Caroline McWilliams

Caroline Margaret McWilliams (April 4, 1945 – February 11, 2010) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill in the television series Benson.[1] McWilliams had also appeared in nine episodes of its parent-series Soap, as Sally. She was a regular on the CBS soap Guiding Light (as Janet Norris) for several years and appeared in a short-term role (as Tracy DeWitt) on the NBC soap Another World. She also had a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 playing the mother of Jamie Walters' character, Ray Pruit.

Caroline McWilliams
McWilliams as Marcy Hill
Born
Caroline Margaret McWilliams

(1945-04-04)April 4, 1945
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedFebruary 11, 2010(2010-02-11) (aged 64)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University
OccupationActress
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1982; div. 1990)​
ChildrenSean Douglas

Personal life

McWilliams was born in Seattle and grew up in Rhode Island. She graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She was married in 1982 to Michael Keaton, with whom she had a son, Sean, born in 1983. She and Keaton divorced in 1990.

Career

McWilliams's television appearances spanned every decade from the 1960s through the 2000s. She was a regular player on Guiding Light as Janet Mason Norris from 1969 until 1975. She portrayed a prostitute who helped an immigrant stay in the country by marrying him for money on Barney Miller in 1977. She was a semi-regular on Soap during the second season in 1978. She then appeared on Benson (as a different character) when that series premiered in 1979. She remained on Benson until 1981: the storyline stated that her character was departing to move away with her husband (her fiancé-turned-husband on the show having been played by Ted Danson).

On stage, she appeared in the musical Boccaccio; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; The Rothschilds and productions with the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Conn. and the New York Shakespeare Festival.[1]

After this, she made a number of appearances in television comedies and dramas,[2] including Kojak, Quincy, M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., Hill Street Blues, Night Court, St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, Sisters (two episodes), Home Improvement, Murphy Brown and Judging Amy (three episodes). In 1989, she portrayed the ghostly wife, Clair Pritchard, in the short-lived comedy series Nearly Departed. She also appeared in numerous made-for-television movies, including The Death of Ocean View Park (1979), Rage! (1980), The Gift of Life (1982), Cass Malloy (1982) and Sworn to Silence (1987).

McWilliams appeared in two major motion pictures:

  • White Water Summer (1987) – as Virginia Block
  • Mermaids (1990) – as Carrie also appeared in an episode of Beverly hills 90210 as ray pruitt's mother

Illness and death

Caroline McWilliams died from multiple myeloma at her home in Los Angeles, California on February 11, 2010, aged 64.[1]

References
  1. Thursby, Keith (February 21, 2010). "Caroline McWilliams dies at 64; actress was on TV's 'Benson' and 'Soap'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. "Caroline McWilliams". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2015.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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