Joanna Lee (actor)
Encyclopedia
Joanna Lee was an American
actress, writer and producer.
, New Jersey
; by the time she was 20, she was a divorced single mother with a son, Craig Lee.
, where she played "Tanna". After a serious car accident she switched from acting to writing, and by 1960 had landed a job writing for Flintstones.
In 1974, she won an Emmy Award
, for Best Writing in Drama, for a 1972 Thanksgiving episode of The Waltons
. The same year, she formed her own production company, which produced the documentary Babe, about athlete Babe Zaharias
's career. The film was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Original Teleplay" in 1976.
She wrote the novel and teleplay Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night
.
In 1988, she won the Humanitas Prize
for The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman Story.
Her autobiography, A Difficult Woman in Hollywood, was published in 1999.
Lee died from bone cancer on October 24, 2003, in Santa Monica
, at the age of 72.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, writer and producer.
Early life
Lee was born in NewarkNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
; by the time she was 20, she was a divorced single mother with a son, Craig Lee.
Career
She started with small roles in low-budget movies, including the 1959 cult classic Plan 9 from Outer SpacePlan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 science fiction film written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film features Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi...
, where she played "Tanna". After a serious car accident she switched from acting to writing, and by 1960 had landed a job writing for Flintstones.
In 1974, she won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, for Best Writing in Drama, for a 1972 Thanksgiving episode of The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
. The same year, she formed her own production company, which produced the documentary Babe, about athlete Babe Zaharias
Babe Zaharias
Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
's career. The film was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Original Teleplay" in 1976.
She wrote the novel and teleplay Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night
Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night
Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night is a Golden Globe nominated CBS television film starring Susan Dey as an abusive mother. The film, which aired in October 1977, was written and produced by Joanna Lee and featured a supporting cast including Rhea Perlman, Kevin McCarthy and Natasha Ryan as Mary...
.
In 1988, she won the Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
for The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman Story.
Personal life
Her son, Craig Lee, then a music director at L. A. Weekly, died of AIDS in 1992. Another son, Christopher Ciampa, appeared in several of her films.Her autobiography, A Difficult Woman in Hollywood, was published in 1999.
Lee died from bone cancer on October 24, 2003, in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
, at the age of 72.