Profile of the Day: Patty Duke

Patty Duke

Today we remember actress Patty Duke, who passed away on this day one year ago.

She was born Anne Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Queens, New York. The youngest of three children, Duke experienced a very difficult childhood. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother suffered from clinical depression. At the age of 8, she was placed in the care of talent managers, who added her to their stable of child actors, and forced her to change her name to Patty.

At the age of 16, she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. She was the youngest person to win an Oscar at the time. Soon after, she starred in her own television show, The Patty Duke Show. The series ran for three seasons and earned her an Emmy nomination.

Duke died on March 29, 2016 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at the age of 69.

Do you remember watching The Patty Duke Show? Explore Patty Duke’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related to the star.
 

View Patty Duke’s Geni Profile

Image: Wikimedia Commons