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Diana Hyland 1936 - 1977

Diana Hyland was born on January 26, 1936 in Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio United States, and died at age 41 years old on March 27, 1977 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.

Diana Hyland

Born: Diane Gentner

January 26, 1936

Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States

March 27, 1977

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

Female

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Diana Hyland Diana Hyland (1936 - 1977)

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Diana Hyland's History: 1936 - 1977

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Introduction

successful film and television star.
01/26

1936

Birthday

January 26, 1936

Birthdate

Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio United States

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Diana Hyland Born January 25, 1936 · Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA Died March 27, 1977 · Los Angeles, California, USA (breast cancer) Birth name Joan Diana Gentner Mini Bio Diana Hyland, a striking, knowing beauty with a confident air about her, was born Diane Gentner on January 25, 1936, in Ohio and appeared on stage in summer stock, as a teen, before graduating from Cleveland Heights High School. Moving to New York in 1955 to test her acting mettle, the slim-faced, honey-blonde actress began to find TV roles almost immediately (one of her first being a Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) episode) in between supplementing her income as a switchboard operator. Initially billed as Diane Gentner, she changed it to Diana Hyland (taking her mother's maiden name). Following a tour of the play, "Look Back in Anger", she broke through quite impressively on the Broadway boards as the neurotic ingénue in the acclaimed 1959 Tennessee Williams production of "Sweet Bird of Youth", starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page. Her role of "Heavenly Finley" could have made her a film star, had she been allowed to take it to the big screen, but Shirley Knight was given that honor. In the early 60s, Diana focused on the small screen with strong, emotional roles on such soaps as Young Dr. Malone (1958) and Peyton Place (1964) (in a particularly showy role as a minister's alcoholic wife). She also scored well in a series of guest parts, notably The Twilight Zone (1959), The Fugitive (1963), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) and Alcoa Premiere (1961), the last for which she received an Emmy nomination. She was a particularly sought-after presence on medical shows, as well, spicing up such popular tearjerkers as Ben Casey (1961), Dr. Kildare (1961), The Doctors (1963) and The Doctors and the Nurses (1962), Medical Center (1969) and Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969). Strangely, Diana made noticeably few films during her career, her best showcase being that of the unconventional minister's wife opposite Don Murray's Rev. Norman Vincent Peale in One Man's Way (1964). In addition to a small, downbeat supporting turn in The Chase (1966) starring Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, and Jane Fonda, she also co-starred with Fess Parker in the routine western yarn, Smoky (1966). Remaining focused on TV, Diana continued to brighten up the TV medium, into the 1970s, with an emphasis on crime (Kojak (1973), Harry O (1973), Cannon (1971), Mannix (1967), etc.). In 1969, Diana married actor Joseph Goodson. They had one son, Zachary Goodson, who was born in 1973. The couple eventually split. A highly independent, intelligent and outspoken woman in real-life, she subsequently began a May-December affair with a much younger actor, John Travolta, in 1976. Travolta, who was more than 17 years Diana's junior, had just come into his own with the sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter (1975). The two actors met while appearing together in the TV-movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). John played the special-needs title role and Diana, along with The Brady Bunch (1969) dad, Robert Reed, were cast as his parents. Interestingly, around that time, Diana was cast as a sophisticated wealthy woman who has designs on the much younger "Fonz" in the early 1977 Happy Days (1974) episode, Fonzie's Old Lady (1977). Around that time, Diana won the regular role of Dick Van Patten's wife, "Joan Bradford", mother to a large brood, in the upcoming family comedy series, Eight Is Enough (1977). Career-wise, things couldn't have looked more promising for this lovely, talented actress. Sadly, it would be a short-lived celebration. A couple of years before, Diana had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite having a mastectomy to curb it, the cancer returned around Christmas time of 1976 and the disease spread rapidly. The 41-year-old actress died just a few months later, on March 27, 1977, having shot just four episodes of her new series. The rest of the episodes that first season explained her as being "away". When the series returned that fall, it was revealed that her Joan character had also died. The second season was then devoted to having Dick Van Patten's widower character return to the dating scene and eventually remarrying. With Diana's untimely death, Hollywood lost a truly superb player way before its time. In a most fitting tribute, the actress was awarded a posthumous Emmy for her touching supporting performance in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). John Travolta accepted on her behalf at the awards ceremony. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / [contact link] Family Spouse Joseph Goodson(April 24, 1969 - March 27, 1977) (filed for divorce, 1 child) Children Zachary Goodson Trivia Was John Travolta's first real-life love interest; she died of cancer in Travolta's arms on March 27, 1977 in Los Angeles. Initially billed on TV under her real name, Diane Gentner, it was Diana's agent who decided she should change her stage moniker. They came up with "Diana Hyland" (using her mother's maiden name) as opposed to Diane Hyland because it had a better rhythm to it. Mother, with Joseph Goodson, of son, Zachary Goodson, born on July 1973. The August 19, 1970, issue of Variety, in the Hollywood Production Pulse Section, announced the movie We're Running Out Of Heroes started filming Aug. 3 with director Richard Bailey, actors Diana Hyland, Andrew Prine, and Brenda Scott. Group Four Enterprises. No evidence the film was completed or released. Played the wife of Dick Van Patten in the ABC/Lorimar comedy/drama Eight Is Enough (1977). Over fifteen years earlier, Ms. Hyland and Mr. Van Patten had both appeared on the NBC/Procter and Gamble soap opera Young Dr. Malone (1958).
Personal Life & Family

Diana Hyland Famous memorial Original Name Gentner Birth 25 Jan 1936 Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Death 27 Mar 1977 (aged 41) Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea Actress. She worked primarily in television and is probably best remembered for her role as the original mother in the ABC comedy-drama series "Eight is Enough, that ran from March 1977 until August 1981. Born Diana Gentner in Cleveland, Ohio, she made her acting debut in 1955, in an episode of the NBC television drama series "Robert Montgomery Presents." In 1959 she originated the Broadway role of 'Heavenly Finley' in Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman. Over the next decade she played numerous guest and supporting roles in various television series, including "Naked City," "The Eleventh Hour," "The Fugitive," "Dr. Kildare," "Run for Your Life," and "The Twilight Zone," before being cast in a featured role in the Arthur Penn directed film "The Chase" (1966) with Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. In 1958 she became a regular on the NBC television soap opera "Young Doctor Malone," playing the role of 'Gig Houseman', wife of the younger Doctor Malone. She also played a continuing role in the ABC television prime-time soap opera "Peyton Place" from 1968 to 1969. In 1976 she appeared in the television movie "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," for which she won a posthumous Emmy Award. The following year, she signed on to play the wife of actor Dick Van Patten's character 'Tom Bradford' in the series "Eight is Enough." She appeared in only the first four episodes prior to her being diagnosed with breast cancer and she was written out for the remainder of the first season. She was married to actor Joe Goodson for eight years, divorcing in 1975. In 1976 she began a romantic relationship with actor John Travolta, 18 years her junior, after meeting him on the set of "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." They remained together until her death from cancer in Los Angeles, California at the age of 41. She died 12 days after the first episode of "Eight is Enough" aired. Bio by: William Bjornstad
03/27

1977

Death

March 27, 1977

Death date

Breast Cancer.

Cause of death

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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