Patty Duke net worth at death, Early life, career, Awards, Biography

Contents

1 About Patty Duke
2 Early Life and Education
3 Career
4 Mental Health Advocacy
5 Book Authoring
6 Awards
7 Personal Life
8 Death
9 Patty Duke net worth at death
10 How did Patty Duke get sepsis
11 Patty Duke funeral

Patty Duke net worth at death, Early life, career, Awards, personal life

Anna Marie was a renowned American actress and a strong advocate for mental health. Throughout her illustrious acting career.

Beyond her acting career, Duke occasionally ventured into singing and writing, showcasing her multifaceted talents.

In this article, we will take a brief look at Patty Duke net worth at death, career, personal life and much more.

About Patty Duke

Full Name: Anna Marie Patty Duke
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: December 14, 1946
Place of Birth: New York City, U.S.
Died: March 29, 2016 (aged 69)
Resting place: Forest Cemetery, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, US
Age: 69
Profession: Actress, health advocate (1950 to 2015)
Nationality: American
Net worth: $10 million
Children: 3

Early Life and Education

Duke was born on December 14, 1946, the youngest among three siblings born to Frances Margaret (formerly McMahon), a cashier, and John Patrick Duke, an Irish descent handyman and cab driver.

Raised in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, alongside her brother Raymond and sister Carol, Duke faced a challenging upbringing marked by her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s clinical depression, often leading to violent episodes.

At the age of six, Duke’s mother compelled her father to leave the family, and by eight, her guardianship transitioned to talent managers John and Ethel Ross.

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Career

Anna Marie “Patty” Duke’s journey in the acting realm spanned from the 1950s to the 1990s, showcasing a diverse and impactful career. Early on, she ventured into the entertainment industry with roles on the soap opera The Brighter Day in the late 1950s and engaged in print ads and television commercials.

At the age of 12, she participated in and triumphed on “The $64,000 Question,” winning $32,000 with her expertise in popular music, as detailed in her autobiography “Call Me Anna”. However, this victory was tainted when it was revealed that the game show was rigged, leading Duke to testify before the United States Senate.

In 1959, Duke took on the role of Tootie Smith in a television adaptation of Meet Me in St. Louis and simultaneously made her mark as Helen Keller in the Broadway play The Miracle Worker. The play’s subsequent film adaptation earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 16, making her the youngest person at that time to receive such an honor.

Transitioning to television, Duke starred in her series, The Patty Duke Show, where she portrayed both main characters, Patty Lane and her “identical cousin” Cathy Lane. The show earned her an Emmy Award nomination. Following the series, she faced challenges in her film career with roles like Neely O’Hara in Valley of the Dolls (1967), which, despite later becoming a camp classic, initially posed a threat to her career.

Duke’s adult acting career saw her winning accolades for her TV performances, including an Emmy for the made-for-TV movie My Sweet Charlie (1970) and subsequent nominations for other roles. She also served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, displaying leadership during a period marked by internal conflicts.

In her later years, Duke continued to contribute to the entertainment industry, taking occasional TV roles and returning to the stage. She directed the stage version of The Miracle Worker in 2011 and made her final TV appearance in 2015 on Liv and Maddie.

Similar to numerous teen idols of that time, and partly propelled by her role in the musical Billie, Duke enjoyed a prosperous singing career. This included achieving two hits in 1965, Don’t Just Stand There (reaching number eight) and Say Something Funny (peaking at number 22), showcasing her musical talent. Additionally, she made appearances on television programs like The Ed Sullivan Show.

Mental Health Advocacy

In 1987, she disclosed in her autobiography that she had received a diagnosis of manic depression, now known as bipolar disorder, in 1982. This revelation marked one of the earliest instances of a public figure openly discussing their battle with mental illness.

Duke’s struggles extended to anorexia nervosa during her teenage years, with her weight dropping to as low as 76 pounds. Having attempted suicide in 1967 and facing further hospitalization for mental health issues in 1969, she eventually received a diagnosis of manic depression in 1982. Treatment, including lithium medication and therapy, effectively stabilized her moods, leading her to become a prominent advocate for mental health causes.

Duke actively engaged with the United States Congress, collaborated with the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and worked towards raising awareness, funding, and research for individuals dealing with mental illness. In 2007, Duke shared her experiences with bipolar disorder on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Book Authoring

Duke wrote three books, starting with her autobiography “Call Me Anna” in 1987. Subsequent books include Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness in 1992 and In The Presence of Greatness—My Sixty-Year Journey as an Actress (co-written with William J. Jankowski), published posthumously in February 2018.

The latter is a compilation of essays reflecting on her interactions with fellow artists and celebrities throughout her six-decade acting career.

Awards

She achieved significant recognition, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Duke, who underwent four marriages and had three children, initially aspired to become a nun in her Catholic youth. Later in life, she explored various religions, stating in 1995 that rigid adherence to a specific faith wasn’t essential for spirituality.

She went into Christian Science, and Buddhism contemplated Judaism, and attended both Unity and Catholic churches.

In 1965, Duke married director Harry Falk, leading to a strained relationship with her guardians, the Rosses. Her tumultuous marriage included mood swings, heavy drinking, anorexia, and overdose incidents, resulting in a divorce in 1969.

Duke’s involvement with Desi Arnaz Jr., John Astin, and Michael Tell in 1970, culminating in a brief marriage to Tell, eventually led to the birth of her son Sean Astin. Despite initial confusion about paternity, biological testing later confirmed Michael Tell as Sean’s father.

Duke married John Astin in 1972, adopting his name professionally, but they divorced in 1985. Her fourth marriage, to Michael Pearce in 1986, lasted until she died in 2016, during which they adopted a son named Kevin.

Duke occasionally used the name “Anna Duke-Pearce” from her marriage to Pearce until her passing. She also had three granddaughters through her eldest son Sean, named Alexandra, Elizabeth, and Isabella.

Death

On the morning of March 29, 2016, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Duke passed away at the age of 69, succumbing to sepsis caused by a ruptured intestine.

In the aftermath, her son Sean Astin extended an invitation to the public to support mental health initiatives in Duke’s memory through the Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative.