Lee Purcell

{{Infobox person

| name = Lee Purcell

| image = Lee Purcell.jpg

| caption = Purcell in 2017

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|6|15}}

| birth_name = Lee Jeune Williams

| birth_place = Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Craven County, North Carolina, U.S.[https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/lee-purcell-4111/ Lee Purcell], Encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Accessed November 29, 2022.

| years_active = 1969–2016

| occupation = Actress

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Robert Gibson|1968|1972|reason=divorced}}
{{marriage|Kenneth Gerbino|1975|1981|reason=divorced}}
{{marriage|Gary A. Lowe|1982|1995|reason=divorced}}
{{marriage|Bob Dahlquist|2014}}

}}

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

Lee Purcell (born Lee Jeune Williams; June 15, 1947)[https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/lee-purcell-4111/ Lee Purcell], Encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Accessed November 29, 2022. is an American actress{{Cite web|title=Lee McKnight Purcell Obituary|url=https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/628508/Lee-McKnight-Purcell|access-date=2022-02-11|website=tributearchive.com|language=en}} who worked primarily in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life

Purcell was born Lee Jeune Williams at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (North Carolina), the elder daughter of Major Frank D. Williams Jr., a decorated Marine Corps pilot who was killed while on active duty when she was two months old.{{cite web | url=https://lfeldhaus.tripod.com/holthousefamilygenealogy/id20.html | title=Frank Dunn Williams }} Her mother, Lee ({{nee}} McKnight) Williams, remarried, to Donald Purcell, a U.S. Navy doctor assigned to the Marine Corps.{{cite web|url=http://www.memorialsolutions.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1509644 | title= Dr. Donald I. Purcell|website=memorialsolutions.com|accessdate=November 29, 2022}} Lee Purcell has a younger sister.{{cite web|url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/paragoulleepurcell.htm|title=Paragould Took Hat Off For Lee Purcell|accessdate=November 29, 2022|website=usgennet.org}}

She graduated from Paragould High School in 1965 and briefly attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri as a dance and theatre student until she was expelled.{{Why|date=November 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19690926&id=qeNKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rOkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=742,5827006|title=Schenectady Gazette - Google News Archive Search}}{{cite web|url=http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/colmo2&CISOPTR=729&REC=1&CISOSHOW=1098|title=Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1967-01-15 :: Columbia Missourian (1967 -- Oct 1968)}}[http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fcolmo3&CISOPTR=38816&REC=1&CISOBOX=adam+travels+excelsior “Adam Travels to Excelsior Springs”], Columbia Missourian, September 21, 1969; accessed June 14, 2015.[http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/colmo4&CISOPTR=97631&CISOSHOW=97920&REC=9 Columbia Missourian November 26, 1972 "Success for Lee Purcell"], cdm.sos.mo.gov; accessed June 14, 2015.

Career

File:Lee Purcell in 1970.jpg

She moved to California in 1967The Sumter Daily Item-Dec 26, 1969 and studied acting. Purcell supported herself by working in commercials and selling clothes at a disco.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19810508&id=GL8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NkcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6612,1741353 Profile], Daily News (Bowling Green, KY), May 8, 1981.

In 1969, Purcell was selected for her first feature film by Steve McQueen in his company's production of Adam at Six A.M., co-starring Michael Douglas.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@jeremylr/mentored-by-the-biggest-star-in-the-world-inside-steve-mcqueens-adam-at-6-a-m-2525489bc4ef|title=Mentored By the Biggest Star in the World: Inside Steve McQueen's 'Adam at 6 A.M.'—Interview by Jeremy Roberts for Medium|date=13 April 2017}} Asked to explain why he chose Purcell from nearly 500 other available actresses, McQueen said, "It wasn't easy. We kept narrowing down the field over a period of weeks until it came to giving screen tests to six of them. All of them were good, but Lee seemed to jump right out of the screen."[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JrIiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OLMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=721,6513573&dq= Profile], Beaver County Times, September 25, 1969.

File:Lee Purcell at Emmy Awards 1994.jpgHer television work included roles as Billie Dove and Olivia de Havilland in two biopic TV movies: The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977)[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yCYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EMcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1698,1929238&dq=lee+purcell+billie+dove&hl=en Profile], Times Daily, April 11, 1977. and My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985).[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G7lNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4PsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4750,1875342&dq=lee+purcell+olivia+de+havilland&hl=en Profile], Lakeland Ledger, January 20, 1985.

She was nominated for two Emmy Awards. In 1991, she was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actress for Long Road Home[https://archive.today/20120707180824/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-07-19/features/9101260788_1_comedy-series-drama-series-northern-exposure/3 Profile], Sun Sentinel, July 19, 1991. and in 1994 as Outstanding Supporting Actress for Secret Sins of the Father. She was co-producer, and starred in the 1998 low-budget cable-TV movie Malaika (alternate title Tons of Trouble).[https://web.archive.org/web/20121103104633/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/181154/Tons-of-Trouble/credits Profile], New York Times; accessed April 8, 2015.

Purcell's film career wound down in 1983 and she has only had five motion picture credits since, the last in 2015. She has continued to do television projects.

Personal life

In December 2010 Purcell launched an interactive fashion and beauty website, BoomerBabes, geared towards Baby Boomer women. The website gained few visitors{{Cite web|title=boomerbabes.com Traffic Analytics & Market Share|url=https://www.similarweb.com/website/boomerbabes.com/|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Similarweb|language=en}} and BoomerBabes stopped updating in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://boomerbabes.com/|title=BoomerBabes}}

Purcell is a member of the Church of Scientology.{{cite book|first1=Stephen A.|last1=Kent|first2=Susan|last2=Raine|title=Scientology in Popular Culture|year=2017|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9798216142621|page=144}}

Filmography

=Feature films=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Director
1970 \|Adam at Six A.M. \| Jerri Jo Hopper \| Robert Scheerer
rowspan="3"\| 1972 \| Dirty Little Billy \| Berle \| Stan Dragoti
Stand Up and Be Counted \| Karen Hammond \| Jackie Cooper
Necromancy \| Priscilla \| Bert I. Gordon
1973 \|Kid Blue \| Molly Ford \| James Frawley
1974 \| Mr. Majestyk \| Wiley \| Richard Fleischer
rowspan="2"\| 1978 \| Big Wednesday \| Peggy Gordon \| John Milius
Almost Summer \| Christine Alexander \| Martin Davidson
1980 \| Stir Crazy \| Susan \| Sidney Poitier
rowspan="2"\| 1982 \| Airplane II: The Sequel \| Mrs. Seluchi (Deleted Scene) \| Ken Finkleman
Homework \| Ms. Jackson \| James Beshears
rowspan="2"\| 1983 \|Eddie Macon's Run \| Jilly Buck \| Jeff Kanew
Valley Girl \| Beth Brent \| Martha Coolidge
1985 \| Space Rage \| Maggie \| Conrad E. Palmisano
1996 \| Movies, Money, Murder \| Lilah \| Stephen Eckelberry, Arthur Webb
1998 \| Dizzyland \| \| Dennis Hackin
2005 \| The Unknown aka Clawed: The Legend of Sasquatch \| Doris Winslow \| Karl Kozak
2015 \|Kids vs Monsters \|Francine Gingerfield \|

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Director

1970

|Adam at Six A.M.

| Jerri Jo Hopper

| Robert Scheerer

rowspan="3"| 1972

| Dirty Little Billy

| Berle

| Stan Dragoti

Stand Up and Be Counted

| Karen Hammond

| Jackie Cooper

Necromancy

| Priscilla

| Bert I. Gordon

1973

|Kid Blue

| Molly Ford

| James Frawley

1974

| Mr. Majestyk

| Wiley

| Richard Fleischer

rowspan="2"| 1978

| Big Wednesday

| Peggy Gordon

| John Milius

Almost Summer

| Christine Alexander

| Martin Davidson

1980

| Stir Crazy

| Susan

| Sidney Poitier

rowspan="2"| 1982

| Airplane II: The Sequel

| Mrs. Seluchi (Deleted Scene)

| Ken Finkleman

Homework

| Ms. Jackson

| James Beshears

rowspan="2"| 1983

|Eddie Macon's Run

| Jilly Buck

| Jeff Kanew

Valley Girl

| Beth Brent

| Martha Coolidge

1985

| Space Rage

| Maggie

| Conrad E. Palmisano

1996

| Movies, Money, Murder

| Lilah

| Stephen Eckelberry, Arthur Webb

1998

| Dizzyland

| Dennis Hackin

2005

| The Unknown aka Clawed: The Legend of Sasquatch

| Doris Winslow

| Karl Kozak

2015

|Kids vs Monsters

|Francine Gingerfield

=Television=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Notes
1969 \|Bracken's World \|Girl \|
rowspan="3"\| 1970 \| Marcus Welby, M.D. \| Cathy Cullen \| Made a second appearance in 1972, as 'Carol Lockett'
Bonanza \| Angie \|
The Young Rebels \| Maggie Todd \|
1972 \| Medical Center \| Liza \|
rowspan="2" \|1973 \| Cannon \| Marian Luke \| Made two additional appearances in 1975, various characters
Hijack \| Eileen Noonan \| TV movie
rowspan="2" \|1974 \| ABC Wide World Mystery \| Donna \|
The Rockford Files \| Susan Parsons \|
rowspan="3" \|1975 \| The Waltons \| Bobby Strom \| Played a “wing walker”
Insight \| Tracy \|
Barnaby Jones \| Kathy Cooper \| Made a second appearance in 1977, as 'Peggy Giroux'
rowspan="2" \|1976 \| Hawaii Five-O \| Molly Taggert \| Made a second appearance in 1977, same character
Jigsaw John \| Virginia Sand \|
rowspan="2" \|1977 \| The Amazing Howard Hughes \| Billie Dove \| TV movie
The Streets of San Francisco \| Carol Revson \|
1978 \| Stranger in Our House \| Julia Trent \| TV movie (aka Summer of Fear)
rowspan="2"\| 1979 \| Murder in Music City \| Samantha Hunt \| TV movie (aka The Country Western Murders)
A Man Called Sloane \| Michele Blake \|
rowspan="3"\| 1980 \| Kenny Rogers as The Gambler \| Jennie Reed \| TV movie
My Wife Next Door \| Lisa Pallick \| Pilot for proposed TV series
The Secret War of Jackie's Girls \| Casey McCann \| TV movie
rowspan="2"\| 1981 \| The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite \| Bonnie Lee Beaumont \| TV movie and pilot for proposed TV series
Killing at Hell's Gate \| Jane Pasco \| TV movie
1982 \| The Phoenix \| Cindy Houghton \|
rowspan="4"\| 1985 \| Magnum, P.I. \| Goldie Morris \|
Murder, She Wrote \| Joanna Benson \| Made four additional appearances in 1986, 1989 and 1994, various characters
My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn \| Olivia de Havilland \| TV movie
Hollywood Beat \| Maggie \|
1986 \| Betrayed by Innocence \| Sharon DeLeon \| TV movie
rowspan="2"\| 1987 \| Matlock \| Andrea Colter \|
MacGyver \| Shadow \|
rowspan="3"\| 1988 \| To Heal a Nation \| Sandie \| TV movie
The Incredible Hulk Returns \| Dr. Maggie Shaw \| TV movie
Jake and the Fatman \| Pamela Parker \|
1989 \| Simon & Simon \| Colleen Huntley/Missy Taylor \|
1990 \| Shades of LA \| Alex Taylor \|
1991 \| Long Road Home \| Bessie Robertson \| TV movie. Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress
1994 \| Secret Sins of the Father \| Ann Thielman \| TV movie. Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress
rowspan="3"\| 1995 \| Due South \| Louise St. Laurent \| Made five additional appearances in 1995 and 1996, same character
Dazzle \| Red \| TV movie
The Magic of Christmas \| Herself \| Holiday special
1997 \| Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction \| Dr. Kim O'Farrell \| Segment: "The Unknown Patient"
rowspan="2"\| 1998 \| Promised Land \| Beth Hixon \|
Malaika \| Molly DeMornay \| TV movie (aka Tons of Trouble)
2010 \| Persons Unknown \| Eleanor Sullivan \| Mini-series. Five appearances
2016 \| J.L. Family Ranch \| Mable Ritter \| TV film

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

1969

|Bracken's World

|Girl

rowspan="3"| 1970

| Marcus Welby, M.D.

| Cathy Cullen

| Made a second appearance in 1972, as 'Carol Lockett'

Bonanza

| Angie

The Young Rebels

| Maggie Todd

1972

| Medical Center

| Liza

rowspan="2" |1973

| Cannon

| Marian Luke

| Made two additional appearances in 1975, various characters

Hijack

| Eileen Noonan

| TV movie

rowspan="2" |1974

| ABC Wide World Mystery

| Donna

The Rockford Files

| Susan Parsons

rowspan="3" |1975

| The Waltons

| Bobby Strom

| Played a “wing walker”

Insight

| Tracy

Barnaby Jones

| Kathy Cooper

| Made a second appearance in 1977, as 'Peggy Giroux'

rowspan="2" |1976

| Hawaii Five-O

| Molly Taggert

| Made a second appearance in 1977, same character

Jigsaw John

| Virginia Sand

rowspan="2" |1977

| The Amazing Howard Hughes

| Billie Dove

| TV movie

The Streets of San Francisco

| Carol Revson

1978

| Stranger in Our House

| Julia Trent

| TV movie (aka Summer of Fear)

rowspan="2"| 1979

| Murder in Music City

| Samantha Hunt

| TV movie (aka The Country Western Murders)

A Man Called Sloane

| Michele Blake

rowspan="3"| 1980

| Kenny Rogers as The Gambler

| Jennie Reed

| TV movie

My Wife Next Door

| Lisa Pallick

| Pilot for proposed TV series

The Secret War of Jackie's Girls

| Casey McCann

| TV movie

rowspan="2"| 1981

| The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite

| Bonnie Lee Beaumont

| TV movie and pilot for proposed TV series

Killing at Hell's Gate

| Jane Pasco

| TV movie

1982

| The Phoenix

| Cindy Houghton

rowspan="4"| 1985

| Magnum, P.I.

| Goldie Morris

Murder, She Wrote

| Joanna Benson

| Made four additional appearances in 1986, 1989 and 1994, various characters

My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn

| Olivia de Havilland

| TV movie

Hollywood Beat

| Maggie

1986

| Betrayed by Innocence

| Sharon DeLeon

| TV movie

rowspan="2"| 1987

| Matlock

| Andrea Colter

MacGyver

| Shadow

rowspan="3"| 1988

| To Heal a Nation

| Sandie

| TV movie

The Incredible Hulk Returns

| Dr. Maggie Shaw

| TV movie

Jake and the Fatman

| Pamela Parker

1989

| Simon & Simon

| Colleen Huntley/Missy Taylor

1990

| Shades of LA

| Alex Taylor

1991

| Long Road Home

| Bessie Robertson

| TV movie. Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress

1994

| Secret Sins of the Father

| Ann Thielman

| TV movie. Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress

rowspan="3"| 1995

| Due South

| Louise St. Laurent

| Made five additional appearances in 1995 and 1996, same character

Dazzle

| Red

| TV movie

The Magic of Christmas

| Herself

| Holiday special

1997

| Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

| Dr. Kim O'Farrell

| Segment: "The Unknown Patient"

rowspan="2"| 1998

| Promised Land

| Beth Hixon

Malaika

| Molly DeMornay

| TV movie (aka Tons of Trouble)

2010

| Persons Unknown

| Eleanor Sullivan

| Mini-series. Five appearances

2016

| J.L. Family Ranch

| Mable Ritter

| TV film

=Special projects=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" \| Notes
rowspan="2"\| 1987 \| A Woman's Guide to Firearms \| Herself \| Instructional video
Your First Gun- A Family Guide To Shooting \| The mother \| Instructional video
1992 \| The Joke \| Jane \| 35mm short
1997 \| This World, Then the Fireworks \| \| ADR work (additional dialogue recording)
2006 \| White Picket Fence \| Bonnie Durley \| Super 16mm short

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

rowspan="2"| 1987

| A Woman's Guide to Firearms

| Herself

| Instructional video

Your First Gun- A Family Guide To Shooting

| The mother

| Instructional video