- Deborah Walley
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Deborah Walley 
Walley in the late 1960s.Born August 12, 1941
Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.Died May 10, 2001 (aged 59)
Sedona, Arizona, U.S.Occupation Actress Years active 1960 – 1999 Spouse John Reynolds (?-?) (divorced) 1 child
John Ashley (1964-1966) (divorced) 1 child
Chet McCracken (1968-1975) (divorced)Deborah Walley (12 August 1941 – 10 May 2001) was an American actress.
Contents
Biographical Information
Deborah Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Ice Capades skating stars and choreographers Nathan and Edith Walley. She attended Central High School in Bridgeport. At fourteen she was playing summer-stock theatre. She studied acting at New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began working on stage in the city and made her Hollywood film debut in 1961's Gidget Goes Hawaiian, a role for which she is most remembered. From then until 1974 she appeared in fifteen feature length films, including several of the "Beach Party" films produced by American International Pictures.[1]
From 1964–1966, Walley was married to actor John Ashley, a costar of ABC's Straightaway series about auto racing from 1961–1962. He preceded her in death by two years.
On television, she portrayed Suzie Hubbard Buell in the comedy series The Mothers-in-Law. Comedienne Eve Arden played her mother, Eve Hubbard, while singer-comedienne Kaye Ballard played her mother-in-law, Kaye Buell. Originally, actress Kay Cole (A Chorus Line) had played Suzie in the original pilot, but Walley later replaced her, and played her through the series' two seasons on the air.
After moving to Arizona to bring up her children in the 1970s, Walley co-founded two children's theater companies, Pied Piper Productions and the Sedona Children's Theatre in Sedona.
She also loaned her voice to the character Nico Robin in Ala-Ka-Robin the Great. According to Walley, she said it was her mother that wanted her to be involved in the film. Prior to The Brothers and the Sisters Movie, she voiced Ikki Tenryou (one of the Japanooga Packs) in The Medabots movie: Ikki: The Big Wish Movie.[citation needed]
Walley succumbed to esophageal cancer, on 10 May 2001 in Sedona, Arizona.[2] She was survived by two of her three sons: Anthony Brooks Ashley, a noted director, editor, and producer in Hollywood; and Justin Ashley Reynolds, an internet entrepreneur in Phoenix, Arizona (these are her blood children, her third son was adopted).
Filmography
Awards
Walley was named Photoplay magazine's 'Most Popular Actress of 1961'.[1]
References
External links
Film and Television Year Title Role Notes 1960 Naked City Heather Weston Episode: "To Walk in Silence" 1960 Route 66 Helen Page Episode: "Ten Drops of Water" 1961 Gidget Goes Hawaiian Gidget (Frances Lawrence) 1962 Bon Voyage! Amy Willard 1963 Summer Magic Julia Carey 1964 Burke's Law Gwenny Trent Episode: "Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?" 1964 The Greatest Show on Earth Anne Episode: "This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There" 1964 The Young Lovers Debbie 1964 Wagon Train Nancy Styles Episode: "The Nancy Styles Story" 1965 Beach Blanket Bingo Bonnie Graham 1965 Ski Party Linda Hughes 1965 Sergeant Dead Head Airman Lucy Turner 1965 Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Craig's Cafeteria Date 1966 The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini Lili Morton 1966 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Tina Tracy Episode: "Lies, Lies, Lies" 1966 Spinout Les 1966 The Bubble Caterine 1967 It's a Bikini World Delilah Dawes 1967-1969 The Mothers-in-Law Suzie Hubbard Buell 56 episodes 1970 The Virginian Corey Ann Skeet Episode: "With Love, Bullets and Valentines" 1971 Drag Racer Chris 1972 Love, American Style Nina Episode: "Love and the Anxious Mama" 1973 The Severed Arm 1974 Benji Linda 1978 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Gina Bartelli Episode: "Mystery on the Avalanch Express" 1986 Simon & Simon Gigi Dolores Episode: "The Last Big Break" 1989 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Lahwhinie (voice) Episode: "Gadget Goes Hawaiian" 1990 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Buffy Ratskiwatski / Foxglove (voice) Episode: "Out of Scale"
Episode: "Good Times, Bat Times"1999 Baywatch Ethel Episode: "Baywatch Grand Prix" Persondata Name Walley, Deborah Alternative names Short description Date of birth 12 August 1941 Place of birth Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. Date of death 10 May 2001 Place of death Sedona, Arizona Categories:- American film actors
- American television actors
- American stage actors
- Actors from Connecticut
- People from Sedona, Arizona
- 1941 births
- 2001 deaths
- People from Bridgeport, Connecticut
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