Melinda Dillon Wiki – Melinda Dillon Biography
Oscar-nominated actress Melinda Dillon, remembered for playing Mother Parker in the holiday classic A Christmas Story, passed away on January 9 at the age of 83. The news of her passing was announced in an obituary by her family, but her cause of death was not disclosed. Discussing her character from A Christmas Story of hers in a 2016 Vanity Fair article, Dillon described her character as a “watchful mother” who is “still a child at heart”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dillon was born and raised in Arkansas, and moved through various military bases, spending several years in Germany. Her career in the entertainment industry began when she replaced Barbara Harris on stage after the latter fell ill in The Second City. In 1976, Dillon spoke about her life during an interview with the New York Times:
Melinda Dillon Age
Melinda Dillon is 83 years old.
Melinda Dillon Cause of Death
Personally, Melinda Dillon was married to Richard Libertini for more than 12 years before separating in 1978. The latter died of cancer in 2016. The couple also had a son named Richard Jr. Dillon’s family members reportedly told Giant Freakin Robot that the actress had requested to be cremated with her ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Melinda Dillon was a Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated American actress. Her career in the entertainment industry spanned more than four decades.According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dillon had an approximate net worth of $3 million prior to her passing. She derived most of her fortune from her acting career on Broadway, film and television.
Dillon began her journey as an improv comedian and stage actress. She landed her first major role in the original 1962 Broadway production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. The actress received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Honey in the stage drama.
Dillon also appeared in You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running and Paul Sills’ Story Theatre. Dillon appeared in her first feature film, The April Fools, in 1969. Her breakout role was in the 1976 Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for the role of Memphis Sue.
Melinda Dillon rose to greater popularity after receiving two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress after playing Jillian in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and playing Teresa in Absence of Malice in 1981. Dillon is best remembered for playing Mother Parker in the 1983 Bob Clark film A Christmas Story.
The actress announced her retirement from acting in 2007. She also earned a significant fortune from her television work such as Law and Order: SVU, The Jeffersons, Picket Fences, Bonanza, Judging Amy, and Heartland. Melinda Dillon did not reprise her role from Mrs. Parker in 2022’s A Christmas Story Christmas and was replaced by Julie Hagerty.
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