016.[11]
Death[edit]
Whitton died on December 4, 2016, four days after her 67th birthday, at her home in Florida after a brief battle with cancer.[1][3]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Parades | Jane | Credited as Peggy Whitton |
| 1974 | Teenage Hitchhikers | Sola Alcoa | Credited as Peggy Whitton |
| 1982 | National Lampoon's Movie Madness | Lousille Fogerty | |
| 1982 | Love Child | Jackie Steinberg | |
| 1986 | The Best of Times | Darla | |
| 1986 | 9½ Weeks | Molly | |
| 1987 | The Secret of My Success | Vera Prescott | |
| 1987 | Baby Boom | Executive in Conference Room | Uncredited |
| 1987 | Ironweed | Katrina Dougherty | |
| 1989 | Major League | Rachel Phelps | |
| 1989 | Little Monsters | Holly Stevenson | |
| 1992 | Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even | Melinda Chartoff Powers | |
| 1993 | The Man Without a Face | Catherine Palin | |
| 1994 | Major League II | Rachel Phelps | |
| 1994 | Trial by Jury | Jane Lyle |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | The Doctors | Joan Dancy | Unknown episodes |
| 1984 | Miami Vice | Cassie Bramlette | Episode: "Glades" |
| 1985 | Hometown | Barbara Donnelly | 10 episodes |
| 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Ellen Calone | Episode: "Widow's Walk" |
| 1987 | Tales from the Darkside | Mary Jones | Episode: "Mary, Mary" |
| 1987 | Cat & Mousse | Miriam | Television short film |
| 1988 | Spenser: For Hire | Janet Cole | Episode: "Substantial Justice" |
| 1989 | A Fine Romance | Louisa Phillips | 13 episodes |
| 1990 | Kojak: None So Blind | Michele Hogarth | Television film |
| 1991 | The Summer My Father Grew Up | Naomi | Television film |
| 1991 | Good & Evil | Genevieve | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | Cutters | Adrienne St. John | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills | Leslie Abramson | Television film |
References[edit]
- ^abcSandomir, Richard (December 6, 2016)."Margaret Whitton,Major LeagueActress, Dies at 67 ".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 6, 2016.RetrievedOctober 24,2018.
- ^Willis, John (1995), Monush, Barry (ed.),Screen World 1994,vol. 45, Hal Leonard Corporation, p. 302,ISBN1557832013.
- ^abRobinson, Will (December 6, 2016)."Margaret Whitton dead:Major Leagueactress dies at 67 ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedOctober 24,2018.
- ^Edgington, K.; Erskine, Thomas L.; Welsh, James (2010),Encyclopedia of Sports Films,Scarecrow Press, pp. 302–305,ISBN978-0810876521.
- ^abBuck, Jerry (September 26, 1988),"Margaret Whitton Changes Partners inFine Romance",Los Angeles Times,retrieved2012-05-30.
- ^Terry, Clifford (January 26, 1989),"Fine RomanceFine Mess ",Chicago Tribune,retrieved2012-05-29.
- ^Cerone, Daniel (October 25, 1991),"ABC DropsGood & Evil,Irks Series Creator ",Los Angeles Times,retrieved2012-05-28.
- ^Simon, John (April 17, 1995),"Funeral Parlor Games",New York,vol. 28, no. 16, p. 108.
- ^Kilday, Gregg (March 26, 2012),"Freestyle Digital Media Takes Non-Theatrical Rights to Margaret Whitton'sA Bird of the Air",The Hollywood Reporter,retrieved2012-05-27.
- ^"Tashtego Films - Independent Film, TV and Beyond".www.tashtegofilms.com.
- ^Cohan, William D. (2010),House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street,Anchor Books, p. 269,ISBN978-0767930895.
External links[edit]
- Margaret WhittonatIMDb
- Margaret Whittonat theInternet Broadway Database
- Margaret Whittonat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
- Margaret WhittonatAllMovie
- A Bird of the Airofficial website
- Smith, Nigel M. (September 22, 2011)."In Her Own Words: Margaret Whitton Shares a Scene FromA Bird of the Air".IndieWire.SnagFilms Co.Retrieved2012-05-28.
