Sandra Peabody facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sandra Peabody
Peabody in 1965
Born	Sandra Lee Peabody (1948-01-11) January 11, 1948 (age 77) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Other names	Sandy Peabody Sandra Cassell Liyda Cassell Sandra Cassel Sandra Stubelek
Alma mater	Carnegie Mellon University
Occupation	Talent agent acting coach producer actress fashion model
Years active	1965–present
Spouse(s)	Timothy Stubelek
Children	1

Sandra Peabody (born January 11, 1948) is an American producer, writer, acting coach, and talent agent. She was also an actress and fashion model. Sandra Peabody is well-known for her role as Mari Collingwood in Wes Craven's first film, The Last House on the Left (1972). Later, she became a successful producer of children's TV shows. Her work earned her important awards, including an Emmy Award and a CableACE Award.

Peabody started her acting career as a teenager in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She first appeared in a play called Enter Laughing (1965) when she was in her last year of high school. She then acted in movies like Misfit (1965) and The Horse Killer (1966). In 1966, Sandra began studying drama at Carnegie Mellon University. She also trained in a special acting method called the Meisner technique with the famous teacher Sanford Meisner.

Sandra Peabody performed in many plays, including The Odd Couple and Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (both 1969). She was also in the musical Tarot (1970) and, most notably, played Minnie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun (1973). In this musical, she acted alongside Barbara Eden. Peabody also had roles in films such as Love-In '72 (1971) and Teenage Hitchhikers (1974).

By the mid-1970s, Peabody stopped acting. She taught theater to children at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Later, she moved to Portland, Oregon and started a successful career producing children's television shows in 1982. She produced and wrote for shows like Get Movin' (1982) and the award-winning series Popcorn (1984-1992).

Early Life and Education

Sandra Lee Peabody was born on January 11, 1948, in Portland, Oregon.

As a teenager, Sandra lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She went to Stranahan High School. In high school, Peabody was a great student and a varsity cheerleader. She also became very interested in acting and took part in many school plays. Outside of school, she started getting roles in local professional theatre shows.

After finishing high school in 1966, Peabody had a scholarship to study drama at Florida State University. However, she chose to attend Carnegie Mellon University instead to study drama. In 1967, she was chosen to join a summer theater program at the Priscilla Beach Theater in Plymouth, Massachusetts. There, she trained as an actress. That same year, Peabody was selected to learn the Meisner technique from acting teacher Sanford Meisner. She studied with him at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Films and Stage Work

In 1964, Sandra Peabody was cast in a play called Riders to the Sea. It opened at Florida State University in July. As a young actress, Peabody got a main role as a teenager struggling with addiction in the educational film Misfit (1965). This was her first feature film. She was not the first choice for the role, but she got it when the original actress became sick.

During her last year of high school, Peabody was cast in another play called Enter Laughing (1966). She played Wanda, the main character's girlfriend. The play opened in January 1966 in Florida and received good reviews. Her acting in one scene was especially praised. Peabody then played Beauty in a play based on Beauty and the Beast. She also played Katie Brown in the play Calamity Jane (both in 1966). Peabody's next film role was in the mystery film The Horse Killer (1966). She played the best friend of the main character. She later said that this film had an unusual story and involved a lot of horseback riding.

In 1969, she played Gwendolyn Pigeon in Neil Simon's play The Odd Couple. A critic described her as a "competent" actress. Peabody also performed in the plays Celebration, Little Mary Sunshine, and Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (all in 1969).

Breakthrough Role in The Last House on the Left

In 1970, Peabody had a supporting role in the Off-Broadway musical Tarot. This experimental musical was based on tarot cards. It opened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. One of her first film roles in New York was in a low-budget film called The Filthiest Show in Town (1970). Peabody appeared in the film's fake commercials as a character named Olga. She also had a role in the drama film Love-In '72 (1970).

Peabody's most recognized role came when she was cast as the main character, Mari Collingwood, in Wes Craven's first film, The Last House on the Left (1972). This film was a loose remake of a 1960 movie called The Virgin Spring. Peabody found the casting notice for the film in a New York industry magazine. She auditioned at Sean S. Cunningham's office. Craven and Cunningham originally wanted her to try out for a different role, but after meeting her, they decided she was perfect for Mari.

Because the script kept changing, Peabody had little time to prepare for her role. She found some scenes difficult to film. However, she trusted Craven and Cunningham's vision for the movie. Craven said he liked Peabody a lot, calling her "plucky" and "pretty." An assistant producer said that Craven often encouraged her on set. When the film was released, it was very successful, earning over $2 million. Peabody believes Craven and Cunningham did a great job with the film, especially with their limited resources. Besides acting, she also did her own stunts in the movie.

Expanding Her Career and Retirement from Acting

Peabody in 1973

In 1973, Peabody had a main role as Gwen in the film Massage Parlor Murders! (1973). She also had a small, non-speaking role in Legacy of Satan (1973). In the early 1970s, Peabody also had a few roles on television. She appeared in soap operas like All My Children, As the World Turns, The Edge of Night, and One Life to Live. She also appeared in various commercials.

Peabody also worked as a model, but she did not enjoy it much. She said that soap operas did not allow actors to truly develop their skills. During this time, Peabody found it hard to get acting jobs for characters her age. So, she signed with an agent who specialized in child actors. In 1973, Peabody had another important role when she returned to the stage. She played Minnie Oakley in the musical comedy Annie Get Your Gun (1973-1974). She acted alongside Barbara Eden. Critics praised Peabody's performance, saying she was very believable.

In 1974, Peabody starred in the film Teenage Hitchhikers with Kathie Christopher. The story is about two teenage runaways traveling West. She played Bird, one of the clever girls. Her acting received positive reviews. One critic called her performance "ingenious." Another review praised her ability to deliver funny lines. This film has become a cult classic and is one of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. It was even shown at the Quentin Tarantino Film Festival in 2005. Peabody later worked as the script supervisor for the film Video Vixens (1975). Peabody's last acting role was in the play Tunnel of Love (1977). After she stopped acting, Peabody taught theater techniques to children at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts until 1982.

Producer and Acting Coach Career

In 1982, Sandra Peabody came up with the idea for a local TV talk show called Portland Tonight. She was inspired by The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and wanted to create a show focused on Portland. Peabody wrote, directed, and produced a variety show called Get Movin' (1982). This show won her a CableACE Award in 1983. Peabody created this series when TV networks were reducing money for children's shows. She wanted children's ideas to be a big part of the series. She asked kids to share their interests in a survey and held auditions to find local talent. The show had one season with 26 episodes.

After that, Peabody produced the children's TV series Popcorn (1985–92) for the TV station KATU. It started as a special in 1985 and became a weekly series in September 1986. This series received great reviews. One writer said it was "an unabashed celebration of children." Peabody said in an interview that she was inspired to create the series because "There's still a lot of the kid left in me." As a producer, this series earned Peabody an Emmy Award, an NAB award, and two Iris Awards. In 1993, KATU stopped the series, and Peabody was laid off.

In 1988, Peabody developed A Time to Care (1988). This was a TV documentary film about local nursing homes. It showed how community volunteers positively affected the residents. She said it was "a neat idea for a series because what they're basically saying is that more than ever people are reaching out to help others." A broadcasting company called Group W distributed the series. In 1994, Peabody was the casting director for the children's musical home video Wee Sing: Under the Sea. Peabody also wrote and produced an educational public television series called Zone In (2001). This show focused on "tough issues for kids."

Since the 2000s, Peabody has worked as an acting coach and talent agent. She teaches at theater schools like Northwest Children's Theater. Peabody teaches the Meisner technique, which she learned when she was young, to a new generation of actors. She has helped start the acting careers of several child actors, including Bret Harrison and Alicia Lagano. She also guides those studying with her on how to enter and succeed in the acting industry. In 2015, Peabody directed the first episode of LTC TV. This series shares events happening at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Personal Life

In the early 1970s, Sandra Peabody lived in Greenwich Village, New York City. In the summer of 1971, she took a road trip across the country from New York to the West Coast. In 1973, Peabody said she studied both free-form jazz dance and Transcendental Meditation.

While filming The Last House on the Left, Peabody became close friends with the cinematographer, Victor Hurwitz. She described Hurwitz as being like a "fatherly kind of guy" to her. She was sad when he passed away a few years after the film was released. He once told her, "Have something else in your life besides acting because it's a terrible business."

After filming Teenage Hitchhikers, Peabody continued to communicate with the director, Jerome S. Kaufmann, through letters.

Peabody has lived in Portland, Oregon, since the 1980s. She is married to Timothy Stubelek, and they have a son together.

Filmography

Film Roles

Stage Performances

Television Work

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Sandra Cassel para niños