Gayle Hunnicutt

Gayle Hunnicutt
Hunnicutt in The Golden Bowl (1972)
Born(1943-02-06)February 6, 1943
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
DiedAugust 31, 2023(2023-08-31) (aged 80)
London, England
Education
OccupationsActress, writer, model
Years active1966–1999
Known for
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1975)​
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 2009)​
Children2, including Nolan Hemmings

Gayle Hunnicutt, Lady Jenkins (February 6, 1943 – August 31, 2023)[1] was an American film, television, and stage actress. She is known for her film roles in Marlowe (1969), Fragment of Fear (1970), Running Scared (1972), and The Legend of Hell House (1973), as well as her portrayal of Vanessa Beaumont on the soap opera Dallas (1988–1991).[1]

Early life and education

Hunnicutt was born February 6, 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas, the daughter of Mary Virginia (née Dickerson) and Colonel Sam Lloyd Hunnicutt.[1] Hunnicutt attended Texas Christian University before winning a scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in English literature and theatre.[1]

She worked as a fashion model, then became an actress.

Career

Acting

During her early film career, Hunnicutt was typecast as a red-haired sexpot.[2][3] She portrayed Emaline Fetty, a con woman trying to extort money from the Clampetts in two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies in 1966.[4] Her film debut was a small role was in the motorcycle film The Wild Angels (1966), which starred Peter Fonda. Bruce Dern, and Diane Ladd. She co-starred with George Peppard in the detective film P.J. (1968) and with James Garner in the detective film Marlowe (1969), in which her character was a glamorous Hollywood actress.

She moved to England with husband David Hemmings in 1970. She and Hemmings co-starred in two horror films in the early 1970s, Fragment of Fear (1970) and Voices (1973). She played Charlotte Stant in the Jack Pulman television adaptation (1972) of Henry James's The Golden Bowl. She played Ann Barrett in The Legend of Hell House (1973), and Tsarina Alexandra in the television miniseries Fall of Eagles (1974). She played a supporting role in the horror film The Spiral Staircase in 1975, which starred Jacqueline Bisset. She appeared as a housewife and mother in an episode of The Martian Chronicles in 1979. She appeared as Irene Adler, opposite Jeremy Brett, in the first episode of the TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes ("A Scandal in Bohemia") in 1984. She also appeared in another Marlowe mystery in an episode of HBO's Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983), this time starring Powers Boothe. She had a supporting role in the thriller Target (1985), co-starring Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon and another supporting role in the horror film Dream Lover (1986). Hunnicutt returned to the United States in 1989 to play the role of Vanessa Beaumont in Dallas, making semi-regular appearances until 1991.

In 2012, Hunnicutt was featured in an episode of the HGTV reality show Selling London, in which she presented the Primrose Hill property where she and her second husband, journalist and editor Simon Jenkins, lived for three decades.[5]

Writing

Hunnicutt wrote two books. The first, Health and Beauty in Motherhood, was published in 1984. In 2004, she published Dearest Virginia: Love Letters from a Cavalry Officer in the South Pacific, which contains the letters exchanged by her parents during World War II.

Personal life and death

On November 16, 1968, Hunnicutt married British actor David Hemmings.[6] The couple had a son, actor Nolan Hemmings, before divorcing in 1975 due to his affair with Samantha Eggar.[7]

Hunnicutt married British journalist Simon Jenkins in 1978. The couple lived in Primrose Hill, London, where they raised their son Edward. Jenkins was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to journalism in the 2004 New Year honours. They divorced in 2009. In 2010 she started dating Richard Evans, tennis correspondent of The Daily Telegraph.[8]

Hunnicutt died in London on August 31, 2023, at the age of 80.[2][9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1966 The Wild Angels Suzie
1968 P.J. Maureen Preble
The Smugglers Adrianna Television film
1969 Eye of the Cat Kassia Lancaster
Marlowe Mavis Wald
1970 Fragment of Fear Juliet Bristow
1971 Freelance Chris
The Love Machine Astrological girl at party Uncredited
1972 Running Scared Ellen Case [10]
1973 Voices Claire
Scorpio Susan
The Legend of Hell House Ann Barrett [11]
1974 Nuits rouges Alternate title: Shadowman
1975 The Spiral Staircase Blanche
1976 Strange Shadows in an Empty Room Margie Cohn
The Sell Out Deborah
1978 Once in Paris... Susan Townsend
Dylan Liz Reitel Television film
1979 The Saint and the Brave Goose Annabelle West
1980 Flashpoint Africa Lisa Ford
1981 The Million Dollar Face Diana Masterson Television film
1983 Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. Andrea Mackovich Television film
Savage in the Orient Julian Clydesdale Television film
1984 Two by Forsyth Television film
1985 Target Donna Lloyd
1986 Dream Lover Claire
Strong Medicine Lillian Hawthorne Television film
1987 Turnaround Pat
1989 Silence Like Glass Mrs. Martin
Hard to Be a God
The Saint: The Brazilian Connection Mrs. Cunningham Television film

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1966 The Beverly Hillbillies Emaline Fetty 2 episodes [12]
Love on a Rooftop Barbara Ames Episode: "There's Got to Be Something Wrong With Her" [12]
Hey, Landlord Joan Episode: "Safari" [12]
1966–1967 Get Smart: It Takes One to Know One Octavia, a KAOS agent [12]
1972 The Golden Bowl Charlotte Slant Miniseries [12]
1973 Away from it all Madame Dalleray Episode:The Ripening Seed [12]
1974 Fall of Eagles Tsarina Alexandra Miniseries [12]
Thriller Suzy Buckley Episode: "K Is for Killing" [12]
1979 Return of the Saint Annabelle West 2 episodes [12]
A Man Called Intrepid Cynthia Miniseries [12]
1980 Fantômas Lady Beltham Miniseries [12]
The Martian Chronicles Ruth Wilder Miniseries [12]
The Love Boat Janet Mallory 3 episodes [12]
1981 Lady Killers Edith Thompson Episode: "The Darlingest Boy" [12]
1983 Taxi Mrs. Bascome Episode: "Louie Moves Uptown" [13]
Tales of the Unexpected Susan Mandeville Episode: "The Luncheon" [12]
1984 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Irene Adler Episode: "A Scandal in Bohemia" [12]
The First Olympics: Athens 1896 Mary Sloane Miniseries [12]
1985 A Woman of Substance Olivia Wainright Miniseries [12]
1986 Dream West Maria Crittenden Miniseries [12]
1989–1991 Dallas Vanessa Beaumont 13 episodes [12]
1996 Tales from the Crypt Ellen Episode: "Smoke Wrings" [12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gallagher, Danny (September 7, 2023). "Dallas Star and Fort Worth Native Gayle Hunnicutt Dies in London". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Harrison (September 5, 2023). "Gayle Hunnicutt, Texan actress who thrived in Britain, dies at 80". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Gayle Hunnicutt-During her brief Hollywood career she was typecast as a brunette sexpot". Guyana Chronicle. October 18, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Gayle Hunnicutt". hollywood.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Dallas star Gayle Hunnicutt dies as Texas-born actress is remembered". September 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ "David, Gayle Remarry In Beverly Hills Rites". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 18, 1968. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Gayle's in England--Back From the Edge of the Earth". San Francisco Chronicle. May 11, 1975. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Actress Gayle Hunnicutt rekindles 'extraordinary' love". The Daily Telegraph. May 2010. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Obituary". The Guardian. September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Running Scared". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Legend of Hell House". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on August 5, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Gayle Hunnicutt Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ Michael Zinberg (director) (2014). "Louie Moves Uptown". Taxi: Die Finale Season [The Final Season] (DVD) (in German and English). Germany: Paramount Home Media Distribution / Paramount Home Entertainment (Germany).
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