Carolyn Jones

Carolyn Jones was an American actress whose career spanned film, television, and stage work. After studying at the Pasadena Playhouse, she made her film debut in the early 1950s and soon appeared in movies such as House of Wax, The Big Heat, The Seven Year Itch, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. Her breakthrough came with The Bachelor Party (1957), in which her brief 6-minute performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She continued working in major films, including Marjorie Morningstar, King Creole, Career, and How the West Was Won, while also building an extensive television résumé. Jones became a television star in 1964 when she was cast as the elegant, darkly comic Morticia Addams in The Addams Family. The series ran for two seasons and made her internationally recognizable, with her portrayal becoming the role most closely associated with her career. After the show's cancellation, Jones faced some typecasting but continued to work steadily in television, appearing in series and productions including Wonder Woman, Roots, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat. She also returned to the Addams Family in the 1977 television special Halloween with the New Addams Family. Her final major role was as Myrna Clegg on the daytime soap opera Capitol in 1982–83. Jones, who had been diagnosed with colon cancer, continued performing during her illness before her death in August 1983 at age 53.