Dominique Dunne

Dominique Ellen Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982) was an American actress. She made her on-screen debut with the television film Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker and played recurring roles in the drama series Family (1980) and the comedy series Breaking Away (1980–1981). Her breakthrough role was Dana Freeling in the blockbuster horror film Poltergeist (1982). Afterward, she headlined the Western film The Shadow Riders and guest-starred in one episode of the crime series CHiPs (both 1982).

On October 30, 1982, Dunne was strangled by her ex-boyfriend John Thomas Sweeney during an argument on the driveway of her West Hollywood home. She fell into a coma and died five days later on November 4, 1982, at the age of 22.

Early life and education Dominique Ellen Dunne was born on November 23, 1959 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest child of Ellen Beatriz "Lenny" (née Griffin), a Mexican ranching heiress, and Dominick Dunne, an Irish-American writer, producer, and actor. Dunne had two older brothers, Alexander "Alex" and Griffin Dunne, who is an actor, producer and director. She was the niece of married writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion. Her godparents were Maria Cooper-Janis, daughter of actors Gary Cooper and Veronica "Rocky" Cooper, and producer Martin Manulis. Her parents divorced in 1965.

Dunne attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, and Fountain Valley School in Fountain, Colorado. After graduation, she spent a year in Florence, Italy, where she studied art and learned Italian. She studied acting at Milton Katselas' Workshop and appeared in various stage productions, including West Side Story, The Mousetrap, and My Three Angels. In 2024, Dunne's brother Griffin Dunne released a family memoir titled The Friday Afternoon Club, named after this weekly gathering that the late actress hosted.

Career

Dunne's first role was in the 1979 television film, Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. She then got supporting roles in episodes of popular 1980s television series, such as Lou Grant, Family, Hart to Hart, and Fame. Dunne also had a recurring role on the comedy-drama television series, Breaking Away, and she also appeared in several other television films.

After her television appearances, in 1981, Dunne was cast in the supernatural horror film Poltergeist in the main role of Dana Freeling, the teenaged daughter of a couple whose family is terrorized by malevolent ghosts. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, and served as her feature film debut. Poltergeist was theatrically released in 1982, which marks both her first starring role and her only appearance in a theatrical feature. It went on to become a critical and commercial success, becoming the eighth highest grossing film of 1982, and since its release it has acquired a cult following. She was set to reprise the role in the following installments of the franchise, but she died before production began on the sequels; Poltergeist II: The Other Side, filmed in 1985 and released in 1986,

Her last on-screen appearance was in the Hill Street Blues episode "Requiem for a Hairbag", which aired on November 18, 1982, only two weeks after her death. In the episode, she played a teenaged mother who was a victim of parental abuse and chose to give her baby up for adoption, out of fear of repeating the cycle of abuse that she endured with her own mother; due to an altercation with her abusive partner John Sweeney that occurred just before the episode was filmed, her bruises on screen were real. The episode was dedicated to her memory.

Dunne was cast in the miniseries V in 1982; she died during filming, so her role was portrayed by actress Blair Tefkin. According to series creator Kenneth Johnson, recovered footage of Dunne was used in a cameo appearance. The series was released in 1983, and is dedicated to her memory.

Influences

Besides her family influence, numerous film stars and celebrities of the 1950s and 60s were friends of Dunne's parents and regular guests at the home of her family. They would attend parties together and hang out at the Malibu beach, captured in home movies filmed by Roddy McDowall. Some of her own favorite actresses were Julie Andrews, Jane Fonda, Susan Hayward, and Natalie Wood, who was a close friend to her family, especially her mother.

Personal life Dunne was an animal lover who had a habit of collecting stray animals. Her house became an asylum for many of them, especially injured, disabled pets; her menagerie included a cat with a lobotomy and a large dog with stunted legs. At the time of her death, she had a Basset Hound puppy named Tallulah, after actress Tallulah Bankhead.

According to Dunne's brother Griffin, she comes across as whip-smart and droll, grounded and private. "She was a serious, substantial person," he says. "Serious about her acting, her animals, her family. And, actually, rather intimidating, even though she was the youngest of the family." He called her "somebody we were all a bit in awe of. She was always wise beyond her years... But also a bit bossy. She always knew what she wanted. My brother and I were a little fearful of her. It was like she'd been born already built."

Dunne was friends with Norman Carby, an artist with whom her father, Dominick, was in a secret relationship that lasted decades until his death in 2009. Devoted to her parents, she also cared for her mother, Ellen, who had multiple sclerosis.

Filmography + List of roles and appearances Year Title Role Notes 1979 Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker Cathy Robinson Television film 1979–1980 Lou Grant Various roles 2 episodes 1980 Family Erica Episode: "When the Bough Breaks" Valentine Magic on Love Island Cheryl Television film 1980–1981 Breaking Away Paulina Bornstein Recurring role; 4 episodes 1981 CBS Children's Mystery Theatre Polly Ames Episode: "The Haunting of Harrington House" Unit Four Tracey Phillips Television film The Day the Loving Stopped Judy Danner 1982 Fame Tracy Episode: "Street Kid" Hart to Hart Christy Ferrin Episode: "Hart, Line, and Sinker" Poltergeist Dana Freeling Film The Shadow Riders Sissy Traven Television film CHiPs Amy Kent Episode: "Meet the New Guy" The Quest Italian Girl Episode: "He Stole-a My Art" Hill Street Blues Abandoned Baby's Mother Episode: "Requiem for a Hairbag"; posthumous release 1983 V Robin Maxwell Cameo; posthumous release

Murder and burial

Dunne met John Thomas Sweeney, a sous-chef at the restaurant Ma Maison, at a party in 1981. After a few weeks of dating, they moved into a one-bedroom house together on Rangely Avenue in West Hollywood. The relationship quickly deteriorated due to Sweeney's jealousy and possessiveness.

On October 30, 1982, Sweeney strangled Dunne outside of her home. She never regained consciousness. On November 4, her parents consented to have her removed from life support. Her funeral was held on November 6 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Her godfather, Martin Manulis, delivered the eulogy. Dominique Dunne’s remains were cremated and subsequently intered in the lawn at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.