Mary Lamar Rickey (born October 27, 1938), better known as Lara Parker, is an American television, stage, and film actress known for her role as Angelique on the ABC-TV serial ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...

'' which aired from 1966 to 1971.

Early life

Parker was born in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the stat ...

on October 27, 1938, and grew up in Memphis. Descendant of a prominent Southern family, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II and a third-great-granddaughter of

Augustus Baldwin Longstreet Augustus Baldwin Longstreet (September 22, 1790 – July 9, 1870) was an American lawyer, minister, educator, and humorist, known for his book ''Georgia Scenes''. He was the uncle of the senior Confederate General James Longstreet. He held p ...

, an uncle of Confederate General

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his ...

. She began a philosophy B.A. at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...

before receiving her

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree from Rhodes College (then known as Southwestern) and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in speech and drama from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

Career

Parker played the role of "Laura Banner" in the opening sequence of the pilot for the television series '' The Incredible Hulk'' (

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

), and the fashion model-witch "Madelaine" in the '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' episode "The Trevi Collection". Her other television work includes appearances on ''

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

'' "One of Those Days"(1975-S5Ep8), ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin ...

'' (1976-S3Ep17: "The Secret of Bigfoot Part 1"), '' Police Woman'', '' Kojak'', ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'', '' Quincy, M.E.'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

'', ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Vi ...

'', ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

'', '' Baretta'', ''

Galactica 1980 ''Galactica 1980'' is an American science fiction television series and a spin-off from the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series. It was first broadcast on ABC in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980, lasting for 10 ep ...

'' ("The Night The Cylons Landed", Parts I & II), Barnaby Jones (1980-The Price of Anger), the CBS daytime serial '' Capitol'', and the ABC daytime serial ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

''. She played secretary Wanda in the 1977 television miniseries '' Washington: Behind Closed Doors'' and had a recurring role in the short-lived television series '' Jessica Novak''. Parker reprised the role of Angelique in '' Night of Dark Shadows'', the second feature film based on ''Dark Shadows''. She was joined by her ''Dark Shadows'' castmates Kate Jackson,

David Selby David Lynn Selby is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for playing Quentin Collins on the daytime soap ''Dark Shadows'' (1968–71) and Richard Channing on the prime-time soap '' Falcon Crest'' (1982–90) ...

Grayson Hall Grayson Hall (September 18, 1922 – August 7, 1985) was an American television, film, and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant-garde theatrical performances from the 1960s to the 1980s. Hall was nominated for an Academy ...

, Nancy Barrett, John Karlen, and

Thayer David Thayer David (born David Thayer Hersey; March 4, 1927 – July 17, 1978) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He was best known for his work on the ABC serial ''Dark Shadows'' (1966–1971), and as the fight promoter Miles ...

. This film was more loosely based on the series than '' House of Dark Shadows'' was, and it did not fare as well at the box office as the first film. She appeared opposite

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

in the 1970

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

film ''

Hi, Mom! ''Hi, Mom!'' is a 1970 American black comedy film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and is one of Robert De Niro's first films. De Niro reprises his role of Jon Rubin from ''Greetings'' (1968). In this film, Rubin is a fledgling "adult film ...

'', but her best known film role came in the Oscar-winning drama '' Save the Tiger'' (1973), starring

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

, in which she played a sympathetic prostitute who is devastated when her client suffers a near fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. In 1975, she played the wife of

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...

's character in ''

Race with the Devil ''Race with the Devil'' is a 1975 American action horror film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost, and starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda and O ...

''.

Later work

Parker made her

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 ...

debut in 1968 in ''Woman is My Idea'', written and directed by Don C. Liljenquist. In 1969, she played the title role in an

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

production of

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the deve ...

's ''Lulu''. She also appeared in the off-Broadway production of ''A Gun Play''. In 1998, Parker published a novel, '' Angelique's Descent''. Its sequel, ''Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch'', came out in July 2006, and ''Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising'' was released in August 2013. She has recently reprised the role of Angelique for a new series of ''Dark Shadows'' audio dramas, and is the reader for the audiobook recording of ''Angelique's Descent''. In 2012, she had a cameo role in Tim Burton's movie version of ''

''. Later she was reunited with her ''Dark Shadows'' co-stars

Jerry Lacy Gerald LeRoy Lacy (born March 27, 1936) is an American soap opera actor best known for playing the roles of Tony Peterson, Reverend Trask, Reverend Gregory Trask, Mr. Trask, and Lamar Trask on the TV serial ''Dark Shadows''. He has also appear ...

and Kathryn Leigh Scott in two feature films about '' Doctor Mabuse'' written and directed by Ansel Faraj. The 1st film ''Doctor Mabuse'' was released in 2013, followed by a 2014 sequel called ''Doctor Mabuse: Etiopomar".

Bibliography

*'' Angelique's Descent'' *'' The Salem Branch'' *'' Wolf Moon Rising'' *'' Return to Collinwood'' (Introduction only) *'' Dreams of the Dark'' (Introduction only) *'' Heiress of Collinwood''

Personal life

Parker is married to Jim Hawkins, a building contractor. They have a daughter, Caitlin. Parker has two sons, Rick and Andy, both from her first marriage to artist Tom Parker: Rick is a successful record producer, Andy a contractor. Caitlin Hawkins is a set designer and stylist for videos and commercials. Lara's son Rick is married to singer

Miranda Lee Richards Miranda Lee Richards (born April 4, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. Her 2001 release ''The Herethereafter'' included original compositions such as "The Beginner", and a cover of The Rolling Stones' 1967 single " Dandelion". Her single "T ...

. They have one son, Wesley.

References

External links

Lara Parker Online (Official Site)Original Dark Shadows Audio Dramas starring Lara Parker
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Lara 1938 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women People from Knoxville, Tennessee Actresses from Tennessee University of Iowa alumni Rhodes College alumni American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses Vassar College alumni