Patty Duke
Known for Acting · 144 credits
- Born
- 1946-12-14
- Died
- 2016-03-29
- Place of birth
- Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States
- Also known as
- Anna Marie Duke · Patty Duke-Astin · Anna Pearce · Patty Duke Astin
Biography
Anna Marie Duke (December 14, 1946 - March 29, 2016), known professionally as Patty Duke, was an American actress. Beginning her acting career in commercials and playing bit parts in television and movies, her breakthrough role was as Helen Keller in the Broadway version of "The Miracle Worker" (1959 - 1961). For the 1962 film adaptation, Duke reprised her role, which won the Academy Award for best supporting actress - at age 16, she was the youngest person ever to win an Oscar (a record later broken by Tatum O'Neal in 1973). Other early films included Billie (1965), Valley of the Dolls (1967), and Me, Natalie (1969). On television, Duke starred in the popular teen sitcom The Patty Duke Show (1963 - 1966), playing a dual role and garnering the first of ten Emmy nominations. She won Emmys for her roles in television film My Sweet Charlie (1970), miniseries Captains and the Kings (1976), and the 1979 TV movie version of The Miracle Worker (1979), this time portraying Annie Sullivan. She served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 - 1988.
Off-screen, Duke's life was often tumultuous. Born in Elmhurst, New York, to Frances Margaret (McMahon), a cashier, and John Patrick Duke, a cab driver and handyman, her acting career began at age eight when she was turned over to her brother Ray Duke's managers, John and Ethel Ross, who changed her name and engaged in exploitative behavior. Duke was married four times: to director Harry Falk from 1965 - 1969; to writer Michael Tell in 1970 (with whom she became mother to actor Sean Astin); to actor John Astin from 1972 - 1985 (with who she became mother to actress Mackenzie Astin); and to drill sergeant Michael Pearce from 1986 until her death (with whom she had two stepdaughters and an adopted son Kevin). In 1982, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which was the subject of her second book, "A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depression Illness" (1992). Duke was also a political advocate for issues such as the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), AIDS awareness, and nuclear disarmament. She died on March 29, 2016, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, of sepsis from a ruptured intestine.
Known For
TV Shows (50)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
Hawaii Five-0
2010
as Sylvia Spencer
Frasier
1993
as Alice (voice)
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
The Love Boat
1977
as Shirlee Warner / Lilly Mackim / Jane Fletcher
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Presenter
Glee
2009
as Jan
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Toni
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Awards Custodian / Self - Presenter
Judging Amy
1999
as Valerie Bing
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
The Virginian
1962
as Sue Ann McRae
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Nancy Williams / Jean
Ben Casey
1961
Hotel
1982
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Good Day Live
2001
as Self
Drop Dead Diva
2009
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Intimate Portrait
1993
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Night Gallery
1970
Family Law
1999
as Judge Sylvia Formenti
The Oscars
1953
as Self
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Liv and Maddie
2013
as Grandma Janice / Great Aunt Hilary
Kraft Television Theatre
1947
Police Story
1973
The Torkelsons
1991
as Catharine Jeffers
Ghost Story
1972
as Linda Colby
Entertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
The Patty Duke Show
1963
as Patty Lane / Cathy Lane
The Sixth Sense
1972
DuPont Show of the Month
1957
Shindig!
1964
as Self - Singer
Journey to the Unknown
1968
as Barbara King
J.J. Starbuck
1987
Captains and the Kings
1976
as Bernadette Hennessey Armagh
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Angel / Sylvia
It Takes Two
1982
as Molly Quinn
George Washington
1984
as Martha Washington
Hail to the Chief
1985
as President Julia Mansfield
George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation
1986
as Martha Washington
Backstory
2000
as Herself - Interviewee
First Years
2001
A Matter of Justice
1993
The Perry Como Show
1956
Women in White
1979
as Cathy Payson
Amazing Grace
1995
as Hannah Miller
Karen's Song
1987
as Karen Matthews
Hanging by a Thread
1979
as Sue Grainger
Movies (94)
Sex at 24 Frames Per Second
2003
as Self
The Swarm
1978
as Rita
Prelude to a Kiss
1992
as Mrs. Boyle
Me, Natalie
1969
as Natalie Miller
The Miracle Worker
1962
as Helen Keller
4D Man
1959
as Marjorie Sutherland
Fatal Judgement
1988
as Anne Capute
Little John
2002
as Sylvia
Amityville: The Evil Escapes
1989
as Nancy Evans
Billie
1965
as Billie
Valley of the Dolls
1967
as Neely O'Hara
Willy/Milly
1986
as Doris Niceman
Bigger Than the Sky
2005
as Mrs. Keene / Earlene
Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive
1992
as Jean Williams
Love Finds A Home
2009
as Mary
No Child of Mine
1993
as Lucille Jenkins
The Goddess
1958
as Emily Ann Faulkner (Child)
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom
1983
as Barbara Reynolds
The Violation of Sarah McDavid
1981
as Sarah McDavid
Wuthering Heights
1958
as Young Cathy
Kimberly
1999
as Dr. Feinstenberger
The Babysitter
1980
as Liz Benedict
A Season for Miracles
1999
as Angel
A Killer Among Friends
1992
as Jean Monroe
Amazing Love
2012
as Helen
Country Music Holiday
1958
as "Sis" Brand
Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure
1989
as Carolyn Henry
Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby
1976
as Rosemary Woodhouse
The Daydreamer
1966
as Thumbelina (voice)
Love Lessons
2000
as Sunny Andrews
I Love Liberty
1982
as Self
The Miracle Worker
1979
as Anne Sullivan
Fire!
1977
as Dr. Peggy Wilson
Harvest of Fire
1996
as Annie Beiler
If Tomorrow Comes
1971
as Eileen Phillips
Fight for Life
1987
as Shirley Abrams
Always Remember I Love You
1990
as Ruth Monroe
A Christmas Memory
1997
as Sook
Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1
1999
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Before and After
1979
as Carole Matthews
By Design
1982
as Helen
When the Vows Break
1995
as Barbara Parker
Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace
1988
as Althea Sloan
Happy Anniversary
1959
as Debbie Walters
Hanging by a Thread
1979
as Sue Grainger
Family of Strangers
1993
as Beth Thompson
The Women's Room
1980
as Lily
When He Didn't Come Home
1998
as Faye Dolan
Something So Right
1982
as Jeanne Bosnick
Nightmare
1974
as Jan Richards
The Storyteller
1977
as Sue Davidoff
Absolute Strangers
1991
as Judge Ray
Unanswered Prayers
2010
as Irene
Curse of the Black Widow
1977
as Laura Lockwood
Meet Me in St. Louis
1959
as Tootie Smith
You'll Like My Mother
1972
as Francesca Kinsolving
Best Kept Secrets
1984
as Laura Dietz
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
2001
as Anne Kincaid
Call Me Anna
1990
as Anna Marie Duke/ Patty Duke
Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage
1967
as Interviewee
Rosetti and Ryan: Men Who Love Women
1977
as Sylvia Crawford
September Gun
1983
as Sister Dulcina
Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah
1996
as Natalie Porter
Last Wish
1992
as Betty Rollin
The Power and the Glory
1963
as Coral
The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights
1999
as Patty Lane / Cathy Lane MacAllister
Two on a Bench
1971
as Macy Kramer
Gotta Get Off This Merry-Go-Round: 'Valley of the Dolls'
2006
as Neely O'Hara/Self
Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door
2006
as Bridget Connolly
Inside 'the Swarm'
1978
as Self
Cries from the Heart
1994
as Terry
Having Babies III
1978
as Leslee Wexler
To Face Her Past
1996
as Beth Bradfield
Killer on Board
1977
as Norma Walsh
A Family Upside Down
1978
as Wendy
She Waits
1972
as Laura Wilson
One Woman's Courage
1994
as Grace McKenna
Murder Without Conviction
2004
as Mother Joseph
Deadly Harvest
1972
as Jenny
Journey to the Unknown
1969
as Barbara King
Mom, the Wolfman and Me
1980
as Deborah Bergman
Birdbath
1971
as Velma Sparrow
Swiss Family Robinson
1958
as Lydia
George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation
1986
as Martha Washington
The Girl on the Edge of Town
1981
as Martha Swenson
My Sweet Charlie
1970
as Marlene Chambers
A Time to Triumph
1986
Power of the Air
2018
as Charlene Summers
An American Girl
1958
as Augusta Davis
The Divine Ms. Susann
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Hard Day at Blue Nose
1974
as Adelaide
Hitch-Hikers
1989
Jacqueline Susann and the Valley of the Dolls
1967
The Dish on Dolls
2006
as Neely O'Hara (archive footage)
About Patty Duke
Anna Marie Duke (December 14, 1946 - March 29, 2016), known professionally as Patty Duke, was an American actress. Beginning her acting career in commercials and playing bit parts in television and movies, her breakthrough role was as Helen Keller in the Broadway version of "The Miracle Worker" (1959 - 1961). For the 1962 film adaptation, Duke reprised her role, which won the Academy Award for best supporting actress - at age 16, she was the youngest person ever to win an Oscar (a record later broken by Tatum O'Neal in 1973). Other early films… With 144 credits spanning from 1944 to 2018, Patty Duke has appeared in 94 films and 50 TV shows.
Fans searching for Patty Duke movies, Patty Duke filmography, or the latest projects starring Patty Duke can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Patty Duke Movies
- Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) — as Self
- The Swarm (1978) — as Rita
- Prelude to a Kiss (1992) — as Mrs. Boyle
- Me, Natalie (1969) — as Natalie Miller
- The Miracle Worker (1962) — as Helen Keller
Where to Watch Patty Duke Films
Most Patty Duke movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Patty Duke, check our movies catalogue and browse page.