- Margaret Mason
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Margaret Mason Born December 31, 1940
Phoenixville, PennsylvaniaDied March 26, 1999 (aged 58)
Silverdale, WashingtonYears active 1959-1993 Spouse E. Nick Alexander (1970-1999) Margaret Mason (December 31, 1940 - March 26, 1999) was an American actress best remembered for her work on soap operas in the 1970s.
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Early life and career
Born and raised in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Mason was of Polish-Czechoslovakian descent. As a child, she went to a convent boarding school.[1] In 1958, she graduated from Saint Cyral's Girls Academy in Danville, Pennsylvania.
In 1962, Mason moved from Iowa to Hollywood.[1] In an interview, she mentioned it was tough to get acting jobs, having to take other parttime jobs and acting lessons while looking for roles.[1] In 1963, sponosred by Rock Hudson, she was a 'Deb Star' of Universal Studios.[1] She appeared in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and guest starred in several television shows. Meanwhile, her husband E. Nick Alexander wrote a script No More Trees, which would star Mason.[1] The film was never made.
Following an extended break due to health issues, Mason returned to acting in 1970. Although advised to keep her health conditions a secret, she was open about them, and ironically became more successful than in the 1960s.[1] She first landed the role of Linda Patterson in Days of Our Lives, which she played for a year and a half until December 1971.[1] Concerning her role, she told the press in a 1978 interview: "It's always been a love-hate relationship between Linda and the viewers. I'm the misunderstood bad lady."[2] She played Linda as "a well-meaning troublemaker who wants to help others, only to see her efforts boomerang."[2]
From late 1972 until its cancellation in 1974, Mason portrayed main character Selena Cross in the daytime soap opera Return to Peyton Place. In an interview, she said she "just loves working on R.T.T.P.".[1] She returned to Days of Our Lives in 1975, and remained on the soap opera until 1980, returning once more in 1982. Afterwards, she starred as Eve Howard in The Young and the Restless from 1980 to 1982, and briefly in 1993.
Personal life
Mason was a devout Catholic, and once considered becoming a nun.[1] In 1968, she had double pneumonia, cancer surgery, a heart attack and heart surgery.[1] According to the actress, surviving these setbacks changed her personality, from being a "panicky, fussing" woman who became "excited about nothing and being upset about small things" to one who was "unhurried, calm, pausing to savor life".[1] It took her a year and a half to rehabilitate, and although she frequently felt over-tired in her later life, she insisted she fully recovered, saying, "I feel much better than I did before the operation. I can now ride and swim, and I play golf with Nick. Now, I enjoy life as it is, every day, every moment!"[1]
In the 1960s, Mason met actor-writer E. Nick Alexander, whom she married on November 17, 1970. She was a close friend of Mary K. Wells, her Return to Peyton Place co-star.[1] She raised his daughter Lisa Howard from an earlier marriage. In 1999, Mason died of a heart attack at age 58. She was survived by her husband Alexander, a daughter, her mother and her sister.[3]
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Notes 1959 Night of the Ghouls Martha 1962 The Manchurian Candidate[3] uncredited 1963 Beach Party[3] uncredited 1964 Honeymoon Hotel Mrs. Miller uncredited 1965 I'll Take Sweden Aggressive blonde uncredited Television Year Title Role Notes 1963 Burke's Law Model #1 1 episode 1964 Perry Mason Receptionist 1 episode Burke's Law Amanda's Granddaughter / Dona 2 episodes The Baileys of Balboa Penny 1 episode Death Valley Days 1 episode 1965 No Time for Sergeants Nancy Gordon 1 episode The Rogues Avis 1 episode Hank Diana 1 episode 1967 The Wild Wild West Lola 1 episode
uncreditedGet Smart Natasha 1 episode 1969 Adam-12 Margaret 1 episode 1970–1971 Days of Our Lives Linda Patterson #2 Daytime soap opera 1972–1974 Return to Peyton Place Selena Cross Daytime soap opera 1975–1980 Days of Our Lives Linda Patterson #2 Daytime soap opera 1981 Play for Today Trevor Preston Duo member 1 episode 1980–1982 The Young and the Restless Eve Howard Daytime soap opera 1982 Days of Our Lives Linda Patterson #2 Daytime soap opera 1990 General Hospital Gloria #1 Daytime soap opera 1991 Northern Exposure Proprietor 1 episode 1993 The Young and the Restless Eve Howard Daytime soap opera References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "I Kept Remembering My Mother Saying - 'Put Yourself in God's hands'", Daytime TV - December 1973
- ^ a b "Linda Phillips is latest bride on 'Days'", Boca Raton News, May 7, 1978, p. 14
- ^ a b c "Margaret Mason obituary". Variety. 1999-05-05. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117882911.html?categoryid=25&cs=1. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
External links
Categories:- 1940 births
- 1999 deaths
- American soap opera actors
- American television actors
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