Janet Angel MacLachlan (August 27, 1933 – October 11, 2010) was an American actress who had roles in such television series as The Rockford Files, Alias, All in the Family and The Golden Girls. She is best remembered for her key supporting part in the film Sounder (1972) where she portrayed Camille Johnson, a young teacher. MacLachlan worked with numerous well-known actors and actresses and celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Jim Brown, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou and Morgan Freeman.

Janet MacLachlan
Publicity photo of Janet McLachlan, taken in the late 1960s
Born
Janet Angel MacLachlan

(1933-08-27)August 27, 1933
DiedOctober 11, 2010(2010-10-11) (aged 77)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1965–2010
Children1

Life and career

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MacLachlan with Jim Brown in ...tick...tick...tick... - publicity still, 1970

MacLachlan was born in Harlem, New York City; her mother, Iris South MacLachlan, and father, James MacLachlan, were both Jamaican-born members of the Church of the Illumination. Attending P.S. 170 and Julia Ward Junior High School, MacLachlan graduated from Julia Richman High School in 1950.[1][2] She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hunter College in 1955.[2] She then worked as an executive secretary in New York City before turning to acting. She later performed at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.

A one-time contract player for Universal Studios, MacLachlan made her debut in two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965. She appeared in episodes of The Fugitive, The Invaders episode "The Vise" as Mrs Baxter (1968), The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Ironside, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Wonder Woman and The Mod Squad. She also appeared in the films Uptight (1968), Change of Mind (1969), ...tick...tick...tick... (1970), Darker Than Amber (1970), Halls of Anger (1970), Sounder (1972), The Man (1972), Tightrope (1984), Murphy's Law (1986), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999).

MacLachlan also won a Los Angeles-area Emmy for her performance in KCET's Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry in 1981. She would later serve as grant committee chairman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Death

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Suffering from cardiovascular disease in her later years, MacLachlan died from complications from the condition on October 11, 2010, at the age of 77 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. MacLachlan resided in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.[2]

Filmography

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1967 Star Trek Lieutenant Charlene Masters Episode: "The Alternative Factor"; Season 1, Episode 27
1968 Uptight Jeannie
1969 Change of Mind Elizabeth Dickson
1969 The Mod Squad Ann Gibbon Episode: "To Linc, With Love"; Season 2 Episode 5
1970 ...tick...tick...tick... Mary Price
1970 Halls of Anger Lorraine Nash
1970 Darker Than Amber Noreen
1972 The Man Wanda
1972 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Sherry (Kris) Wilson[3] Episode: "His Two Right Arms"; Season 2, Episode 24
1972 Sounder Camille Johnson
1973 Maurie Dorothy
1975 The Rockford Files Adrienne Clarke Episode: "The Deep Blue Sleep"; Season 2, Episode 5
1975 S.W.A.T. Cleo Kay Episode : "Jungle War"; Season 1, Episode 6
1976 Ellery Queen Corrine Ogden Episode: "The Adventure of the Sunday Punch"; Season 1, Episode 13
1977 Wonder Woman Sakri Episode: "Judgment from Outer Space: Part 1"; Season 1, Episode 9
1978 Good Times Sandra Forbes Episode: "Florida Gets a Job"; Season 6, Episode 5
1978 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mary Logan
1979 All in the Family Polly Lewis Episode: "The Return of Stephanie's Father; Season 9, Episode 23
1982 Cagney & Lacey Lynne Sutter Episode: "Mr. Lonelyhearts"; Season 2, Episode 7
1984 Tightrope Dr. Yarlofsky
1986 Murphy's Law Dr. Lovell
1986 The Boy Who Could Fly Mrs. D'Gregario
1987 Big Shots Welfare Worker
1987 The Golden Girls Sandra Episode: "Old Friends"; Season 3, Episode 1
1988 For Keeps Miss Giles
1993 Heart and Souls Agnes Miller
1994 There Goes My Baby Lottie
1994 Criminal Passion Tracy's Lawyer
1994 In The Heat Of The Night Nedda Losey Episode: Who Was Geli Bendl?
1996 The Big Squeeze Bank Manager
1996 Pinocchio's Revenge Judge Allen
1999 The Thirteenth Floor Ellen


References

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  1. ^ "ARTMAKERS: JANET ANGEL MACLACHLAN". The History Makers. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  2. ^ a b c "PASSINGS: Simon MacCorkindale, Janet MacLachlan". Los Angeles Times. 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  3. ^ Although the character's first name is listed as "Sherry" in the end credits, she is never called by that name within the dialogue of the episode; she is always referred to as "Kris" in the dialogue.
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