Deborah Walley

Deborah Walley
Born	August 12, 1943(1943-08-12) Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
Died	May 10, 2001 (aged 57) Sedona, Arizona, USA
Occupation	film, television actress
Spouse(s)	John Ashley (1964-1966)

Deborah Walley (August 12, 1943 – May 10, 2001) was an American actress.

Career

Deborah Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Ice Capades skating stars and choreographers Nathan and Edith Walley. She attended Central High School in Bridgeport. At fourteen she was playing summer-stock theatre. She studied acting at New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began working on stage in the city and made her Hollywood film debut in 1961's Gidget Goes Hawaiian, a role for which she is most remembered. From then until 1974 she appeared in fifteen feature length films, including several of the "Beach Party" films produced by American International Pictures.^[1]

From 1964–1966, Walley was married to actor John Ashley, a costar of ABC's Straightaway series about auto racing from 1961–1962. He preceded her in death by four years.

On television, she was known as Suzie Hubbard Buell on the short-lived comedy The Mothers-in-Law; Eve Arden played her mother, while Kaye Ballard played her in-law.

Later career

After retiring to a home in Arizona she continued to make occasional guest appearances on television. While living there, she co-founded two children's theater companies and became involved with native-American culture and folklore, having written and created plays about their lives.

Death

Walley died of esophageal cancer on May 10, 2001 in Sedona, Arizona. She was 57 years of age.

Filmography

Awards

Walley was named Photoplay magazine's 'Most Popular Actress of 1961'.^[1]

References

External links

• Deborah Walley at the Internet Movie Database
• [1] Short epitaph at www.findagrave.com

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