Leigh Taylor-Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leigh Taylor-Young
Taylor-Young at the 1994 Emmy Awards
Born	Leigh Taylor (1945-01-25) January 25, 1945 (age 80) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Other names	Leigh Young Leigh Taylor Young
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1966–present
Spouse(s)	Ryan O'Neal ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1974)​ Guy McElwaine ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1984)​ Craig Sheffer ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2004)​ John Morton ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	Patrick O'Neal

Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress. She has acted in movies, TV shows, and on stage. Some of her most famous films include I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), Soylent Green (1973), and Jagged Edge (1985). She also won an Emmy Award for her role in the TV series Picket Fences.

Early Life and Beginnings

Leigh Taylor-Young was born in Washington, D.C.. Her original last name was Taylor. She later added "Young" from her stepfather, Donald E. Young. Her father was a diplomat, and her younger siblings are actress Dey Young and writer Lance Young. The family grew up in Oakland County, Michigan.

Leigh finished high school at Groves High School in Michigan. She then went to Northwestern University to study economics. However, she left college early to become a full-time actress. She made her first professional appearance on Broadway in a play called 3 Bags Full. She decided to leave college because her favorite teacher left. After thinking about her next steps, she moved to New York and California to pursue acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1960s

Ryan O'Neal with Taylor-Young in Peyton Place

Leigh Taylor-Young got her first big acting job in 1966. She was cast as Rachel Welles in the popular TV show Peyton Place. Her character was brought in to replace another character. The show's producer chose her because she seemed warm and sweet. She had only been in California for a few days when she got the role. She signed a seven-year contract for TV and movies.

She later said she would have preferred to become a stronger actress in New York before moving to Hollywood. On Peyton Place, she met actor Ryan O'Neal, whom she later married. Working on the show was sometimes hard for her. She felt it was difficult to make her character deep when there was a lot of pressure to film quickly.

Taylor-Young left Peyton Place in 1967 because she was expecting a baby. After that, she focused on movies. Her first film was a comedy with Peter Sellers called I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968). This movie was very successful. She was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best New Actress. She then appeared with her husband, Ryan O'Neal, in The Big Bounce (1969).

Movies in the 1970s

In the early 1970s, Leigh Taylor-Young appeared in big-budget films. These included The Adventurers (1970) and The Horsemen (1971) with Omar Sharif. She is perhaps most famous for her role as Shirl in the science fiction movie Soylent Green (1973). After Soylent Green, she decided to take a break from acting. She wanted to focus on raising her son, Patrick.

Return to Acting in the 1980s

In the 1980s, Taylor-Young returned to both movies and television. She often played elegant or sophisticated characters. In 1981, she was in the high-tech movie Looker. In 1985, she played Virginia Howell in Jagged Edge. She also appeared in the romantic comedy Secret Admirer.

She also guest-starred on many TV shows. These included McCloud, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Hart to Hart. From 1987 to 1989, she had a recurring role as Kimberly Cryder on the popular show Dallas. This was her first major role on a primetime soap opera since Peyton Place.

Even though she is well-known for her film and TV work, she prefers live theater. She started her career on stage. In 1984, she starred in a play called Catastrophe at the Edinburgh International Festival. She also performed the show in Los Angeles, New York City, and London.

1990s and 2000s Television Success

After 1990, Leigh Taylor-Young had smaller roles in movies like Bliss (1997) and Slackers (2002). She also appeared in direct-to-video films.

Her most famous TV work during this time was on the CBS series Picket Fences. She played Rachel Harris, the mayor, from 1993 to 1995. She won an Emmy Award for this role in 1994. This was for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also received a Golden Globe nomination the next year. From 2004 to 2007, she played Katherine Barrett Crane on the soap opera Passions.

Taylor-Young also appeared on other TV series. These included Murder, She Wrote, 7th Heaven, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She had recurring roles on Beverly Hills, 90210 and The Pretender. She also acted in several TV movies.

Personal Life

Leigh Taylor-Young married Ryan O'Neal in 1967. They were co-stars on Peyton Place. Their wedding was a surprise. While they were in Hawaii for a promotion, an ABC manager offered them the chance to get married at his home.

She married John Morton in January 2013. He is the leader of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. Leigh Taylor-Young is also an ordained minister in this movement.

Filmography

Film

Television