Collin Randall Wilcox (February 4, 1935 – October 14, 2009) was an American film, stage and television actress. Over her career, she was also credited as Collin Wilcox-Horne or Collin Wilcox-Paxton. Wilcox may be best known for her role in ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'' (1962), in which she played Mayella Violet Ewell, whose father falsely claimed she had been raped by a Black man, which sparks the trial at the center of the film.

Early years

Wilcox was born in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

, and moved with her family to

Highlands, North Carolina Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly i ...

, as a baby. Her interest in theater was sparked by her parents, Jack H. and Virginia Wilcox, who founded the Highlands Community Theater (now known as the Highlands Playhouse) in 1939. She attended the University of Tennessee, where she studied drama.

Career

Wilcox made her professional debut in Chicago as part of the improvisational group,

The Compass Players The Compass Players (or Compass Theater) was an improvisational theatre revue active from 1955 to 1958 in Chicago and St. Louis. Founded by David Shepherd and Paul Sills, it is considered to be the first improvisational theater in the Unite ...

, which included

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

Elaine May Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with he ...

, and

Shelley Berman Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer. In his comedic career, he was awarded three gold records and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy reco ...

. Playing opposite Richard Basehart, Kevin McCarthy, and

William Hansen William Hansen may refer to: Politics * William C. Hansen (1891–1983), American educator and politician * William D. Hansen, American businessman and politician * William O. Hansen (1860–1930), American politician * Bill Hansen (born 1931), ...

, Wilcox won the

Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...

for her performance in ''The Day The Money Stopped'' by

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

and

Brendan Gill Brendan Gill (October 4, 1914 – December 27, 1997) was an American journalist. He wrote for ''The New Yorker'' for more than 60 years. Gill also contributed film criticism for ''Film Comment'', wrote about design and architecture for Architectu ...

, which lasted only three nights on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1958. She starred in the 1961 play ''Look, We've Come Through'' with

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

on Broadway. She replaced another actress in the 1963 revival of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

's ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' and then went on to do the 1965 play ''The Family Way'', both on Broadway. A life member of

The Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...

, Wilcox is perhaps best known for her role in the 1962 film ''

'', in which she played Mayella Violet Ewell, who falsely accuses Tom Robinson (

Brock Peters Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''Porgy and Bess'', and the wrongfully convicted Tom Robinson in t ...

) of raping her. Following that cinematic acting success, she performed two very memorable roles for television in 1964: ''

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'' episode "

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" and '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' episode "The Jar", based on the

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

short story. She appeared as Bess Frye in a 1972 episode of ''Gunsmoke'' titled "Jubilee". In 1974, she co-starred with

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series '' Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...

and

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in the ''

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'' episode " An Exercise in Fatality" as Ruth Stafford. She remained active performing both on television and in films. Her final role was that of Mrs. Kline in the movie ''A Touch of Fate'', which was released in 2003, six years before her death.

Civil rights activism

She recalled receiving "unfriendly looks" when she showed up at an

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&n ...

conference in

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under b ...

, because in the film ''

'', she played a white woman who falsely accused Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping her. An official had to remind participants: "Collin is here at this conference because she believes in the cause. She is not the character in the film."

Death

On October 14, 2009, Wilcox died from

brain cancer A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and second ...

, aged 74, at her home in

. She was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre ...

and her ashes returned to her family.

Filmography

* '' Twice Upon a Time'' (1953) - Ian * ''

'' (1962) - Mayella Violet Ewell *''

The Name of the Game Is Kill! ''The Name of the Game Is Kill!'' is a 1968 American thriller film directed by Gunnar Hellström and starring Jack Lord, Susan Strasberg and Collin Wilcox Paxton.Lisanti p. 274 It was shot location shooting, on location in Arizona. Plot A man r ...

'' (1968) - Diz Terry * ''The Sound of Anger'' (1968, TV Movie) - Ann Kochek * ''

Catch-22 ''Catch-22'' is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century, it uses a distinctive non- ...

'' (1970) - Nurse Cramer * '' The Revolutionary'' (1970) - Ann * ''

The Baby Maker ''The Baby Maker'' is a 1970 American drama film that was directed and co-written by James Bridges and released by National General Pictures. Plot Tish Gray is a flower child who is hired to have the baby of a middle-class couple, Suzanne and ...

'' (1970) - Suzanne * ''

Jump Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jump or Jumping also may refer to: Places * Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...

'' (1971) - April Mae * ''

The Man Who Could Talk to Kids ''The Man Who Could Talk to Kids'' is a 1973 American made-for-television drama film directed by Donald Wrye. It was originally broadcast on ABC on October 17, 1973. Plot This is the story of one boy isolated in his world, who allows one man ...

'' (1973, TV Movie) - Honor Lassiter * ''

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman ''The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'' is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines. The story depicts the struggles of African Americans as seen through the eyes of the narrator, a woman named Jane Pittman. She tells of the major events of her life f ...

'' (1974, TV Movie) - Mistress Bryant * ''A Cry in the Wilderness'' (1974, TV Movie) - Bess Millard * ''

The Lives of Jenny Dolan ''The Lives of Jenny Dolan'' is a 1975 made-for-television drama film from producer Ross Hunter. It was Hunter's first work for TV."The 'Ross Hunter touch'" by Arthur Unger. ''The Christian Science Monitor'' 23 Oct 1975: 19. It was the unsold pil ...

'' (1975, TV Movie) - Mrs. Owens * ''

September 30, 1955 ''September 30, 1955'' (originally titled ''9/30/55'') is a 1977 drama film written and directed by James Bridges and starring Richard Thomas. Plot On the evening of September 30, 1955 in Conway, Arkansas, college student Jimmy J. watches the ...

'' (1977) - Jimmy J.'s Mother * '' Jaws 2'' (1978) - Dr. Elkins * ''Under This Sky'' (1979, TV Movie) - Susan B. Anthony * '' Marie'' (1985) - Virginia * ''

Foxfire Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with ...

'' (1987, TV Movie) - Madge Burton * ''Wildflower'' (1991, TV Movie) - Bessie Morgan * ''The Portrait'' (1993, TV Movie) - Chancellor * ''

Fluke Fluke may refer to: Biology * Fluke (fish), a species of marine flatfish * Fluke (tail), the lobes of the tail of a cetacean, such as dolphins or whales, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and metriorhynchids. * Fluke (flatworm), parasiti ...

'' (1995) - Bella * ''

The Journey of August King ''The Journey of August King'' is a 1995 American drama film directed by John Duigan based on the 1971 novel of the same name by John Ehle, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Jason Patric and Thandiwe Newton. The film had its world premier ...

'' (1996) - Mina * ''

Twisted Desire ''Twisted Desire'' is a 1996 American television drama/thriller film directed by Craig R. Baxley, written by twin brothers Carey and Chad Hayes. It stars Melissa Joan Hart, with real-life domestic partners Daniel Baldwin and Isabella Hoffman. ...

'' (1996, TV Movie) - Rose Stanton * ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...

'' (1997) - Woman at Party * ''A Touch of Fate'' (2003) - Mrs. Kline (final film role)

Selected television appearances

* ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'': Season 3, Episode 77 - "Takeover" (March 3, 1962) * '' Route 66'': Season 4 episode 15 - "Is it True There Are Poxies At The Bottom Of Landfair Lake?" (January 1964) * ''

'': "

": Season 5, Episode 17 (1964) * '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'': "Coyote Moon" (episode aired originally on October 18, 1959): "The Monkey's Paw: A Retelling" (episode aired originally on April 19, 1965): "The Jar" (episode originally aired February 14, 1964) * ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'': Season 8, episode 1 "The Case of the Missing Button" (1964) * '' The Fugitive'': episodes "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" (December 14, 1965) and "Approach with Care" (November 15, 1966) * ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'': Season 2, Episode 16 - "Passage Into Fear" (Jan 8, 1967) * '' The Virginian'': Season 6 Episode 12 - "The Barren Ground" (December 6, 1967) * ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'': Season 17 Episode 4 - "The Sage Hen" (October 1, 1968) * '' The Immortal'': "The Rainbow Butcher" (October 22, 1970) * ''

'': Season 4, Episode 26 - "An Exercise in Fatality" (September 15, 1974) * ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'': Season 1, Episode 7 - "The Sinner" (October 26, 1972) * ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'': Season 2, Episode 2 - "Betrayed" (September 20, 1973) * ''

Little House On The Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

'': Season 4, Episode 7 - "To Run and Hide" (October 31, 1977)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcox, Collin 1935 births 2009 deaths Actresses from North Carolina American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Activists for African-American civil rights Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Westtown School alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses