| Lorna Thayer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lorna Patricia Casey March 10, 1919 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2005 (aged 86) Woodland Hills, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1952-1991 |
| Spouse | George N. Neise (divorced); 2 children Arthur Dowling (1950-19??; his death) |
Lorna Thayer (March 10, 1919 – June 4, 2005) was an American character actress.
Thayer was born in Boston, the daughter of silent screen actress Louise Gibney. She appeared often in theatre and on television. In 1955 she played in The Beast with a Million Eyes with Paul Birch. She played minor roles in the films The Lusty Men, Texas City and Frankie and Johnny.
It was her role in the iconic 1970 film Five Easy Pieces as the waitress who refuses to allow Jack Nicholson's character to order a side of wheat toast that she is most likely to be remembered for and identified with. The scene has come to be known as the "chicken salad scene".
Thayer died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Retirement Home in Woodland Hills, California aged 86, after battling Alzheimer's disease for five years.