Janet Angel MacLachlan (August 27, 1933 – October 11, 2010) was an American actress who had roles in such television series as The Rockford Files, The Invaders, All in the Family and The Golden Girls. She is best remembered for her key supporting part in the film Sounder (1972) where she portrayed Camille Johnson, a young teacher. MacLachlan worked with numerous well-known actors and actresses and celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Jim Brown, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou and Morgan Freeman.
Life and career
MacLachlan was born in Harlem, New York City; her mother, Iris South MacLachlan, and father, James MacLachlan, were both Jamaican-born members of the Church of the Illumination. Attending P.S. 170 and Julia Ward Junior High School, MacLachlan graduated from Julia Richman High School in 1950. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hunter College in 1955. She then worked as an executive secretary in New York City before turning to acting. She later performed at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
A one-time contract player for Universal Studios, MacLachlan made her debut in two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965. She appeared in episodes of The Fugitive, The Invaders episode "The Vise" as Mrs Baxter (1968), The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, Ironside, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Wonder Woman and The Mod Squad. She also appeared in the films Uptight (1968), Change of Mind (1969), ...tick...tick...tick... (1970), Darker Than Amber (1970), Halls of Anger (1970), Sounder (1972), The Man (1972), Tightrope (1984), Murphy's Law (1986), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999).
MacLachlan also won a Los Angeles-area Emmy for her performance in KCET's Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry in 1981. She would later serve as grant committee chairman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Death Suffering from cardiovascular disease in her later years, MacLachlan died from complications from the condition on October 11, 2010, at the age of 77 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. MacLachlan resided in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1967 Star Trek Lieutenant Charlene Masters Episode: "The Alternative Factor"; Season 1, Episode 27 1968 Uptight Jeannie 1969 Change of Mind Elizabeth Dickson The Mod Squad Ann Gibbon Episode: "To Linc, With Love"; Season 2 Episode 5 1970 ...tick...tick...tick... Mary Price Halls of Anger Lorraine Nash Darker Than Amber Noreen 1972 The Man Wanda The Mary Tyler Moore Show Sherry (Kris) WilsonAlthough the character's first name is listed as "Sherry" in the end credits, she is never called by that name within the dialogue of the episode; she is always referred to as "Kris" in the dialogue. Episode: "His Two Right Arms"; Season 2, Episode 24 Sounder Camille Johnson 1973 Maurie Dorothy 1975 The Rockford Files Adrienne Clarke Episode: "The Deep Blue Sleep"; Season 2, Episode 5 S.W.A.T. Cleo Kay Episode : "Jungle War"; Season 1, Episode 6 1976 Ellery Queen Corrine Ogden Episode: "The Adventure of the Sunday Punch"; Season 1, Episode 13 Barney Miller Miss Jackson Episode: "Werewolf' 1977 Wonder Woman Sakri Episode: "Judgment from Outer Space: Part 1"; Season 1, Episode 9 1978 Good Times Sandra Forbes Episode: "Florida Gets a Job"; Season 6, Episode 5 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mary Logan 1979 All in the Family Polly Lewis Episode: "The Family Next Door"; Season 9, Episode 22 1982 Cagney & Lacey Lynne Sutter Episode: "Mr. Lonelyhearts"; Season 2, Episode 7 1984 Tightrope Dr. Yarlofsky 1986 Murphy's Law Dr. Lovell The Boy Who Could Fly Mrs. D'Gregario 1987 Big Shots Welfare Worker The Golden Girls Sandra Episode: "Old Friends"; Season 3, Episode 1 1988 For Keeps Miss Giles 1993 Heart and Souls Agnes Miller 1994 There Goes My Baby Lottie Criminal Passion Tracy's Lawyer In The Heat Of The Night Nedda Losey Episode: Who Was Geli Bendl? 1996 The Big Squeeze Bank Manager Pinocchio's Revenge Judge Allen 1999 The Thirteenth Floor Ellen
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