Olympia Dukakis, whose career saw her win a Supporting Actor Oscar among many other accolades, has died. She was 89.
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1920, Dukakis initially specialised in sports despite her father launching a drama club to stage Greek plays. A New England fencing champion when she graduated from Boston University, she soon turned her attention to learning theatre arts, working as a physical therapist to earn the funding for her Masters Degree.
After graduating, she moved to New York in 1958 to start finding acting work, teaching the subject to make ends meet between auditions. Her first full experience on stage at summer stock was a memorably bad one, with Dukakis suffering a panic attack that left her unable to talk for an act.
She didn't let that stop her, however, and launched a career that spanned the stage and screens big and small. Early work included on TV in shows such as Dr. Kildare, while in cinema, she has been seen in movies including Death Wish, Rich Kids, Steel Magnolias, In The Land Of Women, Mighty Aphrodite, The Infiltrator, 3 Needles, Whiskey School, The Cemetery Club, Working Girl and Moonstruck, for which she scored her Academy Award.
Dukakis became known for playing fiery mother figures, but her abilities stretched far beyond one role. She could switch between teaching drama and appearing on stage to memorable performances such as Anna Madrigal in the various series and miniseries based on Armistead Maupin's Tales Of The City. When her husband, fellow actor Louis Zorch, was injured in a car accident, she took a regular job on daytime drama Search For Tomorrow to support the family.
She's survived by the three children and will be much missed.