| Revision as of 08:29, 8 December 2010 editCirt (talk | contribs)199,086 edits rmv poorly sourced info per WP:BLP and WP:RSN and WP:ARBSCI← Previous edit | Revision as of 23:13, 8 December 2010 edit undoCalm Seas101 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users881 edits Added more information about TV debut; minor rearrangement of TV show for chronological accuracyNext edit → | ||
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| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| ]Purcell made her debut as a performer at 5 years of age, appearing on a |
]Purcell made her debut as a performer at 5 years of age, appearing on a Memphis, Tennessee TV show.<ref>Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography</ref> She studied writing and other arts, did some modeling,<ref name="About Lee Purcell"/> and also starred in commercials.<ref name="Columbia Missourian November 11, 1972 “Success for Lee Purcell"/> In 1969 Purcell was personally chosen for her first feature film by ] in his company's production of '']'', co-starring ].<ref>30 Years Ago Today: Actress Lee Purcell Remembers Her Mentor, Steve McQueen (2010 Internet interview)</ref> Asked to explain why he picked Purcell among nearly 500 other available actresses, McQueen said...{{cquote|It wasn't easy. We kept narrowing down the field over a period of weeks until it came to giving screen tests to to six of them. All of them were good, but Lee seemed to jump right out of the screen.}}<ref></ref> In the early 1970s Purcell temporarily moved to England, studying at the ] in London,<ref>Sun Sentinel-Fort Lauderdale February 26, 1985</ref> and under the private training of British actress Margot Lister.<ref></ref> During this time she continued to act in American movies and TV shows.<ref>Class Actress: An Interview with Lee Purcell (2009 Internet interview)</ref> | ||
| Purcell has been nominated for two ]: In 1991 as Outstanding Lead Actress for ''Long Road Home''<ref></ref> and in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actress for ''Secret Sins of the Father''.<ref></ref> Purcell co-produced and appeared in the 1998 movie ''Malaika'' (alternate title ''Tons of Trouble.'')<ref></ref> Among her stage credits are Lady Anne in '']'', Madge in '']'', and Titania in '']''.<ref>Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography</ref> Purcell's most recent work is the role of Eleanor Sullivan in the 13 episode NBC miniseries '']''.<ref name="starrymag.com"></ref> | Purcell has been nominated for two ]: In 1991 as Outstanding Lead Actress for ''Long Road Home''<ref></ref> and in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actress for ''Secret Sins of the Father''.<ref></ref> Purcell co-produced and appeared in the 1998 movie ''Malaika'' (alternate title ''Tons of Trouble.'')<ref></ref> Among her stage credits are Lady Anne in '']'', Madge in '']'', and Titania in '']''.<ref>Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography</ref> Purcell's most recent work is the role of Eleanor Sullivan in the 13 episode NBC miniseries '']''.<ref name="starrymag.com"></ref> | ||
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Revision as of 23:13, 8 December 2010
| Lee Purcell | |
|---|---|
 Purcell in August 2010 | |
| Born | Lee Jeune Williams (1947-06-15) June 15, 1947 (age 77) Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, United States |
| Occupation(s) | actress, writer, producer |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Website | http://www.leepurcell.com/ |
Lee Purcell (born Lee Jeune Williams; June 15, 1947) is an American actress and writer-producer who has starred in films including Mr. Majestyk, Big Wednesday, Stir Crazy, and Valley Girl. She has also appeared in numerous television and stage productions.
Early life
Purcell was born at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. Her father, an aviator and Marine major, died when Purcell was still an infant. She then lived with her grandparents until her mother married Navy doctor Don Purcell.
Like many service personnel relatives, Purcell and her family moved multiple times to different states and military bases. She spent much of her youth in Paragould, Arkansas, graduating from their high school in 1965. Purcell attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri from 1965-1967 as a dance and theatre student.
Career
Purcell made her debut as a performer at 5 years of age, appearing on a Memphis, Tennessee TV show. She studied writing and other arts, did some modeling, and also starred in commercials. In 1969 Purcell was personally chosen for her first feature film by Steve McQueen in his company's production of Adam at Six A.M., co-starring Michael Douglas. Asked to explain why he picked Purcell among nearly 500 other available actresses, McQueen said...
It wasn't easy. We kept narrowing down the field over a period of weeks until it came to giving screen tests to to six of them. All of them were good, but Lee seemed to jump right out of the screen.
In the early 1970s Purcell temporarily moved to England, studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and under the private training of British actress Margot Lister. During this time she continued to act in American movies and TV shows.
Purcell has been nominated for two Emmy Awards: In 1991 as Outstanding Lead Actress for Long Road Home and in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actress for Secret Sins of the Father. Purcell co-produced and appeared in the 1998 movie Malaika (alternate title Tons of Trouble.) Among her stage credits are Lady Anne in Richard III, Madge in Picnic, and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Purcell's most recent work is the role of Eleanor Sullivan in the 13 episode NBC miniseries Persons Unknown.
Personal life
Purcell's third marriage produced a son, Dylan, who is also an actor. She has competed in rodeos, enjoyed shooting sports such as trap and is a former NRA (National Rifle Association) director. Purcell has performed narrations of fiction and poetry in front of live audiences and taught workshops that specialize in auditions for film and television.
In December 2010 Purcell launched an interactive fashion and beauty website, BoomerBabes, that is geared towards Baby Boomer women born between 1946-1964.
Charity work
Purcell is on the board of directors for Heart of a Horse, a non profit organization which seeks to rescue and rehabilitate abused and neglected horses. In addition, she works with VET (Veterans Entertainment Team), a military veterans assistance group.
Filmography
Feature and TV films
| Year | Film | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Adam at Six A.M. | Jerri Jo Hopper | Robert Scheerer |
| 1972 | Dirty Little Billy | Berle | Stan Dragoti |
| 1972 | Stand Up and be Counted | Karen Hammond | Jackie Cooper |
| 1972 | Necromancy | Priscilla | Bert I. Gordon |
| 1973 | Hijack | Eileen Noonan | Leonard Horn |
| 1973 | Kid Blue | Molly Ford | James Frawley |
| 1974 | Mr. Majestyk | Wiley | Richard Fleischer |
| 1977 | The Amazing Howard Hughes | Billie Dove | William A. Graham |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday | Peggy Gordon | John Milius |
| 1978 | Almost Summer | Christine Alexander | Martin Davidson |
| 1978 | Stranger in Our House a.k.a. Summer of Fear | Julia Trent | Wes Craven |
| 1979 | Murder in Music City | Samantha Hunt | Leo Penn |
| 1980 | Kenny Rogers as the Gambler | Jennie Reed | Dick Lowry |
| 1980 | The Secret War of Jackie’s Girls | Casey McCann | Gordon Hessler |
| 1980 | Stir Crazy | Susan | Sidney Poitier |
| 1981 | The Girl, the Gold Watch and Dynamite | Bonnie Lee Beaumont | Hy Averback |
| 1981 | Killing at Hell’s Gate | Jane Pasco | Jerry Jameson |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Mrs. Seluchi | Ken Finkleman |
| 1983 | Eddie Macon's Run | Jilly Buck | Jeff Kanew |
| 1983 | Valley Girl | Beth Brent | Martha Coolidge |
| 1985 | My Wicked, Wicked Ways...the Legend of Errol Flynn | Olivia de Havilland | Don Taylor |
| 1985 | Space Rage | Maggie | Conrad E. Palmisano |
| 1986 | Betrayed by Innocence | Sharon DeLeon | Elliot Silverstein |
| 1987 | To Heal a Nation | Sandie | Michael Pressman |
| 1988 | The Incredible Hulk Returns | Maggie Shaw | Nicholas Corea, Bill Bixby (Uncredited) |
| 1991 | Long Road Home | Bessie Robertson | John Korty |
| 1994 | Secret Sins of the Father | Ann Thielman | Beau Bridges |
| 1998 | Malaika a.k.a Tons of Trouble (co-produced by Lee Purcell) | Molly DeMornay | Marina Martins |
| 2005 | The Unknown | Doris Winslow | Karl Kozak |
Partial list of TV episode appearances
| Year | TV Show | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Cathy Cullen | Leo Penn | Made a second appearance in 1972 |
| 1970 | Bonanza | Angie | Leo Penn | |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files | Susan Parsons | Alexander Grasshoff | |
| 1975 | The Waltons | Bobbie Strom | Harvey S. Laidman | |
| 1976 | Hawaii Five-0 | Molly Taggert | Ernest Pintoff | Made a second appearance in 1977 |
| 1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Carol Revson | Kenneth Gilbert | |
| 1985 | Magnum P.I. | Goldie Morris | Ivan Dixon | |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Joanna Benson | Walter Grauman | Made four additional appearances in 1986, 1989 and 1994
portraying various characters |
| 1987 | Matlock | Andrea Colter | Daniel Haller | |
| 1987 | MacGyver | Shadow | Bob Sweeney | |
| 1989 | Jake and the Fatman | Pamela Parker | E.W. Swackhamer | |
| 1995 | Due South | Louise St. Laurent | Paul Haggis,
David Warry-Smith |
Made five additional appearances in 1995 and 1996 |
| 1998 | Promised Land | Beth Hixon | Sandor Stern | |
| 2010 | Persons Unknown | Eleanor Sullivan | Bill Eagles, Michael Rymer, Jonathan Frakes, | Mini-series. Five appearances |
Special projects
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Road to Freedom: L. Ron Hubbard and Friends | Herself (singer) | Video short and record album | |
| 1987 | A Woman's Guide to Firearms | Herself | Gary Finlan | Instructional video |
| 1988 | The Married Couple | Video short | ||
| 1992 | The Joke | Jane | Stuart Sheslow | 35mm short |
| 1995 | The Magic of Christmas | Herself | TV Special | |
| 1996 | Orientation: A Scientology Information Film | LRH Communicator | Video short | |
| 1997 | This World, Then the Fireworks | Michael Oblowitz | ADR work (additional dialogue recording) | |
| 2006 | White Picket Fence | Bonnie Durley | Caitlin Dahl | Super 16mm short |
External links
- Official website of Lee Purcell
- Lee Purcell--IMDb page and TV schedule
- Fashion and beauty website created by Lee Purcell
References
- John Willis' Screen World, Volume 32
- ^ Paragould Took Hats Off For Lee Purcell
- ^ About Lee Purcell
- Columbia Missourian January 15, 1967 “Picnic in 2nd Week at Stephens”
- Columbia Missourian September 21, 1969 “Adam Travels to Excelsior Springs”
- ^ Columbia Missourian November 11, 1972 “Success for Lee Purcell”
- Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography
- 30 Years Ago Today: Actress Lee Purcell Remembers Her Mentor, Steve McQueen (2010 Internet interview)
- Beaver County Times, September 25, 1969
- Sun Sentinel-Fort Lauderdale February 26, 1985
- Spotlight: Lee Purcell
- Class Actress: An Interview with Lee Purcell (2009 Internet interview)
- Misplaced Pages-Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
- Los Angeles Times-Emmy Award Nominations 1994
- New York Times, production credits--Tons of Trouble
- Filmreference.com--Lee Purcell Biography
- Interview with Starry Constellation Magazine
- Schenectady Gazette March 30, 1977
- Rome News-Tribune July 8, 1983
- Dylan Purcell IMDb bio
- Class Actress: An Interview with Lee Purcell (2009 Internet interview)
- Famous People who shoot Trap
- Women & Guns
- Crossfire: The War Behind the Closed Doors of the NRA
- The Gun Zone
- Poetic Preservation A group of actors will perform traditional and contemporary cowboy writings at the Gene Autry museum
- The Golden Age Theater
- Saint Hill International Arts Festival
- BoomerBabes.com
- About Heart of a Horse