Janet Margolin

Janet Natalie Margolin (July 25, 1943 – December 17, 1993) was an American theater, television and film actress.

Early life Margolin was born in New York City to a Jewish family. Her father, Benjamin Margolin, was a Russian Jewish accountant who founded the Nephrosis Foundation, now the Kidney Foundation of New York, and her mother, Annette ( Lief), was a dental assistant. Her father had many friends and clients who were associated with theater and would often ask her to audition for roles. Until the late 1950s, Margolin aspired to become a doctor, yet was always interested in acting and decided to give it a try following insistence from her father's friends.

She attended the High School of Performing Arts and, just prior to her graduation, did a screen test for Five Finger Exercise, where she was urged to sign a contract, but declined, instead returning to New York. In 1961 at the age of 18, while a prop assistant at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Margolin won a pivotal Broadway stage role as Anna in Morris West's Daughter of Silence, beating 200 other applicants. Despite mixed reaction to the play, critics unanimously praised Margolin's performance and she went on to be nominated for a Tony Award. Her performance as Anna charmed director Frank Perry, Margolin was immediately cast to played her first movie role as the female lead in David and Lisa and traveled to Argentina in 1964 to feature in The Eavesdropper, where upon her return she signed a 1-film-a-year contract with 20th Century Fox. She co-starred with Marlon Brando in 1965's Morituri and with Steve McQueen in the western Nevada Smith.

By 1967, she was considered by the Baltimore Sun one of Hollywood's "brightest new stars," by then having featured in around five films. Numerous film studios made efforts to commit her to a long-term contract. Later that year, she also played Wanda in the movie Enter Laughing, as the love interest of the character David Kolowitz, played by Reni Santoni in his first leading role. they divorced in October 1971. Commenting on the marriage during a 1979 interview, Brandt said, "...being married to Janet was like being in the intensive care unit. In California she went to a shrink six days a week and I went three days. Finally, I said 'forget it.'"

Margolin worked with Woody Allen in two films as (former) love interests, most notably Annie Hall. In a fake interview, Allen writes of working with Janet, stating in his own words: “ Occasionally I was forced to make love to her to get a decent performance. I did what I had to do in a businesslike way.”

Later that decade in December 1979, she married actor/director Ted Wass and had two children, including Julian Wass.

During the eighties and early nineties before Margolin's death, film role offers became scarcer, preventing continued mainstream success. She managed only small (usually guest) television roles.

Margolin frequently and erroneously has been identified as the sister of actor Stuart Margolin and director Arnold Margolin, though she acted alongside Stuart Margolin in the pilot episode of the TV series Lanigan's Rabbi, where they appeared as husband and wife. She was a friend of producer/actress Jennifer Salt, who had co-starred with Wass in the 1970s sitcom Soap.

Death Margolin died of ovarian cancer at the age of 50 on December 17, 1993, in her Los Angeles home. She was cremated and her ashes were placed in an urn garden at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1962 David and Lisa Lisa Brandt 1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Mary of Bethany Bus Riley's Back in Town Judy Morituri Esther Alternative title: Saboteur: Code Name Morituri 1966 The Eavesdropper Inés Alternative title: El ojo que espía Nevada Smith Neesa 1967 Enter Laughing Wanda 1968 Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Gia Campbell 1969 Take the Money and Run Louise 1973 Your Three Minutes Are Up Betty 1977 Annie Hall Robin 1979 Last Embrace Ellie Fabian 1988 Distant Thunder Barbara Lambert 1989 Ghostbusters II The Prosecutor

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 The Edge of Night Betty Morrissey August 17, 1961 episode 1962 Ben Casey Illyana Trivas Episode: "Legacy from a Stranger" 1962 Alcoa Premiere Barbara Episode: "The Hands of Danofrio" 1963 East Side/West Side Doris Arno Episode: "You Can't Beat the System" 1963 The Defenders Dinah Caldwell Episode: "Old Lady Ironsides" 1964 Arrest and Trial Helen Kazar Episode: "A Circle of Strangers" 1966 Ten Blocks on the Camino Real Esmerelda TV movie 1967 Coronet Blue Riva Episode: "The Assassins" 1971 Medical Center Terri Spencer Episode: "Web of Darkness" 1971 The Young Lawyers Celia Bradbury Episode: "The Bradbury War" 1971 The Interns Rose Episode: "The Manly Arts" 1971 The Last Child Karen Miller TV movie 1971 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Jan Herron Episode: "The Forest and the Trees" 1972 The Mod Squad Cathy Episode: "Eyes of the Beholder" 1972 Family Flight Carol Rutledge TV movie 1973-1975 Police Story Various 3 episodes 1974 Pray for the Wildcats Krissie Kincaid TV movie 1974 Planet Earth Harper-Smythe TV movie 1974 Lucas Tanner Zeta Alexander Episode: "By the Numbers" 1975 The Wide World of Mystery Susan Browning Episode: "Please Call It Murder" 1975 Police Woman Lisa Tibbett Episode: "Pattern for Evil" 1975 S.W.A.T. Emily Episode: "Vigilante" 1976 Joe Forrester Episode: "The Promised Land" 1976 Serpico Helena Episode: "The Serbian Connection" 1976-1977 Lanigan's Rabbi Miriam Small 5 episodes 1977 Martinelli, Outside Man Rosalie TV movie 1977 Murder in Peyton Place Betty Anderson Roerick TV movie 1977 Sharon: Portrait of a Mistress Carol TV movie 1977 Starsky and Hutch Dr. Judith Kaufman 2 episodes 1978 The Eddie Capra Mysteries Daniella Stephans Episode: "Nightmare at Pendragon Castle" 1979 The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal Rose TV movie 1980 The Plutonium Incident Judith Longden TV movie 1987 Tonight's the Night Chris TV movie 1990 Murder C.O.D. Maye Walsh TV movie 1990 Columbo Theresa Goren Episode: "Murder In Malibu" 1990 Murder, She Wrote Rita Garrison Episode: "Deadly Misunderstanding" (final appearance)

Awards and nominations + Year Award Category Title of work Result 1962 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play Daughter of Silence 1962 Theatre World Award Daughter of Silence 1962 Venice International Film Festival Best Actress David and Lisa 1963 Laurel Award Top New Female Personality 5th place 1963 Golden Globe Most Promising Newcomer - Female David and Lisa 1964 BAFTA Film Award Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles David and Lisa