Joan Benedict was an actress known for her wide-ranging TV roles, including being a regular on “The Steve Allen Show,” in “Candid Camera” skits, and appearances on soap operas like “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives.”
- Died: June 24, 2024 (Who else died on June 24?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of a stroke at the age of 96.
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Joan Benedict’s legacy
Joan Benedict’s career spanned both stage and screen, with the actress once thinking dance might be her career before acting took off. Born in Brooklyn, she studied at Rome Opera Ballet School and began her career doing theater. She first garnered the attention of a wider audience on the hidden-camera prank show “Candid Camera” – where she played a tourist wearing a large hat with a distracting feather – and as an ensemble cast member of the original “Steve Allen Show.”
Benedict soon became even better known among television audiences, thanks to recurring roles on daytime shows like “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital.” She also appeared on many other popular primetime TV programs, shows that include “Fantasy Island,” “TJ Hooker” and “The Incredible Hulk.”
The actress starred in a one-woman stage show, “Leona,” set entirely in a jail cell, in which she portrayed controversial hotel baroness Leona Helmsley. In 2016, she published her memoir, “Brooklyn Baby,” and followed it up with another one-woman show, the autobiographical “The Loves of My Life.”
Notable quote
“The theatre for me is like being in church. When you feel the audience, and feel that communication with other souls, it’s like music.” — from biography on her official website
Tributes to Joan Benedict
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
