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 performed on stage, in movies, on podcasts, on radio, and on television. Some of her most famous films include I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), The Horsemen (1971), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Soylent Green (1973), and Jagged Edge (1985). She won an Emmy Award for her role in the popular TV series Picket Fences.

Early Life and Education

Leigh Taylor-Young was born in Washington, D.C.. She later added "Young" to her name, which was her stepfather's last name. Her father was a diplomat. She has two younger siblings: Dey Young, who is an actress and sculptor, and Lance Young, a writer, director, and producer. The family grew up in Oakland County, Michigan.

Leigh graduated from Groves High School in Michigan. Before going to Northwestern University to study economics, she spent a summer working at a small theater in Detroit. She helped with scenery, modeled, acted, and even swept floors. She left Northwestern before finishing her degree to become a full-time actress. Her first professional acting job was on Broadway in a play called 3 Bags Full.

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 role in 1966. She was cast as Rachel Welles in the TV show Peyton Place. Her character was brought in to replace a character previously played by Mia Farrow. The show's producer chose her because she seemed very warm and sweet.

When she got the role, Taylor-Young had only been in California for a few days. She had gone there to recover from pneumonia. She impressed the main producer of Peyton Place with an acting performance. She was then signed to a seven-year contract for TV and movies.

She later said she would have preferred to stay in New York to become a stronger actress before moving to Hollywood. On Peyton Place, she met Ryan O'Neal, who she later married. She found working on the show challenging. She explained that it was hard to make a character deep when there was someone watching the clock.

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

Movies in the 1970s

For the next few years, 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 playing 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.

Returning to Acting in the 1980s

In the 1980s, Taylor-Young returned to both movies and television. Her appearance and voice often led to her being cast in roles that were elegant or refined. In 1981, she was in the high-tech film Looker by Michael Crichton. In 1985, she played Virginia Howell in Jagged Edge. She also appeared in the romantic comedy Secret Admirer.

Besides her film work, she appeared as a guest star on many TV shows. These included McCloud, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Hart to Hart. She returned to soap operas in 1983 in the short-lived series The Hamptons. From 1987 to 1989, she played Kimberly Cryder on Dallas. This was her first major prime-time soap opera role since Peyton Place.

Even though she is best known for her film and TV work, she has said she prefers live theater. That is where her career began. She performed in a play by Samuel Beckett called Catastrophe in 1984. She also toured with the show in Los Angeles, New York City, and London.

Later Career: 1990s and 2000s

After 1990, Taylor-Young's film roles included smaller parts in movies like Honeymoon Academy (1990) and Slackers (2002). She also appeared in direct-to-video films such as Addams Family Reunion (1998).

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

Taylor-Young also appeared on TV shows like The Young Riders, 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 television films.

Personal Life

Leigh Taylor-Young married Ryan O'Neal, her co-star from Peyton Place, in 1967. Their wedding was spontaneous. While they were in Hawaii for a Peyton Place promotion, an ABC manager offered for them to get married at his home.

She married John Morton in January 2013. The wedding took place at PRANA, which is the main office for the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness in Los Angeles. She is an ordained minister in the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. This movement was started by John-Roger Hinkins and is now led by her husband.

Filmography

Film

Television