Margot Bennett (actress) facts for kids

Margot Bennett, born Muriel Eisenberg on February 19, 1935, is an American publicist and former actress. She acted in many plays, TV shows, and movies from 1957 to 1973. People often remember her for her roles in the films O Lucky Man! and Who Killed Teddy Bear?. She was also the first wife of actors Keir Dullea and Malcolm McDowell.

About Margot Bennett

Early Life and Education

Margot Bennett was born Muriel Eisenberg. Her birthday is February 19, 1935, and she was born in Woodmere, New York. She went to the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. She finished her studies there in 1958.

Before she graduated, she acted in many plays. These were often in stock theatre productions. She also studied dance in New York City. She attended the Katherine Dunham School of Dance and Theatre.

Acting Career

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Muriel Eisenberg began acting. She started using the names 'Margo Bennett' or 'Margot Bennett'. She mainly acted in New York City. There, she studied acting with Lee Strasberg.

She appeared in an off-Broadway play called The Crucible in 1958. She also acted in a play called Joan of Lorraine. Margot Bennett was in several TV drama series. These included Armstrong Circle Theatre and The Doctors and the Nurses. She also had main roles in plays like Gigi and The Diary of Anne Frank.

In 1963, Bennett acted on Broadway for the first time. She played Fedra in The Irregular Verb To Love. This play ran for 115 shows. The next year, she was in the TV series The Defenders. She played the sister of a man who was wrongly executed.

In 1965, Bennett had a role in the movie Who Killed Teddy Bear?. She played Edie Sherman. Edie was the sister of the main character. Margot Bennett did not appear in another movie until 1973. She had a small, uncredited role in O Lucky Man!. This movie starred Malcolm McDowell, who she later married.

By the late 1960s, Bennett was not acting as much. She started working as a publicist for Paramount Pictures. When she married Malcolm McDowell in 1975, she reportedly stopped acting. She wanted to focus on her marriage.

Personal Life

Margot Bennett's first marriage was to actor Keir Dullea. They married on August 22, 1960. Their wedding took place on a riverboat in St. Louis. Keir Dullea was filming his first movie there. As both actors became busy, they often had a long-distance relationship.

In March 1969, Bennett met English actor Malcolm McDowell. She met him through her job at Paramount. She was working on publicity for his movie, If..... They began a long-distance relationship. Later, they lived together for several years. During this time, they both appeared in O Lucky Man!. They also traveled to the 1973 Cannes Film Festival to promote the film. Margot Bennett and Malcolm McDowell married in London on April 21, 1975.

In 1978, Malcolm McDowell was filming Time After Time. He met his co-star Mary Steenburgen. Bennett and McDowell divorced in September 1980. After their divorce, he married Steenburgen.

Margot Bennett later lived in Los Angeles and New York City.

Filmography

Movies

• Who Killed Teddy Bear? (1965) ... Edie Sherman
• O Lucky Man! (1973) ... Coffee picker (uncredited)

Television Shows

• CBS Repertoire Workshop - Season 2, "A Simple Heart" (1962) ... Virginie
• The Defenders - Season 4, Episode 7, "Turning Point" (1964) ... Maria Americus
• The Doctors and the Nurses - Season 2, Episode 26, "A Kind of Loving" (1964) ... Trudy
• NET Playhouse - Season 1, "The Irregular Verb To Love" (1967) ... Fedra