Patty Duke

Patty Duke was born Anna Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Elmhurst, New York, to Frances Margaret (McMahon), a cashier, and John Patrick Duke, a cab driver and handyman. She is of Irish, and one eighth German, descent. Her acting career began when she was introduced to her brother Ray Duke's managers, John and Ethel Ross. Soon after, Anna Marie became Patty, the actress. Patty started off in commercials, a few movies and some bit parts. Her first big, memorable role came when she was chosen to portray the blind and deaf Helen Keller in the Broadway version of "The Miracle Worker".

Early in her career, she won the top prize on the game show The $64,000 Question (1955).

The play lasted almost two years, from October 19, 1959-July 1, 1961 (Patty left in May, 1961).

Had a backstage feud with Suzanne Pleshette when they did "The Miracle Worker" on Broadway in 1961. A few years later, Patty threw fuel on the fire when she dated Suzanne's estranged husband Troy Donahue.

In 1962, The Miracle Worker (1962) became a movie and Patty won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. She was 16 years old, making her the youngest person ever to win an Oscar.

She then starred in her own sitcom titled The Patty Duke Show (1963). It lasted for three seasons, and Patty was nominated for an Emmy.

In 1965, she starred in the movie Billie (1965). It was a success and was the first movie ever sold to a television network. That same year, she married director Harry Falk. Their marriage lasted four years.

She then starred in Valley of the Dolls (1967), which was a financial but not a critical success.

She had made guest appearances on both Hawaii Five-O (1968) and Hawaii Five-0 (2010).

In 1969, she secured a part in an independent film called Me, Natalie (1969). The film was a box-office flop, but she won her second Golden Globe Award for her performance in it.

In the early 1970s, she became a mother to actors Sean Astin (with writer Michael Yell) and Mackenzie Astin (with actor John Astin).

Sean Patrick Astin was born February 25, 1971, in Santa Monica, California to Patty Duke. This was long reported that his father was John Astin (famous for playing Gomez on "The Addams Family" (1964) among other things) whom Duke married nearly 18 months later on August 5, 1972. DNA testing later proved that his biological father was Michael Tell, to whom Duke was shortly married to (June 26-July 9, 1970) before the marriage was annulled.

At the time she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar, she was the youngest person ever to win an Oscar in a competitive category. (In 1973, Tatum O'Neal became the youngest person to win a competitive Academy Awards at age 10). This is partially because AMPAS discontinued their practice of awarding miniature Oscars to "child" actors following Hayley Mills' mini-statuette in 1961 for Pollyanna (1960), allowing actors of all ages to compete for "regular" Academy Awards.

In 1976, she won her second Emmy award for the highly successful mini-series, Captains and the Kings (1976). Other successful TV films followed.

She received two Emmy nominations in 1978 for A Family Upside Down (1978) and Having Babies III (1978).

She then won her third Emmy in the 1979 TV movie version of The Miracle Worker (1979), this time portraying "Annie Sullivan".

In 1982, she was diagnosed with manic-depressive illness.

In 1984, she became President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) (1985-1988).

In 1986, she married Michael Pierce, a drill sergeant whom she met while preparing for a role in the TV movie, A Time to Triumph (1986).

In 1987, she wrote her autobiography, "Call Me Anna".

Adopted a son, Kevin Pearce (born 1988), with Michael Pearce.

In 1989, she and Mike adopted a baby, whom they named "Kevin".

Her autobiography became a TV movie in 1990, with Patty playing herself, from her 30s onward.

In 1992, she wrote her second book, "A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depression Illness". Anna Marie Duke had a long and successful career, winning three Emmys. She was a mother and a political advocate for issues such as the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), AIDS and nuclear disarmament, all despite having Manic-Depression.

Was considered for the role of Captain Katherine Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager (1995).

Became a grandmother for the first time at age 49 when her son Sean Astin and his wife Christine Astin welcomed a daughter, Ali Astin on November 27, 1996.

Became a grandmother for the second time at age 55 when her son Sean Astin and his wife Christine Astin welcomed a daughter, Elizabeth Louise Astin on August 6, 2002.

Underwent single bypass heart surgery on November 3, 2004 at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Spoke at the memorial service for her friend and mentor, Anne Bancroft. [June 2005]

Received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida on December 14, 2007.

Received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Maryland on March 6, 2010.

Died exactly one month (March 29, 2016) before her first husband Harry Falk, who died April 29, 2016.