Juanin Clay (born Juanin Clay de Zalduondo; November 26, 1949 – March 12, 1995) was an American actress whose films included ''

WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a ...

'' and ''

The Legend of the Lone Ranger ''The Legend of the Lone Ranger'' is a 1981 American Western adventure film directed by William A. Fraker and starring Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse and Christopher Lloyd. It is based on the story of The Lone Ranger, a Western character c ...

''.

Early years

Clay was born in

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...

, to Antonio and Barbara de Zalduondo. and attended the

Ethel Walker School The Ethel Walker School, also commonly referred to as "Walker's", is a private, college preparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades 6 through 12 plus postgraduate located in Simsbury, Connecticut. History Founded in 1911, the ...

Simsbury, Connecticut Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 24,517 in the 2020 census. History Early history At ...

. She graduated from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

, then earned a master's degree in education from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. She was a kindergarten teacher in Connecticut before she became an actress.

Career

Clay originated the role of Raven Alexander on the daytime

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 ...

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...

'' from 1976 to 1977, and chose to leave to pursue other projects. She was a contender for the role of

Wilma Deering Wilma Deering is a fictional character featured in the various iterations of Buck Rogers which have spanned many media over the years.Robert Jennings,"Bucking the Future: From 1928 to the 25th Century With Anthony Rogers". ''Comic Buyer's Guide'' ...

in the 1979–1981 television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', but lost the role to

Erin Gray Erin Gray (born January 7, 1950) is an American actress who began her career as a model. She has also worked as a casting agent. Her roles include Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' ...

, who returned to reprise her role from the 1979 theatrical release. Clay later guest-starred in the ''Buck Rogers'' episode " Vegas in Space", playing Marla Landers, who briefly partnered with Rogers. Clay appeared as a guest star on a number of TV series, including ''

Father Murphy ''Father Murphy'' is an American Western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership w ...

'' and ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. The series cente ...

''. In 1981, she appeared in ''

'', and in 1983, she had a small role in ''

''. In 1985, she played

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

in the miniseries ''

Robert Kennedy and His Times ''Robert Kennedy and His Times'' is a 1985 American television miniseries directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, based on the 1978 Robert F. Kennedy biography of the same name by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. ( ; born Arth ...

''. She was a founding member of the New York Acting Unit, a Shakespearean repertory group, and the co-author, producer, and director of ''King of the City'', a drama about

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

. Clay's work on stage included acting off-Broadway and in productions in Los Angeles and

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland.

Personal life and death

In 1981, Clay married Joe Lambie, who played opposite her as

Logan Swift The following is a list of characters from the Procter & Gamble daytime soap opera ''The Edge of Night'', which ran from 1956 to 1984. A Nadine Alexander Scott :Dorothy Stinnette (1976–1977, 1980) Nadine is a wealthy socialite, the ...

on '' The Edge of Night''. She was a

Christian Scientist Activists, politicians, and military figures Activists *Tsianina Redfeather Blackstone (1882-1985) – Native American singer and activist * Bonnie Carroll – President and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) *Henry ...

. Clay died in a convalescent hospital in Los Angeles on March 12, 1995, "after a lengthy illness". She was 45 years old.

Legacy

The Valley Theatre League of Los Angeles created the Juanin Clay Lifetime Achievement Award in her memory.

Filmography

References

External links

Juanin Clay, the woman who would have been Wilma
– tribute site * 1949 births 1995 deaths Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American television actresses Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni Smith College alumni 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York (state) American stage actresses {{US-film-actor-1940s-stub