Piper Laurie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Piper Laurie
Laurie publicity photo in 1951
Born	Rosetta Jacobs (1932-01-22)January 22, 1932 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	October 14, 2023(2023-10-14) (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–1965; 1976–2023
Spouse(s)	Joe Morgenstern ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1982)​
Children	1

Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was a talented American actress. She was famous for her roles in movies like The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986). She also starred in the TV miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983).

Piper Laurie won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her acting. She was also nominated for three Academy Awards and a BAFTA Award. Many people remember her as Kirsten Arnesen in the TV show Days of Wine and Roses. She was also well-known for playing Catherine Martell in the TV series Twin Peaks.

Early Life of Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie was born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit, Michigan, on January 22, 1932. She was the younger of two daughters. Her father, Alfred Jacobs, sold furniture. Her mother was Charlotte Sadie Jacobs. Piper's grandparents on her father's side were Jewish immigrants from Poland. Her mother's parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.

According to her book, Learning to Live Out Loud, Piper was born in a small apartment in Detroit. She was very shy as a child. To help her, her parents arranged for her to have weekly speaking lessons. These lessons eventually helped her get small acting parts at Universal Studios.

Piper Laurie's Acting Career

In 1949, Rosetta Jacobs signed a contract with Universal Studios. She changed her acting name to Piper Laurie, which she used for the rest of her career. At Universal, she met other young actors like James Best, Julie Adams, Tony Curtis, and Rock Hudson.

Her first big role was in the movie Louisa. She acted alongside Ronald Reagan, who later became a U.S. president. She even dated him a few times. After Louisa, she appeared in other films such as Francis Goes to the Races (1951) and Son of Ali Baba (1951).

To make her seem more glamorous, Universal Studios spread stories that Piper bathed in milk and ate flower petals. This was to make her skin look good! However, Piper was not happy with the types of roles she was getting. She wanted more serious parts. So, she moved to New York City to study acting and find work in theater and television.

She acted in TV shows like Twelfth Night and Days of Wine and Roses. For the TV version of Days of Wine and Roses, she played Kirsten Arnesen Clay. This role earned her an Emmy nomination.

Laurie in 1951

Piper Laurie was asked to return to Hollywood to co-star with Paul Newman in the movie The Hustler. This film came out in 1961. She played Sarah Packard, Newman's girlfriend. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

After The Hustler, she didn't get many big movie roles. So, she and her husband moved back to New York. In 1965, she starred in a play called The Glass Menagerie on Broadway.

Piper Laurie did not act in another major film until 1976. She took on the role of Margaret White in the horror movie Carrie. Her acting in Carrie was amazing, and she received another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actress. The movie was a big success, and her performance helped restart her career. Her co-star, Sissy Spacek, said Piper was a "remarkable actress" who always surprised people with her acting.

In 1979, she played Mary Horton in the Australian movie Tim with Mel Gibson. After her divorce in 1981, Piper moved to California. She received her third Oscar nomination for playing Mrs. Norman in Children of a Lesser God (1986). In the same year, she won an Emmy for her role in the TV movie Promise.

From 1990 to 1991, she starred as the clever Catherine Martell in David Lynch's TV series Twin Peaks. She also appeared in movies like Other People's Money (1991) with Gregory Peck and Trauma (1993). She played George Clooney's character's mother in the TV show ER. Piper Laurie also made guest appearances on popular TV shows such as Frasier, Matlock, and Will & Grace.

Later in her career, she acted in independent films like Eulogy (2004) and The Dead Girl (2006). In 2010, she played Rainn Wilson's mother in Hesher. Her last film role was in 2018, playing the grandmother in White Boy Rick.

Piper Laurie's Personal Life

Laurie in 1990, around the time she was appearing in Twin Peaks

Piper Laurie was married to Joe Morgenstern, a writer and movie critic. They met in 1961 when he interviewed her for The Hustler. They got married on January 21, 1962. When she wasn't getting many acting roles, she and Joe moved to Woodstock, New York. In 1971, they adopted a daughter named Anne Grace. Piper and Joe divorced in 1982. After that, she moved back to the Hollywood area and continued her acting career.

In 1962, Harvard University named her their Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year. In 2000, she received the Spirit of Hope Award in Korea for her service during the Korean War.

Piper Laurie was also a talented sculptor. She created art using marble and clay.

Piper Laurie's Passing

Piper Laurie passed away in Los Angeles on October 14, 2023. She was 91 years old and had been unwell for some time.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Piper Laurie para niños