Patricia McCormack (born Patricia Ellen Russo in 1945) is an American actress with a career in theater, films, and television. McCormack began her career as a child actress. She is perhaps best known for her performance as Rhoda Penmark in

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

's 1956

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betw ...

drama '' The Bad Seed''. She received critical acclaim for the role on Broadway and was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies. During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners o ...

's film adaptation. Her acting career has continued with both starring and supporting roles in film and television, including Helen Keller in the original ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the ...

'' production of ''The Miracle Worker'',

Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom '' The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...

's wife Anne Brookes on the ABC sitcom ''

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'', and as

Pat Nixon Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon (''née'' Ryan; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She also served as Second Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 ...

in '' Frost/Nixon'' (2008). She also appeared in the November 11, 1982, season 3 episode 8..."Foiled Again" of '' Magnum, P.I.'' with

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. She was also cast and appeared as Adriana La Cerva's mother in ''

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''.

Life and career

Wendell Corey, Patty McCormack, Ray Farrell, and Marsha Hunt from Peck's Bad Girl - 1959

McCormack was a child model at the age of four, and began appearing on television at the age of seven. She made her motion-picture debut in '' Two Gals and a Guy'' (1951) and appeared as Ingeborg in the television series '' Mama'' with Peggy Wood from 1953 to 1956. Her Broadway debut was in ''Touchstone'' (1953), and the following year, she originated the role of Rhoda Penmark, an eight-year-old

psychopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...

and fledgling

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

, in the original stage version of

's '' The Bad Seed'' (1954) with Nancy Kelly. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

(1956). She portrayed Helen Keller in the original 1957 ''

'' production of

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's ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography ''The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...

'' opposite Teresa Wright. In 1957, she was cast by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in his film adaptation of ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...

'', but filming had to be abandoned for budgetary reasons, and was never fully completed. When a version was edited together in 1992, some years after Welles's death, it did not include any of McCormack's scenes, though they had been central to the framing of the plot. In 1959 she was in an episode of '' One Step Beyond'' called "Make Me Not a Witch". She had the role of a pampered child star in the 1958 comedy '' Kathy O''' and recorded the title song for

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...

. McCormack briefly starred in her own series, ''Peck's Bad Girl'', with Marsha Hunt and Wendell Corey in 1959, and had a leading role in MGM's remake of '' The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' with Eddie Hodges. In the early 1960s, she starred in a series of popular teenage delinquent films, including '' The Explosive Generation'' with

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpri ...

and '' The Young Runaways''. In 1962, she portrayed Julie Cannon in the '' Rawhide'' episode "Episode of the Wolves"; she appeared on the show again the following year, playing Sarah Higgins in the episode "Incident at Paradise". Chase Crosley Patty McCormick Young Doctor Malone 1962

Chase Crosley Patty McCormick Young Doctor Malone 1962

She married restaurateur Bob Catania in 1967, and the couple had two children before their marriage was dissolved. After a half-dozen teen roles during the 1960s, her film career gradually declined, but she continued to work in television. In 1970, she played Linda Warren on the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'' The Best of Everything''. She guest-starred on ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'', season two, episode "Blockade". She also portrayed a San Francisco paramedic on the season-seven ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television) ...

'' series episodes " What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing...?" and " The Convention". She resumed her cinema career with '' Bug'' in 1975. McCormack held several recurring roles in popular television series, including ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

'', and ''

''. McCormack also starred as Anne Brookes, the wife of Jeffrey P. Brookes III (played by Jeffrey Tambor) on the ABC television series ''

'', a spin-off of '' Three's Company'' starring

Norman Fell Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom '' Three's Company'' and its spin-off, '' The Ropers'', and his ...

and Audra Lindley, from 1979 to 1980. When

Kathryn Hays Kathryn Hays (born Kay Piper; July 26, 1934 – March 25, 2022) was an American actress, best known for her role as Kim Hughes on the CBS soap opera '' As the World Turns'' from 1972 to 2010. Life and career Hays was born Kay Piper in Prin ...

left the CBS soap opera ''

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'' for an extended period, McCormack took Hays' role until she returned. She starred as a psychotic mother in the cult thriller '' Mommy'' and its 1997 sequel '' Mommy 2: Mommy's Day''. In 2008, McCormack played First Lady

in the feature film '' Frost/Nixon''. McCormack continues to work regularly and she costarred in the 2012 series ''Have You Met Miss Jones?''. A recent film appearance is in the 2014 release ''Chicanery'' and she guest-starred in a 2013 episode of the series ''

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''. Her most notable recent work was in the

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film '' The Master''. In April 2018, it was announced that McCormack would join the cast of '' General Hospital'' temporarily replacing

Leslie Charleson Leslie Charleson (born February 22, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. Life and career Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Actress Kate Charl ...

in the role of

Monica Quartermaine Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, played continually since August 17, 1977 by longtime soap opera actress Leslie Charleson. She is a cardiologist at the eponymous ...

due to injuries Charleson sustained in a fall. In September 2018, McCormack portrayed Dr. March, the child psychiatrist consulted in the 2018 television remake of ''The Bad Seed''.

Awards

McCormack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for ''The Bad Seed''. On March 20, 1956, she received the

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked ey ...

"Gold Star Award" as the most outstanding juvenile performer, in which

Sal Mineo Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination f ...

was placed third and

Tommy Rettig Thomas Noel Rettig (December 10, 1941 – February 15, 1996) was an American child actor, computer software engineer, and author. He is remembered for portraying the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's '' Lassie'' ...

second. Her star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

is at 6312 Hollywood Boulevard. She received the star in 1960 aged 15, making her the youngest honoree on the Walk. McCormack was a guest for the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, where her films were screened, and she received an award during the closing ceremonies.

Selected filmography

*'' Two Gals and a Guy'' (1951) Fay Oliver *'' Here Comes the Groom'' (1951) Orphan (uncredited) *'' The Bad Seed'' (1956) Rhoda Penmark *'' The Snow Queen'' (1957) Angel, the Robber Girl (voice in 1959 English version) *'' All Mine to Give'' (1957) Annabelle Eunson *'' Kathy O''' (1958) Kathy O'Rourke *'' Peck's Bad Girl'' (1959) Torey Peck *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (season 2, episode 12: "The Mary Ellen Thomas Story"; 1959) Mary Ellen Thomas *'' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond'' (episode: "Make Me Not a Witch"; 1959) Emmy Horvath *'' The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1960) Joanna Wilkes *'' Route 66'' (season 1, episode 1: "Black November"; 1960) Jan Emerson and Jenny Slade *'' The Explosive Generation'' (1961) Janet Sommers *'' Rawhide'' (1960) Julie *'' Jacktown'' (1962) Margaret *'' The New Breed'' (1962) Karen Kegler *'' Maryjane'' (1968) Susan Hoffman *''

The Mini-Skirt Mob ''The Mini-Skirt Mob'' is a 1968 outlaw biker film about an all-female motorcycle gang. The film was directed by Maury Dexter, and stars Diane McBain, Jeremy Slate, Sherry Jackson, Patty McCormack, Harry Dean Stanton and Sandra Marshall. Pl ...

'' (1968) Edie *'' The Young Runaways'' (1968) Deanie Donford *'' Bug'' (1975) Sylvia Ross *''

'' (1979-1980) Anne Brookes (as Patricia McCormack) *'' Magnum, P.I.'' (1982) Carol Baldwin *'' Invitation to Hell'' (1984) Mary Peterson *''

Saturday the 14th Strikes Back ''Saturday the 14th Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Saturday the 14th Part 2'') is a 1988 American comedy horror film written and directed by Howard R. Cohen and produced by Julie Corman. It stars Ray Walston, Avery Schreiber, Patty McCormack and ...

'' (1988) Kate Baxter *''

'' (1987) (Episode: "No Accounting for Murder") Lana Whitman *''

'' (1988) (Episode: "Wearing of the Green") Det. Kathleen Chadwick *'' Mommy'' (1995) Mommy *'' Mommy's Day'' (1997) (aka ''Mommy 2: Mommy's Day'') Mrs. Sterling *''

'' (2000-2006) Liz La Cerva *''

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'' (2001) Lois *'' The Kiss'' (2003) Priscilla Standhope *''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

'' (2004) Maysie *'' Shallow Ground'' (2004) Helen Reedy * Mystery Woman (2004) Barbara Somers "Snapshot" *''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' (2004) (Episode: "Greed") Mavis Breen *'' Gone, But Not Forgotten'' (2004) Andrea Hammerhill *''

Heart of the Beholder ''Heart of the Beholder'' is a 2005 drama film that was written and directed by Ken Tipton. It is based on Tipton's own experience as the owner of a chain of videocassette rental stores in the 1980s. Tipton and his family had opened the first ...

'' (2005) Helen *''

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'' (2005) - Marcia Gordon *'' Frost/Nixon'' (2008) Pat Nixon *''

Private Practice Private practice may refer to: * Private sector practice ** Practice of law * ''Private Practice'' (TV series), an American medical drama * ''Private Practice'' (album), released in 1978 by Dr. Feelgood {{disambig pt:Private Practice ...

'' (2009) Cynthia *''

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'' (2010) Teresa Pruitt *''

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'' (2012) Eleanor Holmes and Betsy *'' The Master'' (2012) Mildred Drummond *''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...

'' (2012) Anne Pierce *''

'' (2013) Sylvie Stephens-Wilkes *'' The Bad Seed'' (2018) Dr. March *''Home Abduction'' '' (Lifetime)'' (2018) Sylvia Holmes *'' Cookie Run: Kingdom'' (2021) Dark Enchantress Cookie *'' The Bad Seed Returns'' (2022) Dr. March

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * *
Patty McCormack
at the American Film Institute Catalog
Interview, July 19, 2014, Ames Tribune
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCormack, Patty 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American child actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American women singers Dot Records artists 1945 births Living people People from Brooklyn New Utrecht High School alumni