Patty Duke, American actress, Died at 69

  Actor

Anna Marie “Patty” Duke was born on December 14, 1946, and died on March 29, 2016.

She was an American actress of stage, film, and television.

Patty was well known as a teen star.

She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), which she had originated on Broadway.

Following that, she had the lead in the eponymous sitcom The Patty Duke Show.

She went on to more mature roles such as in the film Valley of the Dolls (1967), playing Neely O’Hara.

Patty Duke served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, four years after her Patty Duke Show co-star William Schallert held the same office.

Patty Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982, after which she devoted much of her time as an advocate for and educating the public on mental health issues.

During 1996, 30 years after The Patty Duke Show ended, Duke was ranked No. 40 on TV Guide’s “50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Patty Duke passed away at 69 yrs old.