Sonia Darrin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sonia Darrin
Darrin is second from the left in still from The Big Sleep (1946)
Born	Sonia Paskowitz (1924-06-16)June 16, 1924 Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Died	July 19, 2020(2020-07-19) (aged 96) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1941–early 1950s
Spouse(s)	Sidney Sircus ​ (m. 1951⁠–⁠1952)​ Jacob Aronov ​ (m. 1954)​ Bill Reese ​ (before 1979)​
Children	4 (including Mason Reese)

Sonia Darrin (born Sonia Paskowitz) was an American actress. She was born on June 16, 1924, and passed away on July 19, 2020. Sonia Darrin is most famous for playing Agnes Lowzier in the 1946 movie The Big Sleep.

Sonia Darrin's Early Life

Sonia Darrin was born in Galveston, Texas. Her parents, Louis and Rose Paskowitz, were from New York. Her family had come to the United States from Russia.

Sonia had two brothers, Adrian and Dorian. Her father owned a clothing store in Galveston. Around 1940, her family moved to Los Angeles, California.

Her Acting Career

Sonia's family lived in San Diego for a while. There, she took dancing lessons from a teacher named Adolph Bolm. When Bolm was asked to create dances for the movie The Corsican Brothers (1941), he used his whole class.

This helped Sonia get an interview with LeRoy Prinz. He was the dance director at Warner Brothers. This led to a small part in the movie The Hard Way (1943). She also danced in the film Lady in the Dark (1944).

Her Most Famous Role

Sonia Darrin's most well-known role was Agnes Lowzier. She played this character in Howard Hawks's movie The Big Sleep (1946). In the film, Agnes is connected to a small-time gangster.

Sonia had many scenes where she talked with Humphrey Bogart's character. However, she did not get credit for her role in The Big Sleep. This means her name was not shown on screen.

She later found out this happened because of an argument. Her agent, Arthur Pine, had a disagreement with the studio boss, Jack Warner.

Later Recognition

Years later, Sonia Darrin finally got credit for playing Agnes. She played the role again in a TV show. This was a TV version of The Big Sleep. It aired on September 25, 1950, on Robert Montgomery Presents.

She also worked on early television shows with famous actors. These included Ed Wynn and Alan Young.

Sonia Darrin's Personal Life

Sonia Darrin was married three times. All of her marriages ended. Her first marriage was to a dentist named Sidney Sircus. It lasted for 19 months.

She later married Jacob Aronoff, a plastic surgeon. They had three children together: two sons and a daughter. Her last marriage was to William "Bill" Reese. With him, she had her fourth child, Mason Reese, who became a child actor.

Sonia Darrin appeared on The Mike Douglas Show in the 1970s. Her last public appearance was in 2007. This was for a documentary about her brother, Dorian.

She lived in New York City for over 50 years. Sonia Darrin passed away naturally in New York City on July 19, 2020. She was 96 years old. She was the last living cast member from The Big Sleep.

Filmography