| Joanna Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dorothy Cook November 10, 1934 Americus, Georgia, United States |
| Died | November 22, 1997 (aged 63) Indian Wells, California, United States |
| Other names | Joanna Cook Moore |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1957–86 |
| Spouse | Willis Moore (?–?) Ryan O'Neal (1963–1967) Gary L. Reeves (1975–1976) |
Joanna Moore (November 10, 1934 – November 22, 1997) was an American film and television actress best known for her guest roles on the popular television shows of the 1960s, most notably as Sheriff Andy Taylor's love interest, Peggy "Peg" McMillan in four episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.[1] She was married to actor Ryan O'Neal from 1963 to 1967, and is the mother of actors Griffin and Tatum O'Neal.
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She was born Dorothy Cook, the elder of two daughters, in Americus, Georgia to Henry Cook, an atomic scientist, and Dorothy English Cook. When she was a child, her parents and younger sister were involved in a fatal car accident. Her mother and sister died immediately, while her father died a year after the accident from the injuries he sustained. For a time, Moore was raised by her grandmother until she became mentally and physically incapable. She was then adopted by a wealthy local family and changed her name from Dorothy to Joanna.[2]
As a teen, she married, and quickly divorced, Willis Moore. After the divorce, she attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. While attending college, she entered and won a beauty contest and was brought to Hollywood. Moore's acting career began when she was spotted at a cocktail party by a producer for Universal.
Moore made her film debut in a 1957 crime drama, Appointment with a Shadow. Later that year, she appeared in episodes of Goodyear Theater and Harbourmaster, along with another film, Slim Carter. In 1958, she had a small role in the film noir classic Touch of Evil, with Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Marlene Dietrich. The same year, she appeared in Monster on the Campus and Ride a Crooked Trail. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Moore continued to appear in television on shows such as Studio One, Bachelor Father, Kraft Television Theatre, The Rough Riders, The Millionaire, The Untouchables, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 77 Sunset Strip, Hong Kong, The Brothers Brannagan, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, Police Story and Route 66. She also appeared in several Perry Mason episodes.
In 1962, Moore appeared as Miss Precious in Walk on the Wild Side with Jane Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck and Capucine, followed by the musical, Follow That Dream with Elvis Presley. She continued to land roles on television shows during the late 1960s and early 1970s, appearing in Bewitched, Nanny and the Professor, McCloud, and The Waltons. Moore made her last screen appearance in the 1986 film, Run Chrissie Run!.
On April 3, 1963, Moore married actor Ryan O'Neal. She had earlier guest starred on O'Neal's television series Empire filmed on a New Mexico ranch. The couple had two children, Tatum Beatrice O'Neal, born in 1963, and Griffin Patrick O'Neal, born in 1964.[3] The marriage was tempestuous and the couple separated in early 1966.[4]
Around the time of the separation, Moore began to abuse alcohol and drugs, namely amphetamine. She continued acting, but her depression worsened over her impending divorce. In February 1967, O'Neal and Moore's divorce became final, and O'Neal quickly married actress Leigh Taylor-Young. The two had a son together the same year.[2]
In 1970, Moore acknowledged her addiction to drugs and alcohol and checked herself into the Camarillo State Hospital for treatment. The next year, she was arrested for drunk driving after she and O'Neal got into a fight while she and their children were visiting O'Neal's Malibu home. After her arrest, she lost custody of both Tatum and Griffin.[2]
In 1975, she married Gary L. Reeves; however, the marriage was short lived and ended in 1976. By the late 1970s, she was being supported financially by daughter Tatum, who had become an Academy Award winning actress at age 10, and one of the highest-paid child stars of the era. The children were still in Ryan O'Neal's custody, and despite treatment, Moore continued to abuse drugs and alcohol. As a result, she was arrested five times for DUI throughout the 1980s and 1990s.[2]
In 1996, Moore, a long-time smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer. On November 22, 1997, she died from the disease. Her daughter Tatum O'Neal was by her side at the time of her death. Moore's interment was at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands, California, but her family later moved the grave to Oak Grove Cemetery in her Georgia hometown of Americus.[2]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Lux Video Theatre | Stephanie | Episode: "Jezebel" |
| 1957 | Goodyear Theater | Alice Bowles | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
| 1957 | Wagon Train | Mary Clairborne | Episode: "The Jean LeBec Story" |
| 1958 | Bachelor Father | Diana Webster | Episode: "Parent's Night" |
| 1958 | Perry Mason | Patricia Taylor | Episode: "The Case of the Terrified Typist" |
| 1959 | The Last Angry Man | Alice Taggart | |
| 1959 | Bourbon Street Beat | Karen Delastone | Episode: "The Taste of Ashes" |
| 1959 | Maverick | Linda | Episode: "The Lass with the Poisonous Air" |
| 1959 | The Rifleman | Eleanor Claremont | Episode: "Obituary" Season 2, Episode 4 |
| 1959 | Bat Masterson | Miss Sharon Stabler | Episode: "Who'll Bury My Violence?" Season 2, Episode 6 |
| 1960 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Arlene Howell | Episode: "The Easterner" |
| 1960 | Adventures in Paradise | Ricky | Episode: "The Siege of Troy" |
| 1961 | Follow the Sun | Constance | Episode: "The Far Side of Nowhere" |
| 1962 | Ripcord | Jill Kelly | Episode: "Chute to Kill" |
| 1962 | Follow That Dream | Alicia Claypole | |
| 1962–1963 | The Andy Griffith Show | Peggy McMillan | 4 episodes |
| 1963 | Son of Flubber | Desiree de la Roche | |
| 1963 | The Dakotas | Doll Harvey | Episode: "Justice at Eagle's Nest" |
| 1964 | The Lieutenant | Julie Havener | Episode: "Interlude" |
| 1964 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Mabel | Episode: "The Square Peg" |
| 1965 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Fran Parsons | Episode: "The Deadly Decoy Affair" |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild West | Linda Medford | Episode: "The Night of the Fatal Trap" |
| 1966 | Nevada Smith | Angie (saloon girl) | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Run for Your Life | Kay Mills | Episode: "The Man Who Had No Enemies" |
| 1967 | T.H.E. Cat | Valerie Evans | Episode: "Design for Death" |
| 1967 | Cowboy in Africa | Peggy Fisher | Episode: "Kifaru! Kifaru!" |
| 1968 | Countdown | Mickey Stegler | |
| 1968 | Never a Dull Moment | Melanie Smooth | |
| 1969 | Judd, for the Defense | Barbara Townsend | Episode: "Visitation" |
| 1969 | The High Chaparral | Charlene "Charly" Converse | Episode: "Lady Fair" |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Emily | Episode: "A Love to Remember" |
| 1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Paula Winton | Episode: "Nightbirds" |
| 1972 | J.C. | Miriam Wages | Alternative title: Iron Horsemen |
| 1974 | Police Story | Lisa Roberts | Episode: "Explosion" |
| 1975 | Kung Fu | Lula Morgan | Episode: "The Brothers Caine" |
| 1975 | The Hindenburg | Mrs. Channing | |
| 1976 | Petrocelli | Kay Willis | Episode: "Death Ride" |
| 1980 | Scout's Honor | Ms. Odom | Television film |
| 1986 | Run Chrissie Run! | Cricket coach | Alternative title: Moving Targets |