Jessica Walter was born on January 31 1941 in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in Astoria, Queens. Her father, David Walter, was a violinist who played with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Her mother, Esther, was a Russian immigrant. Her brother, Richard Walter, became a writer and chairman of the graduate program in screenwriting.
Jessica Walter studied acting at Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts and later the Neighbourhood Playhouse. In 1960 she made her debut on Broadway in Advise and Consent. That same year she made her television debut in an episode of Diagnosis: Unknown.
In the Sixties Jessica Walter played the regular role of Phyllis Koster, wife of assistant district attorney David Koster (William Shatner) on the short-lived series For the People. She was also a regular on the soap opera Love of Life from 1962 to 1965. She guest starred on Naked City, Route 66, East Side/West Side, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Ben Casey, Flipper, The Nurses, The Reporter, The Rouges, The Defenders, The Trials of O'Brien, The F.B.I., The Fugitive, Preview Tonight, It Takes a Thief, The Immortal, Then Came Bronson, Mission: Impossible, and The Most Deadly Game. She made her film debut in Lilith in 1964. She appeared in the movies The Group (1966), Grand Prix (1966), Bye Bye Braverman (1968), and Number One (1969). Miss Walter appeared on Broadway in Night Life, Photo Finish, and A Severed Head.
In the Seventies Jessica Walter played deranged stalker Evelyn Draper in Play Misty for Me (1971). She also appeared in the movies Goldengirl (1979) and Concorde...Airport '79 (1979). On television she played the lead of the title in the short-lived series Amy Prentiss. She guest starred on Storefront Lawyers; The Name of the Game; Alias Smith and Jones; The Sixth Sense; Banyon; Cannon; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Banacek; Mannix; Tenafly; Medical Center; Love, American Style; Columbo; The Magician; Ironside; Barnaby Jones; Hawaii Five-O; McCloud; The Streets of San Francisco; Visions; All That Glitters; Wonder Woman; What Really Happened to the Class of '65; Gibbsville; Quincy, M.E. She appeared in several TV movies, including playing Morgan Le Fay in Dr. Strange.
In the Eighties Jessica Walter was a regular on the nighttime soap opera Bare Essence, the sitcom Three's a Crowd, and the family drama Aaron's Way. She played the recurring role of the title character's ex-wife on Trapper John, M.D. She was a voice on the animated series Wildfire. She guest starred on the shows Love Boat, Aloha Paradise, Knot's Landing, Joanie Loves Chachi, Matt Houston, Hotel, Magnum P.I., and J. J. Starbuck. Miss Walter appeared in the movies Going Ape! (1981), Spring Fever (1982), The Flamingo Kid (1984), and Tapeheads (1988). She appeared on Broadway in Rumors.
In the Nineties Jessica Walter was the voice of Earl Sinclair's long-suffering wife Fran Sinclair on the sitcom Dinosaurs. She was a regular on the sitcom Oh Baby. She had a recurring role on the sitcoms Coach and Jack & Jill, as well as the soap opera One Life to Live. She guest starred on the shows The Round Table; Murder, She Wrote; Babylon 5; Law & Order; You Wish; Poltergeist: The Legacy; and Just Shoot Me!. Miss Walter appeared in the movies Ghost in the Machine (1993), PCU (1994), Temptress (1995), and Slums of Beverly Hills (1998).
In the Naughts Jessica Walter played Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development. She was a regular on 90120 for the first half of its first season. She began her long run as the voice of Malory Archer on the animated series Archer. She had recurring roles on Saving Grace and Gravity. She guest starred on Touched by An Angel, Rules of Engagement, The Wedding Bells, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Happy Hour, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Make It or Break It. She appeared in the movies My Best Friend's Wife (2001), Dummy (2002), and Unaccompanied Minors (2006).
In the Teens she continued to voice Malory Archer on Archer. She reprised her role as Lucille on Arrested Development. She was a regular on Retired at 35 and Jennifer Falls. She guest starred on The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple (2016), NCIS, Difficult People, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Good Girls, and American Housewife. She was a regular voice on the animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and provided guest voices on the animated shows Justice League Action and Harley Quinn. She appeared on Broadway in Anything Goes. She appeared in the movies Bending the Rules (2012), Keep the Change (2017), Undercover Grandpa (2017), and The Mimic (2020).
I cannot begin to describe my admiration for Jessica Walter. She was simply an incredible actress. I have only seen a few episodes of Arrested Development (it was always opposite one of my regularly watched shows during its original run), but I know many will always remember her as Lucille Bluth, the domineering matriarch of the Bluth family. Even for those who have only seen a few episodes of Arrested Development or none at all, there are a number of other roles they will probably remember Miss Walter for. For me, it will perhaps be two voice roles. The first was the voice of Fran Sinclair on Dinosaurs, the level headed, sensible, always patient wife of Earl Sinclair. She was truly Alice Kramden to Earl's Ralph. Malory Archer was about as far from Fran as one could get. She was the former head of spy agency ISIS and Archer's mother. She was also an utterly ruthless alcoholic who generally thinks of no one but herself. Although it is not well-remembered today, Jessica Walter played the title role on the short-lived Seventies series Amy Prentiss. Amy Prentiss was San Francisco's first chief of detectives. Miss Walter excelled in the role, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series.
Jessica Walter was prolific. She somehow found time to be a regular on several TV shows, guest star on many more, and appear in movies and on Broadway to boot. What is more, she never gave a bad performance. As far as movies go, she will always remembered as the mentally disturbed stalker in Play Misty for Me. She also gave impressive turns as a racecar driver's wife in Grand Prix, the ambitious Libby in The Group, and widow Inez Braverman in Bye Bye Braverman. While Jessica Walter may be particularly remembered for her work in comedy, she was equally adept at drama. She excelled in both drama and comedy in playing complex, intelligent women. She did it so well that few actresses could ever match her. If Jessica Walter was prolific, if she had a career in television, in movies, and on Broadway, it was because she was so extraordinarily talented.
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