Mary Candace Hilligoss (born August 14, 1935) is an American former actress and model. She gained fame for her role as Mary Henry in the independent horror film ''

Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young woman ...

'' (1962).

Life and career

1935–1946: Early life

Mary Candace Hilligoss was born August 14, 1935 in

Huron, South Dakota Huron is a city in and the county seat of Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,263 at the 2020 census, making it the 8th most populous city in South Dakota. The first settlement at Huron was established in 1880. ...

, the daughter of L.F. Hilligoss. She was raised in Huron, where she was active in school plays. After studying at Huron College and the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, 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 int ...

(where she acted in theatrical productions) for three years, she went to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to study acting with a scholarship to the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

, studying under

Sanford Meisner Sanford Meisner (August 31, 1905 – February 2, 1997) was an American actor and acting teacher who developed an approach to acting instruction that is now known as the Meisner technique. While Meisner was exposed to method acting at the Group ...

and

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

. She made her professional acting debut in summer stock in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. She acted at the

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

Playhouse, appeared in a touring production of '' Idiot's Delight'' with

Nina Foch Nina Foch ( ; born Nina Consuelo Maud Fock; April 20, 1924 – December 5, 2008) was an American actress who later became a drama instructor. Her career spanned 6 decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television credits. She ...

, performed in television programs produced in New York, and worked as a dancer at the Copacabana nightclub.

1947–1961: Modeling

After college, Hilligoss attended the

Barbizon Modeling and Acting School Barbizon Modeling and Acting School is an international modeling and acting school headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The school provides instructional courses in the domain of modeling and personal development. History The first Barbizon Sch ...

in New York. Following her graduation from there in 1956, she was one of five models who traveled to South America on a month-long tour to demonstrate then-new American fashions.

1962–2001: Acting career and later life

She is best known for her portrayal of Mary Henry, a church organist haunted by specters, in ''

'' (1962), a low-budget horror film that has developed a

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

following. She had been offered a role in the Richard Hilliard-directed horror film '' Violent Midnight'' (1963), but opted for the role in ''Carnival of Souls''. She stated that at the time, she took the role as a "take-the-money-and-run type of situation"; she was paid approximately $2,000 for her work in the film. She also appeared in a supporting role in the horror film ''

The Curse of the Living Corpse ''The Curse of the Living Corpse'' is a 1964 American horror film produced, written and directed by Del Tenney. The film is about a series of murders that haunt the family of a man who died leaving extensive instructions in his will to avoid hi ...

'' (1964), which was shot in

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...

, while Hilligoss was living in New York. In 1997, she was asked to appear in the remake of ''Carnival of Souls'', but declined. Hilligoss was married to actor

Nicolas Coster Nicolas Dwynn Coster (December 3, 1933 – June 26, 2023) was an American actor, most known for his work in daytime drama and as a character actor with his role on series '' Santa Barbara'' and daytimes Another World as Robert Dulaney and on ni ...

, with whom she had two daughters, Candace and Dinneen. They divorced in 1981. As of 1990, Hilligoss lived in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

. Her self-published memoir ''The Odyssey and the Idiocy – Marriage to an Actor'' was published in 2017. In 2022, Hilligoss voiced an animated version of herself as she appeared circa 1962 in the CG animated short film ''Once Upon A Time on Mars''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

Sources

* * *

External links

*
Interview with Candace Hilligoss

Official web site of Candace Hilligoss
1935 births University of Iowa alumni American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people People from Huron, South Dakota People from Greater Los Angeles Actresses from South Dakota 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women Articles containing video clips {{US-screen-actor-1930s-stub