Frances Heflin

Frances Heflin
Frances Heflin as Mona Kane in All My Children
Born	Mary Frances Heflin September 20, 1920(1920-09-20) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	June 1, 1994 (aged 73) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress - Motion picture, television, and broadway
Years active	1941 – 1994
Spouse(s)	Sidney Kaufman (? - 1945?), Sol Kaplan (? - 1990) (his death)

Frances Heflin (September 20, 1920 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — June 1, 1994, New York City, New York) was an American actress.

Heflin made her Broadway debut in her teens and was later featured in the original productions of The Skin of Our Teeth (1942), I Remember Mama (1944), and the U.S. premiere of Berthold Brecht's Galileo on July 30, 1947 in Los Angeles. She also starred in London's West End and in touring productions, including two shows opposite Farley Granger.

Heflin had varying roles on many television series in the 1950s and 1960s, including small roles on Kraft Television Theatre and The Patty Duke Show, but her most notable and enduring role was of Mona Kane Tyler, mother of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) on the soap opera All My Children. She played the role from 5 January 1970 until her death in June 1994.

In 1992, when Heflin was first diagnosed with lung cancer, Mona was diagnosed with cancer on the show. In August 1994, the soap aired a special episode, showcasing the best of Heflin's performances in the form of a memorial service for Mona.

She was the sister of Academy Award winning actor Van Heflin.

She was married briefly to film maker Sidney Kaufman, and then to film composer Sol Kaplan. Their children include Jonathan Kaplan, a film director; Nora Heflin, whose stage and film credits include Chilly Scenes of Winter; and Mady Kaplan, an actress who appeared on the soap operas The Edge of Night, Texas, and As the World Turns.

External links

• Frances Heflin at the Internet Broadway Database
• Frances Heflin at the Internet Movie Database
• Frances Heflin at Find a Grave