Who was Lee Remick? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Lee Ann Remick

Died At Age: 55

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Bill Colleran (m. 1957–1968), William Rory Gowans (m. 1970–1991)

father: Francis Edwin Remick

mother: Gertrude Margaret Waldo

children: Katherine Colleran, Matt Colleran

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Died on: July 2, 1991

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Ancestry: British American

Cause of Death: Kidney Cancer

Notable Alumni: Barnard College

U.S. State: Massachusetts

More Facts

education: Barnard College

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Childhood & Early Life

Lee Remick was born on 14th December 1935 in Quincy, Massachusetts, US to Francis Edwin Remick and Gertrude Margaret. Her father owned a departmental store and her mother was an actress.

She attended the Swaboda School of Dance and the Hewitt School before joining Barnard College to study acting. She also received training at the Actors Studio. She eventually made her Broadway debut with a role in the play ‘Be Your Age’.

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Career

Lee Remick made her film debut with a role in the 1957 film ‘A Face in the Crowd’. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film was about a drifter who rises to fame after being discovered by a producer. The following year, she appeared in the film ‘The Long, Hot Summer’, and in 1959, she appeared in the film ‘These Thousand Hills’. The same year, she was also nominated for the Golden Globe for her role in the courtroom drama film ‘Anatomy of a Murder’.

In 1960, she was seen in the film ‘Wild River’, and the next year, she appeared in the film ‘Sanctuary’. In 1962, she appeared in the suspense thriller film ‘Experiment in Terror’, where she played one of the main characters. The same year, she appeared in the drama film ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ which won her an Oscar nomination for her performance. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award as well, for the role.

She also gained prominence for her role in the 1964 Broadway Musical ‘Anyone Can Whistle’. Two years later, she again earned appreciation for her role in the play ‘Wait Until Dark’. The play was a major success and also earned her a nomination for the Tony Award in the ‘Best Actress’ category.

Over the next few years, she continued to appear in several films, some of them being ‘Baby the Rain Must Fall’ (1965), ‘The Hallelujah Trail’ (1965), ‘The Detective Karen’ (1968), ‘Loot’ (1970) ‘Hennessy’ (1975), ‘The Omen’ (1976), ‘Telefon’ (1977) and ‘The Competition’ (1980). She also appeared in several TV movies and miniseries, such as ‘The Tempest’ (1960) and ‘The Damn Yankees’ (1967).

Her role in the 1973 TV movie ‘The Blue Knight’ won her a Golden Globe Award and also a nomination for an Emmy. Over the course of her entire career, she earned a total of seven Emmy nominations for her roles in TV miniseries and TV movies. Her last role on screen was in the miniseries ‘Around the World in 80 Days’.

Major Works

Lee Remick came to prominence for her performance in the courtroom crime drama film ‘Anatomy of a Murder’. Directed by Otto Preminger, the film was adapted from a novel of the same name by John D Voelker, a Michigan Supreme Court Justice. It was based on a true murder case in which he himself was the attorney. The film was met with mostly positive reviews, though it was banned temporarily in Chicago due to its strong language.

One of the most significant works in Lee Remick’s career was the drama film ‘Days of Wine and Roses’. Directed by Blake Edwards, the film was based on a book of the same name by JP Miller. The film was much appreciated by critics and it was nominated for five Oscars, winning one for the ‘Best Original Score’. Remick received an Oscar nomination for her performance and was also nominated for the BAFTA and the Golden Globe Awards.

Awards & Achievements

Lee Remick was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress her outstanding performance in the drama film ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ (1962). She also earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for her performance in the same film.

Remick earned a nomination for the Tony Award for her brilliant performance in the play ‘Wait Until Dark’.

In 1973, she won the Golden Globe Award for her performance in the TV movie ‘The Blue Knight’. Throughout her career, she was nominated for several more Golden Globes and Emmys for her powerful performances.

She won the BAFTA Award for her role in the TV miniseries ‘Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill’ in 1974.

She was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1990. In 1991, she was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

In 1957, Lee Remick married producer Bill Colleran and had two children with him: Katherine Lee Colleran and Matthew Remick Colleran. The couple divorced in 1968.

She married British producer William Rory Gowans in 1970. They remained together till her death.

She passed away on 2 July 1991 due to kidney and liver cancer. She was fifty-five at the time of her death.

1976	Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama	Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974)
1974	Best TV Actress - Drama	The Blue Knight (1973)

Lee Remick Biography