Patty Duke

Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (born December 14, 1946) is an American actress of stage, film and television. She first became famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for her role in The Miracle Worker, which she had originated on Broadway. She later starred in the sitcom, The Patty Duke Show. She progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely O'Hara in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. She was later elected president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, succeeding her Patty Duke Show co-star William Schallert.

Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982; since then, she has devoted much of her time to advocating and educating the public on mental health issues.

In 1996, 30 years after The Patty Duke Show ended, Duke was ranked #40 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Early life

Duke was born in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, the youngest of three children born of Frances (née McMahon), a cashier, and John Brock Duke, a handyman and cab driver. She is of German (from her maternal grandmother) and Irish descent (on both sides, her paternal grandparents, James and Katness (O'Hara) Duke, having immigrated to New York from County Longford, Ireland).