Jeanne Cooper

Wilma Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013) was an American actress, best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973–2013). At the time of her death, she had played Katherine for nearly 40 years, and her name appears on the list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States.

Cooper also appeared on numerous episodic television series in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as several film roles. She was the mother of three children, the eldest being actor Corbin Bernsen.

Early life Wilma Jeanne Cooper was born on October 25, 1928, in Taft, California, the youngest of three children of Albert Troy Cooper and his wife, the former Sildeth Evelyn Moore. The family lived in Kern County for several years, first in Taft until 1942 and then in Bakersfield. Her mother died on August 21, 1944, the year before Jeanne graduated from Taft Union High School. Her father lived for several more decades, dying on April 11, 1986.

Career Film and television work Cooper began her screen acting career in the 1950s after signing a contract with Universal Studios, performing initially as a supporting player in films with stars like Maureen O'Hara, Glenn Ford, Tony Curtis, and Henry Fonda. Her first film role was as Myra in the 1953 western film, The Redhead from Wyoming. She later appeared in small roles in The Man from the Alamo, Over-Exposed, 5 Steps to Danger, Rock All Night, House of Women, 13 West Street, The Intruder, Black Zoo, The Glory Guys, Tony Rome, The Boston Strangler and Kansas City Bomber.

Cooper was a fixture on episodic television throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In 1956, she was cast as Mrs. Hinton in "The Rabbi Davis Story" of the religious anthology series, Crossroads. That same year, she portrayed Louise Douglas in "Girl Bandit" of Broderick Crawford's syndicated crime drama, Highway Patrol. She also appeared in the Wagon Train episode titled "The Whipping" and as Marie Conover in the 1957 Cheyenne episode titled "Top Hand" starring Clint Walker.

Cooper played Ann Dix in the 1955 episode "I Am Joaquin" of the syndicated western anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the storyline, Ann searches with ultimate success for eight years for the return of her young daughter whom the Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta (Cliff Fields) left at a Roman Catholic church after he boarded a ship and stabbed to death the girl's father, Capt. Stephen Dix, played by John Damler.

In 1957, she starred in one of the early episodes of two different western series, NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo starring Dale Robertson, in the role of the woman bandit Belle Starr, and two episodes on ABC’s Maverick; in 1959, she portrayed Duchess in a second Tales of Wells Fargo episode, "Clay Allison". In 1958, she was cast in the episode "Wheel of Fortune" of the NBC western series, Jefferson Drum, starring Jeff Richards as a newspaper publisher. Also in 1958, Cooper appeared as Lucy in the "Sundown at Bitter Creek" episode of the CBS western anthology series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. She guest starred as love interest Myra in Wanted Dead or Alive starring Steve McQueen in S2 E14 "Man on Horseback", which aired 12/3/1959.

In 1960, she again played Belle Starr in the "Shadow of Jesse James" episode of the TV series Bronco starring Ty Hardin. Cooper made five guest appearances during the nine-year run of CBS's Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr, beginning with the role of Laura Beaumont in the 1958 episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse." In the final season of the show, she made her fifth and final appearance as defendant Miriam Fielding in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Vanishing Victim". In 1962, Cooper earned her first Emmy nomination for her performance in Ben Casey. She appeared as a regular on NBC's Bracken's World series about the movie business.

For many years, the story of Katherine's bitter rivalry with character Jill Foster Abbott (originally portrayed by Brenda Dickson, and more recently by Jess Walton) was a mainstay of the show. A 2003 storyline suggested Jill was Katherine's daughter born out of wedlock, but further story developments in 2009 cast doubt on that assertion, and the long-bitter enemies were found not to be mother and daughter after all.

Cooper received ten Daytime Emmy nominations, nine for Outstanding Lead Actress and one for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and two Primetime Emmy nominations. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys in 2004. In addition to the infection, Cooper had been a heavy smoker most of her adult life and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Her final Y&R scene was taped March 26, 2013 (the exact date of Y&Rs 40th anniversary) and aired on May 3, 2013. “Mom passed this morning”, her son, Corbin Bernsen, revealed on Twitter the day of her death. “She was in peace and without fear.”

Awards and nominations Emmy Award 1962 — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Ben Casey (Nominated) 1987 — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series — L.A. Law (Nominated) 1989 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 1990 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 1991 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 1992 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 1999 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 2000 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 2004 — Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 2007 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) 2008 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Won) 2009 — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - The Young and the Restless (Nominated) Hollywood Walk of Fame 1993 — Star on the Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

Film Year Film RoleNotes 1953 The Redhead from Wyoming Myra The Man from the Alamo Kate Lamar Shadows of Tombstone Marge 1955 The Naked Street Evelyn Shriner Uncredited 1956 The Houston Story Madge Over-Exposed Renee Calling Homicide Darlene Adams Five Steps to Danger Helen Bethke 1957 Rock All Night Mabel Plunder Road Fran Werner 1958 Screaming Mimi Lola Lake in Photo Uncredited Unwed Mother Mrs. Horton 1960 Let No Man Write My Epitaph Fran 1962 13 West Street Mrs. Quinn House of Women Helen Jennings The Intruder Vi Griffin Red Nightmare Helen Donavan 1963 Black Zoo Edna Conrad 1965 The Glory Guys Mrs. Rachael McCabe 1967 Tony Rome Lorna Boyd 1968 The Boston Strangler Cloe 1970 There Was a Crooked Man... Prostitute 1972 Kansas City Bomber Trainer Vivien 1973 The All-American Boy Nola Bealer 1977 The San Pedro Bums Mrs. McClory 1991 Lethal Justice Clerk 1992 Frozen Assets Zach Shepard's Mother 1993 Beyond Suspicion Renata 2002 The Tomorrow Man Jeanine 2005 Carpool Guy Mrs. Lunsford 2009 Donna on Demand Virginia Hart Dead Air Paranoid Caller

Selected television works Year Title Role Notes 1957–1959 Tales of Wells Fargo Belle Starr / Duchess Episodes: "Belle Starr" and "Clay Allison" 1957–1962 Cheyenne Marie Conover / Mary "Molly" Spenser Episodes: "Top Hand" and "The Quick and the Deadly" 1958–1966 Perry Mason Laura Beaumont / Thelma Hill / Ethel Belan / Mary Browne / Miriam Fielding 1959 The Twilight Zone Barmaid Miss Smith Episode: "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" 1959 Wanted Dead or Alive Myra Season 2, Episode 14: "Man on Horseback" 1961 The Tall Man Mrs. Elmira Webster Episode: "The Reversed Blade" 1961 Rawhide Mrs. Clara Wilson Episode: "Incident on the Road Back" 1962 The Untouchables Fran Cagle Episode: 'The Case Against Eliot Ness' - Season 3, episode #83 Wagon Train Donna Fuller Episode: "The Donna Fuller Story" Have Gun – Will Travel Edna Hardin Season 6, Episode 16: "The Treasure" 1962–1963 Bonanza Abigal Hinton / Emilia Miller Episodes: "The Good Samaritan" and "She Walks in Beauty" 1963 Stoney Burke Loren Schuyler Episode: "Webb of Fear" Gunsmoke Lilly Pitts Episode: "The Ex-Con" Mr. Novak Louise Sargent Episode: "The Boy Without a Country" 1965 The Big Valley Martha Simmons Season 1 Episode 3 / "Boots with My Father's Name" The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Mother Fear a.k.a. Yvonne Episode: "The Children's Day Affair" - Season 2, episode #41 1966 The Big Valley Elaine Jason Season 1 Episode 29 / "Tunnel of Gold" 1966–1967 Daniel Boone Amy Barr / Addie Ogilvie 1969 Death Valley Days Rachel Barrett Season 17, Episode 14: "A Gift" with Valentin de Vargas and Harry Lauter 1973–2013 The Young and the Restless Katherine Chancellor 1973–2013 Marge Cotrooke 1989–1990, 2008–2009 1973 Hawkins Mrs. Hamilton Season 1, Episode 3: "A Life for a Life" 1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Dr. Kline 1 episode (Season 1, Episode 7) 1975 Emergency! Evelyn Fenady 1 episode (Season 5, Episode 5) 1997 The Nanny Herself 2005 The Bold and the Beautiful Katherine Chancellor Guest (October 31, 2005 - November 1, 2005) 2009 Guiding Light Wedding Guest Guest star