Louise Troy

Louise Troy
Louise Troy in Hogan's Heroes 1965
Born(1933-11-09)November 9, 1933
New York City, U.S.
DiedMay 5, 1994(1994-05-05) (aged 60)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActress
Years active1954–1992
Spouses
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(m. 1969; div. 1975)​
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(m. 1992)​

Louise Troy (November 9, 1933 – May 5, 1994)[1] was an American actress of stage and screen. She is best known for her performances in Tovarich (1963) and Walking Happy (1966), for both of which roles she was nominated for Tony Awards. Her signature stage role was that of the lead in High Spirits (1964).

Personal life

Born in Manhattan,[2] Troy was the only child of Jewish parents: Ella Ziebel and Seymour Troy (original family name: Taradajka [3]). Her mother was an actress In the New York Yiddish theater, as was her grandmother, Frida Gespass, and her grandmother's sisters, Helene Gespass and Ella Gespass Wallerstein.[4] The Gespass sisters, originally from Lemberg, Austria, were part of the founding generation of the Yiddish theater in America. Her father was a major designer and manufacturer of women's shoes.[5] She studied with Lee Strasberg and at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[2]

Career

In 1955, Troy first appeared off-Broadway in The Infernal Machine.[6] She made her Broadway debut in the musical Pipe Dream (1955).[7] She received critical acclaim for her role opposite Edward Woodward, Tammy Grimes, Carol Arthur, and the legendary Beatrice Lillie in the 1964 musical High Spirits, which was based on Noël Coward's comedy, Blithe Spirit.

She was also known for her guest appearances on the television show Hogan's Heroes, on which her then husband Werner Klemperer starred as "Colonel Klink". Her other TV appearances included Kate and Allie, Room 222, The Odd Couple, Cannon, and Honey West, among others. In the 1970s, she appeared on the long running daytime soap opera The Guiding Light, twice (as Audrey Frost Mills in 1974, and as Gladys Shields in 1978). She appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones (in the episode: "To Denise, with Love and Murder", which aired on April 22, 1973). Her film appearances include Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), The Swimmer (1968)[8] and Ghostbusters II (1989).

Marriage

Troy was first married to actor Werner Klemperer, from 1969 until they divorced in 1975,[1] She then married her second husband, actor and director Douglas Seale in 1992, they remained married until her death in 1994, aged 60. Both unions were childless.[9]

Death

Troy died of breast cancer at the age of 60 in 1994 at her home in New York City.[10][9]

Recognition

Troy was nominated for the following Tony Awards:

  • 1963 - Actress, Supporting or Featured (Musical) for her work in Tovarich[11]
  • 1964 - Actress, Supporting or Featured (Musical) for her work in High Spirits[11]
  • 1967 - Actress (Musical) for her work in Walking Happy.[11]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1954 Roogie's Bump Kate
1964 The Parisienne and the Prudes Elinor Grater
1968 Yours, Mine and Ours Madeleine Love
1968 The Swimmer Grace Biswanger
1989 Ghostbusters II Woman with Fur Coat
1991 Missing Pieces Mrs. Waldman (final film role)

References

  1. ^ a b Pace, Eric (May 7, 1994). "Louise Troy, 60, an Actress Who Starred on Broadway". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b "Actress Louise Troy, honored for roles in Broadway musicals". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. New York Times News Service. May 7, 1994. p. 45. Retrieved January 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ 1940 census, family history
  4. ^ "Lives in the Yiddish Theatre", museumoffamilyhistory.com; accessed January 26, 2022.
  5. ^ Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute and Seymour Troy archives at F.I.T, New York
  6. ^ Willis, John, ed. (1996). "Louise Troy". John Willis Theatre World 1993-1994 Season Volume 50. Applause Theatre Book Publishers. p. 245. ISBN 1-55783-235-8. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  7. ^ "Louise Troy". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Breast Cancer Claims Broadway Actress Louise Troy". Deseret News. New York Times News Service. May 12, 1994. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Actress Louise Troy, Honored For Roles In Broadway Musicals". chicagotribune.com. May 7, 1994.
  10. ^ "Louise Troy; Actress Appeared on Stage, TV". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. May 14, 1994. p. A26. Retrieved January 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ a b c "("Louise Troy" search results)". Tony Awards. American Theatre Wing. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2018.