Patty duke biography actor john astin

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Her s work is dominated by stunning dramatic work, including roles in the theatrical and film versions of The Miracle Worker. Duke was the third child of John Patrick Duke, a navy veteran who held a succession of jobs from cabdriver to handyman, and Frances McMahon, a cashier. When Duke was six, her father, a chronic alcoholic, moved out.

From that point until his death in , his presence in his daughter's life was shadowy at best. Duke entered show business at age seven. Her brother Ray was an actor, and his managers, John and Ethel Ross, took an interest in the young girl. Their first order of business was to change her name to the perkier "Patty. You're Patty now.

The Rosses did more than manage Duke's career; they controlled every aspect of her life, eventually wresting her away from her family home. Her mother's emotional and financial troubles, combined with the Rosses' assurances that they alone could ensure Duke's success, led to an unusual living arrangement in which Patty moved in with her managers, seeing her mother sporadically.

True to their word, the Rosses propelled Duke to stardom, but the arrangement took a profound personal and psychological toll. By the late s Duke was working steadily, playing stereotypical cute kids in film and television productions, such as Armstrong Circle Theatre and The U. Steel Hour. Her name was raised above the title on the theater marquee in , making her the youngest Broadway performer to be so honored.

The film version, in which Duke and Bancroft recreated their stage roles, earned both actresses Academy Awards. At the time, Duke was the youngest person to win an individual Academy Award.