Marta Heflin (March 29, 1945 – September 18, 2013) was an American actress who appeared in several

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

films, including '' Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' and ''

A Perfect Couple ''A Perfect Couple'' is a 1979 romantic-comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Altman and starring Paul Dooley, Marta Heflin, Titos Vandis, and Belita Moreno. Plot An older man, played by Paul Dooley, tries romancing a younger w ...

''.Marta Heflin, Actor, Dies at 68; Waif Seen in Altman Films
The New York Times Known for her

waif A waif (from the Old French , )Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/waif (accessed: June 02, 2008) is a person removed, by hardship, loss or other helpless circumstance, from their original ...

ish appearance, Heflin also acted in various New York stage musicals prior to her film career, such as ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

'', ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'', and ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

.'' Marta was the daughter of American theatre producer and journalist Julia Heflin and public relations executive Martin Heflin. She was the niece of

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning actor

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. ...

and actress

Frances Heflin Mary Frances Heflin (September 20, 1920 – June 1, 1994) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Mona Kane Tyler on the soap opera ''All My Children'' (1970–1994). Early life Heflin was born in Oklahoma City, Oklaho ...

. After struggling with prolonged illness, Heflin died in Manhattan at the age of 68. In 2014, the Marta Heflin Foundation, a private grant-making foundation that supports the work of other charitable organizations, was set up as part of her legacy.

Film career

After appearing in a number of stage musicals in New York in the 1960s and 70s, Heflin made her transition to the small screen in the soap opera '' The Doctors.'' Next came a supporting role as Quentin in

Frank Pierson Frank Romer Pierson (May 12, 1925 – July 22, 2012) was an American screenwriter and film director.Byrge, Duane (July 23, 2012). rank Pierson, Former Movie Academy President, Writer and Director, Dies at 87.''The Hollywood Reporter''Yardley, Wi ...

's 1976 remake of '' A Star Is Born'', starring

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

and

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...

. After working with director

in the comedy of manners '' A Wedding'' (1978), Heflin was handpicked to replace actress

Sandy Dennis Sandra Dale Dennis (April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the drama '' Splendor in the Grass'' (1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama film '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1966), she ...

in the role of Sheila Shea, a rock singer who dates an older Greek-American businessman after meeting him through a videotape computer dating service, in Altman's film ''

'' (1979). In the 1980s, Heflin appeared in two TV movies: '' Playing for Time'' (1980), a drama set in a

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

starring

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

, and ''The Gentleman Bandit'' (1981), which followed a priest falsely accused of a string of armed robberies. In 1982, Heflin reunited with Altman for the Broadway production of

Ed Graczyk Edward Graczyk (born 1941/1942)is a playwright originally from Ohio. He wrote several children's plays early in his career, but became better known as the author of 1976's '' Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean''. In 1982, ...

's play '' Come Back to the Five and Dime'', in which she played Edna Louise, a member of an all-female fan club named the Disciples of

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

. She reprised the role in Altman's film adaptation of the play later that year.

Legacy

In 2014, the Marta Heflin Foundation was established to support the work of other charitable organizations. Heflin's private Foundation has since awarded PAWS NY with a $10,000 grant for its Foster and Emergency Care Program, which provides care for pets whose guardians are facing health emergencies of their own.

Filmography

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heflin, Marta 1945 births 2013 deaths American film actresses Actresses from Washington, D.C. 21st-century American women