Millie Perkins
Encyclopedia
Millie Perkins is an American film and television actress.
Born in Passaic, New Jersey
, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey
. Her father was a merchant marine captain. Perkins was working as a receptionist at a New York City advertising agency when she caught the eye of a visiting photographer with a resultant career as a model
; by 1958 Perkins was an international cover girl. However, in 1958, she was vigorously pursued, and then selected, to appear in her first film, in the title role of The Diary of Anne Frank. Perkins had never studied nor sought to be an actress, but George Stevens
saw her on the cover of several magazines and tried to convince her to read for the part. Finally, she flew to Hollywood for a screen test and, with much fanfare, landed the role of Anne Frank in George Stevens' 1959 film "The Diary of Anne Frank." Perkins received almost universally excellent reviews for her portrayal of Anne although the film was a notorious commercial flop. Some Jewish critics felt that the title role should have been better played by a Jew, compared to the Broadway version portrayed by Susan Strassburg.
After her work with George Stevens, Perkins was placed under contract to 20th Century Fox, She was one of the bright young stars of Hollywood but the studio contract system, which was coming to an end just as the young Millie Perkins was signed into it, was a poor fit for this young star, who had come of age with the Beat Generation in 1950s New York City. George Stevens would later state:"Millie did not fit in. She was 10 years too early." Suspended for refusing the lead in the 1960 film Tess of the Storm Country - Perkins saw the film as a B-picture and a step back career-wise - Perkins was cast by 20th Century Fox in the 1961 film Wild in the Country
, playing the supporting role of the girlfriend to star Elvis Presley
; the studio then dropped Perkins. Joshua Logan
personally selected Perkins for the female lead in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver
but the film was a failure: Perkins would not appear in another mainstream film release for almost twenty years. She played the female lead in both of Jack Nicholson
's inaugural productions The Shooting
and Ride in the Whirlwind
- shot side by side in 1964 - and in 1968 co-starred in Wild in the Streets
which was written by her then-husband Robert Thom.
with her two daughters by Robert Thom: Lillie and Hedy; in 1977 People magazine reported that Perkins "conducts a drama-therapy workshop every Tuesday night in her living room and often speaks to high school drama groups in the area". By 1978 Perkins was sufficiently far off the Hollywood radar that the Screen Actors Guild
had her on their inactive list and that September the Hollywood column " Ask Dick Kleiner
" responded to the query: "What ever happened to Millie Perkins?" with "Millie Perkins died recently"; a letter from Perkins herself resulted in a January 1979 retraction by Kleiner, although the columnist maintained: "almost everyone in Hollywood believes that [Perkins] died."
In 1983, Perkins returned to features to play Jon Voight's ex-wife in "Table for Five" and has since been firmly typecast in the mother role, playing Sean Penn
's mother in the fact-based film At Close Range
which starred Christopher Walken
. She played the mother of Charlie Sheen's
character in the 1987
movie Wall Street, and in John Grisham's The Chamber
she played the bereft Jewish mother. She was also cast as Andy García
's mother in The Lost City
(2005
).
. As with her film work her television appearances were sporadic until the 1980s from which time she had appeared on a variety of television shows, including seven episodes of Knots Landing
(over the period 1983-1990) and four episodes of Any Day Now (from 1998–2002).
. They divorced on July 30, 1962. She later married writer and director Robert Thom, who wrote the script for the popular 1968
movie Wild in the Streets
, in which she appeared. Perkins and Thom had been separated for some time when Thom died in 1979.
Born in Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...
. Her father was a merchant marine captain. Perkins was working as a receptionist at a New York City advertising agency when she caught the eye of a visiting photographer with a resultant career as a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
; by 1958 Perkins was an international cover girl. However, in 1958, she was vigorously pursued, and then selected, to appear in her first film, in the title role of The Diary of Anne Frank. Perkins had never studied nor sought to be an actress, but George Stevens
George Stevens
George Stevens was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.Among his most notable films were Diary of Anne Frank , nominated for Best Director, Giant , winner of Oscar for Best Director, Shane , Oscar nominated, and A Place in the Sun , winner of Oscar for Best...
saw her on the cover of several magazines and tried to convince her to read for the part. Finally, she flew to Hollywood for a screen test and, with much fanfare, landed the role of Anne Frank in George Stevens' 1959 film "The Diary of Anne Frank." Perkins received almost universally excellent reviews for her portrayal of Anne although the film was a notorious commercial flop. Some Jewish critics felt that the title role should have been better played by a Jew, compared to the Broadway version portrayed by Susan Strassburg.
After her work with George Stevens, Perkins was placed under contract to 20th Century Fox, She was one of the bright young stars of Hollywood but the studio contract system, which was coming to an end just as the young Millie Perkins was signed into it, was a poor fit for this young star, who had come of age with the Beat Generation in 1950s New York City. George Stevens would later state:"Millie did not fit in. She was 10 years too early." Suspended for refusing the lead in the 1960 film Tess of the Storm Country - Perkins saw the film as a B-picture and a step back career-wise - Perkins was cast by 20th Century Fox in the 1961 film Wild in the Country
Wild in the Country
Wild in the Country is a 1961 film drama starring Elvis Presley in which he portrays a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. The screenplay was written by playwright Clifford Odets.-Synopsis:...
, playing the supporting role of the girlfriend to star Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
; the studio then dropped Perkins. Joshua Logan
Joshua Logan
Joshua Lockwood Logan III was an American stage and film director and writer.-Early years:Logan was born in Texarkana, Texas, the son of Susan and Joshua Lockwood Logan. When he was three years old his father committed suicide...
personally selected Perkins for the female lead in the 1964 film Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver is a 1964 American film and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The movie features Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.- Synopsis...
but the film was a failure: Perkins would not appear in another mainstream film release for almost twenty years. She played the female lead in both of Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's inaugural productions The Shooting
The Shooting
The Shooting is a 1966 western film directed by Monte Hellman, with a screenplay by Carole Eastman . It stars Warren Oates, Millie Perkins, Will Hutchins, and Jack Nicholson, and was produced by Nicholson and Hellman. The story is about two men who are hired by a mysterious woman to accompany her...
and Ride in the Whirlwind
Ride in the Whirlwind
Ride in the Whirlwind is a 1965 western directed by Monte Hellman, starring Jack Nicholson, Millie Perkins, and Harry Dean Stanton. Nicholson also wrote and produced the film.- Plot :...
- shot side by side in 1964 - and in 1968 co-starred in Wild in the Streets
Wild in the Streets
Wild in the Streets is a 1968 film featuring Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook, and Shelley Winters. It was produced by American International Pictures and based on a short story by writer Robert Thom...
which was written by her then-husband Robert Thom.
Later career
In 1976 Perkins moved to Jacksonville, OregonJacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
with her two daughters by Robert Thom: Lillie and Hedy; in 1977 People magazine reported that Perkins "conducts a drama-therapy workshop every Tuesday night in her living room and often speaks to high school drama groups in the area". By 1978 Perkins was sufficiently far off the Hollywood radar that the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
had her on their inactive list and that September the Hollywood column " Ask Dick Kleiner
Dick Kleiner
Richard Arthur "Dick" Kleiner was a Hollywood columnist whose breezy question-and-answer column, "Ask Dick Kleiner," about Hollywood celebrities appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the country...
" responded to the query: "What ever happened to Millie Perkins?" with "Millie Perkins died recently"; a letter from Perkins herself resulted in a January 1979 retraction by Kleiner, although the columnist maintained: "almost everyone in Hollywood believes that [Perkins] died."
In 1983, Perkins returned to features to play Jon Voight's ex-wife in "Table for Five" and has since been firmly typecast in the mother role, playing Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
's mother in the fact-based film At Close Range
At Close Range
At Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, Candy Clark and...
which starred Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
. She played the mother of Charlie Sheen's
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
character in the 1987
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
movie Wall Street, and in John Grisham's The Chamber
The Chamber (film)
The Chamber is a 1996 drama/thriller film based on John Grisham's novel of the same name. The film was directed by James Foley and stars Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell.-Plot:...
she played the bereft Jewish mother. She was also cast as Andy García
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman...
's mother in The Lost City
The Lost City (2005 film)
The Lost City is a 2005 American drama film directed by Andy García. It stars Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Ines Sastre, and Bill Murray.-Plot:...
(2005
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
).
Television work
Perkins made her television debut in 1961 as a guest star on Wagon TrainWagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
. As with her film work her television appearances were sporadic until the 1980s from which time she had appeared on a variety of television shows, including seven episodes of Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
(over the period 1983-1990) and four episodes of Any Day Now (from 1998–2002).
Marriages
On April 15, 1960, she married actor Dean StockwellDean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
. They divorced on July 30, 1962. She later married writer and director Robert Thom, who wrote the script for the popular 1968
1968 in film
The year 1968 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.* November 1 - The MPAA's film rating system is introduced.-Top grossing films :- Awards :...
movie Wild in the Streets
Wild in the Streets
Wild in the Streets is a 1968 film featuring Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook, and Shelley Winters. It was produced by American International Pictures and based on a short story by writer Robert Thom...
, in which she appeared. Perkins and Thom had been separated for some time when Thom died in 1979.
Filmography
- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
- Wild in the CountryWild in the CountryWild in the Country is a 1961 film drama starring Elvis Presley in which he portrays a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. The screenplay was written by playwright Clifford Odets.-Synopsis:...
(1961) - DulcineaDulcinea (film)Dulcinea is a 1963 Spanish drama film directed by Vicente Escrivá, and based on the play by Gaston Baty. It stars Millie Perkins, Cameron Mitchell and Folco Lulli....
(1963) - Ensign PulverEnsign PulverEnsign Pulver is a 1964 American film and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The movie features Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.- Synopsis...
(1964) - Ride in the WhirlwindRide in the WhirlwindRide in the Whirlwind is a 1965 western directed by Monte Hellman, starring Jack Nicholson, Millie Perkins, and Harry Dean Stanton. Nicholson also wrote and produced the film.- Plot :...
(1965) - The ShootingThe ShootingThe Shooting is a 1966 western film directed by Monte Hellman, with a screenplay by Carole Eastman . It stars Warren Oates, Millie Perkins, Will Hutchins, and Jack Nicholson, and was produced by Nicholson and Hellman. The story is about two men who are hired by a mysterious woman to accompany her...
(1967) - Wild in the StreetsWild in the StreetsWild in the Streets is a 1968 film featuring Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook, and Shelley Winters. It was produced by American International Pictures and based on a short story by writer Robert Thom...
(1968) - CockfighterCockfighterCockfighter is a 1974 film by director Monte Hellman, starring Warren Oates, Harry Dean Stanton and featuring Laurie Bird and Ed Begley, Jr. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford...
(1974) - Lady CocoaLady CocoaLady Cocoa is a 1975 low-budget blaxploitation crime drama that was directed by Matt Cimber. With Lola Fanana in the title role, the film also featured Millie Perkins, Gene Washington and Alex Dreier. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment with an R rating from the Motion Picture Association...
(1975) - The Witch Who Came from the SeaThe Witch Who Came From the SeaThe Witch Who Came From the Sea is a 1976 American horror film directed by Matt Cimber and shot by cinematographer Dean Cundey. The film concerns a dysfunctional and disturbed woman called Molly who, after suffering repeated sexual abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father, embarks on a spree of...
(1976) - The Trouble with Grandpa (1981 TV Movie)
- MacBethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(1981) - A Gun in the House (1981 TV Movie)
- Love in the Present Tense (1982 TV Movie)
- Table for FiveTable for FiveTable for Five is a 1983 American theatrical dramatic film, starring Jon Voight and Richard Crenna.-Plot:J.P. Tannen is a former professional golfer residing in California. He is estranged from his three children, who live in New York with their mother Kathleen and stepfather, attorney Mitchell...
(1983) - The Haunting Passions (1983 TV Movie)
- License to Kill (1984 TV Movie)
- Anatomy of Illness (1984 TV Movie)
- Shattered Vows (1984 TV Movie)
- A.D. (1985 TV Mini-series)
- The Other LoverThe Other LoverThe Other Lover is a 1985 television film directed by Robert Ellis Miller and executive produced by Larry A. Thompson.-Plot:Jack Hollander is a novelist, infuriated with his publicists for putting a soft-porn cover on his latest novel. He confronts marketing director Claire Fielding and demands to...
(1985 TV Movie) - Penalty Phase (1986 TV Movie)
- At Close RangeAt Close RangeAt Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, Candy Clark and...
(1986) - God, the Universe & Hot Fudge Sundaes (1986 TV Movie)
- Jake SpeedJake SpeedJake Speed is a 1986 action/comedy film directed by Andrew Lane, produced by Lane, Wayne Crawford, and William Fay, written by Lane and Crawford, and starring Crawford in the title role.-Plot:...
(1986) - The Thanksgiving Promise (1986 TV Movie)
- Slam DanceSlam Dance (film)Slam Dance is a 1987 thriller directed by Wayne Wang and starring Virginia Madsen, Tom Hulce, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. It was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:A married cartoonist named C.C...
(1987) - Strange VoicesStrange VoicesStrange Voices is a 1987 television film about schizophrenia directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman. The film, based on actual events, was criticized as inferior to other made-for-television movies about the disorder, including Promise...
(1987 TV Movie) - Wall Street (1987)
- Broken Angel (1988 TV Movie)
- Two Moon JunctionTwo Moon JunctionTwo Moon Junction is a 1988 American English language erotic thriller and romance film written and directed by Zalman King, starring Sherilyn Fenn and Richard Tyson...
(1988) - Elvis (1990 Mini-Series)
- Call Me Anna (1990 TV Movie)
- Pistol: The Birth of a LegendPistol: The Birth of a LegendThe Pistol: The Birth of a Legend is a 1991 directed by Frank C. Schröder and is the story of Pistol Pete Maravich nicknamed "Pistol Pete", a basketball star in high school, college and the NBA known with a flashy style of play...
(1991) - Murder of Innocence (1993 TV Movie)
- NecronomiconNecronomicon (film)H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon, original title Necronomicon, also called Necronomicon: Book of the Dead or Necronomicon: To Hell and Back is an American anthology horror film released in 1993. It was directed by Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans and Shusuke Kaneko and was written by Brent V...
(1994) - Midnight Run for Your LifeMidnight Run for Your LifeMidnight Run for Your Life is the third in a series of made-for-TV sequel/spin-offs for Universal Television's Action Pack of the widely acclaimed action/comedy Midnight Run...
(1994 TV Movie) - Bodily HarmBodily Harm (film)Bodily Harm is a 1995 film set in Las Vegas, directed by James Lemmo, edited by Carl Kress, and music by Robert Sprayberry . Cinematography by Doyle Smith. The film was rated R and was distributed by Warner Vision Entertainment and internationally by Rysher Entertainment.-Plot:When a striptease...
(1995) - Harvest of FireHarvest of FireHarvest of Fire is an American television movie that aired on CBS on April 21, 1996. Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, the film stars stars Lolita Davidovich, J.A...
(1996 TV Movie) - The Chamber (1996)
- The Summer of Ben Tyler (1996 TV Movie)
- Any Day Now-Irene Otis (1998-2002)
- A Woman's a Helluva Thing (2001 TV Movie)
- Yesterday's Dream (2005)
- The Lost CityThe Lost City (2005 film)The Lost City is a 2005 American drama film directed by Andy García. It stars Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Ines Sastre, and Bill Murray.-Plot:...
(2005) - Though None Go with Me (2006 TV Movie)