Janet Leigh was an American actress of film, television, stage, and radio, whose career spanned over five decades. Discovered by actress Norma Shearer, Leigh began her career appearing in several popular films for MGM which spanned a wide variety of genres, including Act of Violence (1948), Little Women (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), Scaramouche (1952), The Naked Spur (1953), and Living It Up (1954).
In the latter part of the 1950s, Leigh had supporting roles in Safari (1956), and Orson Welles's film noir Touch of Evil (1958). She went on to gain lasting recognition for her portrayal of the doomed Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's horror film Psycho (1960), which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1962, she starred in the thriller The Manchurian Candidate, before deciding to scale back her career. Leigh continued to appear in films intermittently throughout the 1960s, with roles in Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Harper (1966). She began to appear in television frequently in the 1970s, and had roles in such films as Night of the Lepus (1972) and Boardwalk (1979). In 1975, she made her Broadway debut in a production of Murder Among Friends. Leigh subsequently starred in two horror films with her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis: John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998).
Her last film role was in the comedy Bad Girls from Valley High, filmed in 2000 and released posthumously. Leigh died in 2004 of vasculitis, aged 77.
Film Year Title Role Notes 1947 The Romance of Rosy Ridge If Winter Comes 1948 Hills of Home Alternative titles: Danger in the Hills and Master of Lassie Words and Music 1949 How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border Herself Short film Act of Violence Little Women The Red Danube The Doctor and the Girl Alternative title: Bodies and Souls That Forsyte Woman Alternative title: The Forsyte Saga Holiday Affair 1951 Strictly Dishonorable Angels in the Outfield Two Tickets to Broadway It's a Big Country Third segment 1952 Just This Once Scaramouche Fearless Fagan 1953 The Naked Spur Confidentially Connie Houdini Walking My Baby Back Home 1954 Prince Valiant Living It Up The Black Shield of Falworth Rogue Cop 1955 Pete Kelly's Blues My Sister Eileen 1956 Safari 1957 Jet Pilot Filmed in 1949 1958 Touch of Evil The Vikings Morgana The Perfect Furlough 1960 Who Was That Lady? Psycho Pepe Herself 1962 The Manchurian Candidate 1963 Bye Bye Birdie Wives and Lovers 1966 Kid Rodelo Nora Harper Alternative title: The Moving Target Three on a Couch An American Dream Alternative title: See You in Hell, Darling 1967 The Spy in the Green Hat Re-edited from episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Grand Slam Alternative title: Ad ogni costo 1969 Hello Down There Alternative title: Sub-A-Dub-Dub 1972 One Is a Lonely Number Alternative title: Two Is a Happy Number Night of the Lepus Alternative title: Rabbits 1979 Boardwalk 1980 The Fog 1985 The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal Herself Documentary film 1998 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Norma Watson 2005 Bad Girls from Valley High Filmed in 2000; released posthumously
Television Year Title Role Notes1954–1961 What's My Line? Mystery Guest 4 episodes1957 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Mother Episode: "Carriage from Britain"1961 I've Got a Secret Herself Episode dated December 11, 19611964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Carol Hartley Episode: "Murder in the First"1965 The Bob Hope Special Herself Television special1966 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Virginia Ballard Episode: "Dear Deductible" The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Miss Diketon Episodes: "The Concrete Overcoat Affair" (Parts 1 & 2) The Red Skelton Show Daisy June Episode: "Jerk Be Nimble"1967 The Jerry Lewis Show Miss Fagelter Episode: #1.4 The Dean Martin Show Herself Episode: #3.41968 The Bob Hope Special Herself Television special The Danny Thomas Hour Liza Merrick Episode: "One for My Baby"1969 The Monk Janice Barnes Television film The Red Skelton Show Clara Appleby Episode: "It's Better to Have Loved and Lost - Much Better" Honeymoon with a Stranger Sandra Latham Television film1970 House on Greenapple Road Marian Ord Television film The Virginian Jenny Davis Episode: "Jenny" Bracken's World Maggie Morgan Episode: "The Anonymous Star"1971 The Name of the Game Glory Bates Episode: "The Man Who Killed a Ghost" My Wives Jane Jane Franklin Television pilot The Deadly Dream Laurel Hanley Television film1973 Circle of Fear Carol Episode: "Death's Head" Murdock's Gang Laura Talbot Television film Love Story Leonie Episode: "Beginner's Luck"1975 Movin' On Nina Smith Episode: "Weddin' Bells" Columbo Grace Wheeler Episode: "Forgotten Lady"1977 Murder at the World Series Karen Weese Television film Telethon Elaine Cotten Television film1978 The Love Boat Gail Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part-Maybe/Locked Away/Chubs"1979 Fantasy Island Carol Gates Episode: "Birthday Party/Ghostbreaker" Mirror, Mirror Millie Gorman Television film1982 Tales of the Unexpected Joan Stackpole Episode: "Light Fingers" Matt Houston Ramona Launders Episode: "Who Would Kill Ramona?" Fantasy Island Suzanne King Episode: "Roller Derby Dolls/Thanks a Million"1985 The Love Boat Joan Philipps Episode: "Instinct/Unmade for Each Other/BOS" On Our Way Kate Walsh Television film1986 Starman Antonia Weyburn Episode: "Society's Pet"1987 Murder, She Wrote Cornelia Montaigne Harper Episode: "Doom with a View"1989 The Twilight Zone Barbara LeMay Episode: "Rendezvous in a Dark Place"1997 Touched by an Angel Vera King Episode: "Charades"1999 In My Sister's Shadow Kay Connor Television film2001 Family Law Mary Sawyer Episode: "The Quality of Mercy"
Radio Year Title Episode 1952 Lux Radio Theatre Strictly Dishonorable Stars in the Air Model Wife
Stage Title Role Opening date Closing date Venue Notes Murder Among Friends Angela Forrester December 28, 1975 January 10, 1976 Biltmore Theatre Broadway debut
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