Anna Marie Patty Duke, better known as Patty Duke, is an American actress who began her career on stage before moving on to television and then film. She is best known for her portrayal of ‘Helen Keller in the film ‘The Miracle Worker.’ She had a successful career that included her own television show. She died on March 29, 2016, at the age of 69, from a ruptured intestine.
Patty Duke Biography
Patty Duke was born on December 14, 1946, to Frances Margaret and John Patrick Duke. She was born in New York, the youngest of three children. She was half Irish and half German.
Because of her family, she had a difficult childhood, and when her care was handed over to talent managers Ethel and John Ross, they took advantage of her by billing Duke as two years younger, giving her alcohol and prescription drugs, and even changing her name from ‘Anna Marie’ to ‘Patty’ in the hope of replicating the success of Patty McCormack.
Patty Duke Age, Height, Weight
Patty Duke was 69 years old when she died on December 14, 1996. Her height was 1.58 m, and she weighed 55 kg.
Career
Her acting career began in the late 1950s when she appeared in the soap opera ‘The Brighter Day.’ She was good at spelling and won big on ‘The $64,000 Question.’
She played Tootie Smith in the television adaptation of ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ in 1959.
Acting as Hellen Keller in the play ‘The Miracle Worker from October 1956 to July 1961 was the cherry on top of her career, and she received numerous awards as a result. The play was made into a film in 1962, and she won an Oscar for it.
Her return to television was in ‘The Power and Glory.’ In September 1963, she debuted her own show, ‘The Patty Duke Show,’ in which she played two main characters.
In 1966, she began a new phase of her adult acting career as Neely O’Hara in the film ‘Valley of the Dolls.’ She won an award for her performance in ‘Me, Natalie’ in 1969.
She returned to television and starred in many television series, including ‘My Sweet Charlie,’ ‘Captains and Kings,’ ‘It Takes Two,’ ‘Hail to the Chief,’ ‘Karen’s Song,’ and others, for which she received numerous awards.
She appeared in the Canadian film ‘By Design,’ in the 1980s, and in the film adaptation of the play ‘Prelude to a Kiss,’ in 1990.
She reduced her work schedule in the 2000s and only did occasional TV roles, guest appearances, stage appearances, and so on. In ‘Liv and Maddie,’ she made her final appearance.
Patty Duke Achievements and Awards
At the age of 16, she received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of ‘Helen Keller’ in ‘Miracle Workers.’ She also won the Golden Globe for promising newcomers the same year. With these honors, she became the youngest person to receive an Oscar. She also won the prestigious award for Paper Moon. She also has three Emmy nominations. She was also nominated for a Genie Award for Best Foreign Actress.
Patty Duke’s Net Worth
Patty Duke’s net worth was estimated to be $10 million. On the game show “The $64,000 Question,” she won $32,000. She made the majority of her money from movies and television shows, where she excelled as an actress. She also wrote a few books and performed music.
Patty Duke has captivated us with her acting and is regarded as one of the most famous American actresses. She revealed her bipolar disorder in her autobiography, became an activist to raise awareness, and appeared on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ She was cremated and buried in Coeur d’Alene’s Forest Cemetery.
