It is great sadness that we report the death of actress Patty Duke at the age of 69. She passed away this morning due to sepsis from a ruptured intestine, according to USA Today. Her son, actor Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, The Goonies) released the following statement on Facebook:
I love you mom.OUR FAMILY STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF PATTY DUKEThis morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother,...
Posted by Sean Astin on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
At age 16, Duke won an Academy Award for her portrayal of blind and deaf Helen Keller opposite Anne Bancroft's Annie Sullivan in 1962's The Miracle Worker, a role she had originated on Broadway. She parlayed her fame into the eponymous hit sitcom "The Patty Duke Show," in which she played identical cousins. The show ran successfully from 1963-1966 on ABC, although her talent managers John and Ethel Ross squandered most of her earnings. She had another hit film in 1967's The Valley of the Dolls, although that movie's controversial subject matter damaged her career, as did an undiagnosed mental illness.
In 1982, after years of struggle, Duke was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium, which she credits with saving her life. She became an outspoken advocate for mental health causes, and even dramatized her struggle in a 1990 TV biopic titled "Call Me Anna," in which she played herself from age 30 on.
At one time married to actor John Astin (The Frighteners, "The Addams Family"), Patty Duke is survived by her sons Sean and Mackenzie Astin (Iron Will, The Last Days of Disco), as well a third son Kevin Pearce with her husband Michael Pearce.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
