Lorna Thayer

Lorna Thayer (born Lorna Patricia Casey; August 16, 1919 – June 4, 2005) was an American character actress, best known as Jack Nicholson's foil in the famous "chicken salad sandwich scene" in Five Easy Pieces.

Early years Born on August 16, 1919, in Boston, Massachusetts, Thayer was the daughter of silent screen actress Louise Gibney and George Casey. Her father built sets for Universal Studios. She began taking dance classes by age 5, and she attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. It appears that, at present, any such body of work remains undocumented by existing online and in-print reference sources. In any event, verification of these claims is made difficult by the fact that neither article names any of the films in question, nor states whether any of these appearances were actually credited, nor, if so, under what name. After that she performed in Berkeley Square at the Geary Theatre in San Francisco.

She is most likely to be remembered for her role in the iconic 1970 film Five Easy Pieces as the waitress who refuses to allow Jack Nicholson's character to order a side of wheat toast. The scene has come to be known as the "chicken salad sandwich scene". Also, Season 5, Episode 36 "Pandora's Box", as Hanna.

Personal life Thayer was married to actor George N. Neise, and they had two daughters.

Death After battling Alzheimer's disease for five years, Thayer died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Retirement Home in Woodland Hills, California, aged 85.

Filmography