Joanna Pettet

Joanna Pettet
Pettet in 1976
Born
Joanna Jane Salmon

(1942-11-16)16 November 1942
London, England
Died7 July 2026(2026-07-07) (aged 83)
Temecula, California, U.S.
EducationNeighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
OccupationActress
Years active1961–1990
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1989)​
Children1
FamilyFrancis Egerton (great-grandfather)

Joanna Jane Pettet[1] (né Salmon; 16 November 1942 – 7 July 2026) was an English-Canadian actress.[1] She was known for her roles in several notable films of the late 1960s, including the comedic James Bond film Casino Royale, Robbery, The Group, and The Night of the Generals.[1]

Early life and education

Pettet was born on 16 November 1942 and spent her early childhood in Chelsea, London, England,[1][2][3] the daughter of Harold Nigel Egerton Salmon (illegitimate grandson of Francis Egerton)[4] and Cecily J. Tremaine, who were married in Chelsea in 1940. Her father, a British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot, was killed in the Second World War in 1943.[3] After the war, her mother remarried and settled in Montréal,[2] where Joanna was adopted by her stepfather and assumed his surname of Pettet. She attended Westmount High School.[1]

When Pettet was in her teens, she moved to New York City to pursue acting.[1][2] She studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre,[2] as well as at the Lincoln Center.

Career

Pettet made her debut, aged 19, on Broadway in Take Her, She's Mine (21 December 1961 – 8 December 1962).[5] She also appeared on Broadway in The Chinese Prime Minister, and Poor Richard.[6]

Beginning in 1964 with an episode of Route 66, she began making guest appearances in several US dramatic television series of the mid-sixties, including The Doctors, The Nurses, The Trials of O'Brien, The Fugitive, A Man Called Shenandoah, and Dr. Kildare.

She was cast in writer/producer Sidney Buchman's 1966 adaptation of Mary McCarthy's novel The Group. The success of that film launched a film career that included roles in The Night of the Generals (1967), as Mata Bond in the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967), Peter Yates's Robbery (1967) with Stanley Baker, Blue (1968) with Terence Stamp, and the Victorian period comedy The Best House in London (1969).[1]

In the 1970s, Pettet's feature film appearances became sporadic and included roles in the cult horror films Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974) and The Evil (1978). Pettet re-emerged as the star of over a dozen television movies, including The Weekend Nun (1972), Footsteps (1972), Pioneer Woman (1973), A Cry in the Wilderness (1974), The Desperate Miles (1975), The Hancocks (1976), Sex and the Married Woman (1977), Cry of the Innocent (1980) with Rod Taylor, and The Return of Frank Cannon (1980).

Also in the 1970s, Pettet guest-starred four times on the classic Rod Serling anthology series Night Gallery, appearing with her then-husband Alex Cord in the episode "Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something". She also guest-starred in two episodes of the Brian Clemens anthology series Thriller in the UK. Pettet starred in the NBC miniseries Captains and the Kings (1976), starred in the episode "You're Not Alone" from the 1977 NBC anthology series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (known in the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale),[7] was a guest on both Fantasy Island and The Love Boat (appearing three times on each series), and had a recurring role on Knots Landing in 1983 as Janet Baines, an LAPD homicide detective investigating the murder of singer Ciji Dunne (played by Lisa Hartman).

Through the 1970s and 1980s, Pettet made appearances on the television series Harry O, Banacek, McCloud, Mannix, Police Woman, Knight Rider, Tales of the Unexpected (the UK series) and Murder, She Wrote. In 1984, she appeared as herself in a James Bond tribute episode of The Fall Guy with ex-Bond girls Britt Ekland and Lana Wood.

Her final screen role was in the 1991 thriller Terror in Paradise, after which she retired from the screen, still in her 40s.[1]

Personal life

In 1968, Pettet co-starred with Terence Stamp in the Western film Blue, with whom she had a romantic relationship that resulted in the birth of her only child, Damien Zachary Cord. Later that year, she married American actor Alex Cord[8]; the couple subsequently divorced in 1989.[1]

On 8 August 1969, Pettet had lunch at the home of actress Sharon Tate, just hours before the crimes that would be committed at that residence by members of the Manson Family.[9] This event is illustrated in the fictional/alternate-reality 2019 film Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood, in which Pettet is portrayed by Rumer Willis.[10]

Actor Sir Alan Bates bequeathed Pettet £95,000 (equivalent to £173,759 in 2025) upon his death in December 2003. The two had been friends since 1964, and Pettet provided support and companionship during his final months in London after he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2003. Pettet was quoted as saying: "It was a very touching gesture because he had done everything while he was in hospital to make sure I would be looked after following his death."[11][1]

In August 2021, Pettet became trapped under a boulder for three hours in a high desert area near Anza, California. As a result, she needed surgery to replace her shoulder and rotator cuff.[12]

Death

Pettet died at Temecula Valley Hospital in Temecula, California, on July 7, 2026, 31 years after the death of her son.[13][14][10]

Recognition

Pettet won a Theatre World Award for 1964–1965 for her work in Poor Richard.[15]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1966 The Group Kay Strong Peterson
1967 The Night of the Generals Ulrike von Seidlitz-Gabler
Casino Royale Mata Bond / James Bond
Robbery Kate Clifton
1968 Blue Joanne Morton
1969 The Best House in London Josephine Pacefoot
1974 Welcome to Arrow Beach Grace Henry
1978 The Evil Dr. Caroline Arnold
1982 Double Exposure Mindy Jordache
Black Commando Desdemona
1987 Sweet Country Monica
1990 Terror in Paradise Dr. Fletcher

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Route 66 Millie Wilkins "Child of a Night"
1965 The Doctors Judy Lloyd "1.481"
The Nurses Carol Lloyd "A Dangerous Silence"
The Trials of O'Brien Liz Martin "Picture Me a Murder"
1966 The Fugitive Tina Andresen "Shadow of a Swan"
A Man Called Shenandoah Julia Riley "The Riley Brand"
Dr. Kildare Yvonne Barlow Guest role (season 5)
1967 Three for Danger Serena TV film
1970 Night Gallery Elaine Latimer "The House"
1971 Claire Foster "Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something"
Mannix Cindy Warren "A Button for General D."
1972 The Delphi Bureau April Thompson "Pilot"
Miss Stewart, Sir Kate Stewart TV film
The Weekend Nun Sister Mary Damian/Marjorie Walker ABC Movie of the Week
Banacek Christine Verdon "Project Phoenix"
Footsteps Sarah Allison TV film
Night Gallery Rhona Warwick / The Girl with the Hungry Eyes "The Caterpillar", "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes"
1973 McCloud Melissa Thompson "The Solid Gold Swingers"
Pioneer Woman Maggie Sergeant TV film
1974 Medical Center Molly "Girl from Bedlam"
A Cry in the Wilderness Delda Hadley TV film
Police Story Adria "Glamour Boy"
1974–75 Thriller Sylvia Dee / Jody Baxter "A Killer in Every Corner", "A Midsummer Nightmare"
Harry O Glenna Nielson / Breda Beach "Forty Reasons to Kill: Parts 1 & 2", "Group Terror"
1975 Caribe Andrea "Vanished"
The Desperate Miles Ruth Merrick TV film
Police Woman Glenna Burns / Beth Lord "Silence"
1976 The Dark Side of Innocence Jesse Breton TV film
Captains and the Kings Katherine Hennessey TV miniseries
1977 Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected Julie Thomas "You're Not Alone"
Sex and the Married Woman Leslie Fitch TV film
1979 Heaven Only Knows Lynn Harpster TV film
1979–82 The Love Boat Carol Hanson / Angelina Blenderman / Lenore Pitchford 3 episodes
1980 Charlie's Angels Barbara Brown "Nips and Tucks"
Cry of the Innocent Cynthia Donegin / Candia Leighton TV film
The Return of Frank Cannon Alana Richardson TV film
1980–83 Fantasy Island Nona Lauren / Celeste Vallon / Vanessa Walgren 3 episodes
1981 Aloha Paradise Fiona 2 episodes
Tales of the Unexpected Betsy "A Glowing Future"
1982 The Littlest Hobo Cynthia Masters "Forget Me Not"
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Meg Palmer "Christmas Song"
1983 Knots Landing Det. Janet Baines Recurring role
1984 The Yellow Rose Lane Roberts "Running Free"
Knight Rider Joanna St. John "Mouth of the Snake"
The Fall Guy Herself "Always Say Always"
Finder of Lost Loves Claire Hardy "Undying Love"
1984–85 Hotel Lauren Chapman / Sally Banks "Reflections", "Lost and Found"
1987 Murder, She Wrote Virginia McCormack "The Way to Dusty Death"
1989 ABC Afterschool Special Carolyn Adams "Just Tipsy, Honey"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hayward, Anthony (23 July 2026). "Joanna Pettet obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (2002). Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962–1973. McFarland & Company. p. 242. ISBN 9780786411948. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Battle of Britain London Monument - F/O HNE Salmon".
  4. ↑ "The Airmen's Stories - F/O H N E Salmon". The Battle of Britain London Monument. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Winchell, Walter (4 October 1962). "Walter Winchell ... of Broadway". Lebanon Daily News. Pennsylvania, Lebanon. p. 43. Retrieved 2 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ "("Joanna Pettet" search results)". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  7. ↑ Tales Of The Unexpected at Classic TV Archive
  8. ↑ "It's here and it'll stay". The Windsor Star. 26 November 1968. p. 11.
  9. ↑ Iati, Marisa (9 August 2019). "Actress Sharon Tate was young, beautiful and pregnant. Then Charles Manson's 'family' arrived". The Washington Post. Sharing lunch by the pool, Tate complained about Polanski to her friends, actresses Joanna Pettet and Barbara Lewis...
  10. 1 2 Darvell, Michael (8 July 2026). "Joanna Pettet — FILM REVIEW". Film Review Daily. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Alan Bates's £95,000 for secret lover who nursed him through his final days". Evening Standard. ESI Media. 3 February 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Actress Joanna Pettet's Agonizing Accident: 'Please Pray for Her'". Extra. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  13. ↑ Winston, Fran (9 July 2026). "Joanna Pettet dead: Beloved James Bond star dies on anniversary of son's death". The Express. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Joanna Pettet, Actress in 'The Group' and 'Casino Royale,' Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Theatre World Award Recipients". Theatre World Awards. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
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