Jennifer Mary Leak (September 28, 1947 – March 18, 2024) was a Canadian film and television actress, best known for her role as Colleen North in the 1968 film '' Yours, Mine and Ours''.

Early life

Leak was born on September 28, 1947, in Cardiff, Wales. Throughout her childhood, she grew up in various cities, including Hertfordshire, England, Nova Scotia, Canada, Jerusalem, and Toronto. She began her career in Canada at the age of 17 after she appeared in the pilot of the Canadian television series ''

Wojeck ''Wojeck'' is a Canadian dramatic television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1966 to 1968. It was arguably the first successful drama series on English Canadian television, and was the first TV series anywhere to regularly feature and ...

''. Leak later moved to Los Angeles, and within a few months, she was cast as

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

's daughter in the 1968 feature '' Yours, Mine and Ours''. On that set, Leak met her first husband, Tim Matheson.

Career

Leak played the role of Olive Springer Gordon Randolph in the

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

'' Another World'' (1976–1979), and Blanche Bouvier in ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'' (1981–82). In addition, Leak created the role of Gwen Sherman, who started out as a prostitute who fell in love with Greg Foster and ended up becoming a nun in the mid-1970s on the CBS program ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

''. Leak also played guest spots on various television shows, including ''

McMillan and Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976 to 1977) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, ...

'' and ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

''. In 1973, she played Erica Jordan, Mary's temporary replacement at WJM-TV, in the season four episode "Better Late...That's a Pun...Than Never" in ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

''.

Personal life and death

Leak was married to

Tim Matheson Tim Matheson (born Timothy Lewis Matthieson; December 31, 1947) is an American actor and director. Some of his best-known acting roles include the title character of the 1960s animated ''Jonny Quest (TV series), Jonny Quest'' TV series, Eric "O ...

from 1968 to 1971. She was later married to James D'Auria. Leak died in

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 US Census, the town had a population of 61,047. It is 84 miles north of Miami and 15 miles north of West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach. ...

on March 18, 2024, at the age of 76, after suffering with

progressive supranuclear palsy Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific volumes of the brain, linked to 4-repeat tau pathology. The condition leads to symptoms including Balance di ...

for seven years.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* 1947 births 2024 deaths 20th-century Canadian actresses Canadian film actresses Canadian soap opera actresses Canadian television actresses Actresses from Montreal {{Canada-screen-actor-1940s-stub