Born March 1, 1934, in New York City, Joan Hackett was an actress who appeared in movies, television shows, and stage productions in memorable roles that wrote her long-standing legacy.
Hackett’s most famous role was playing Toby Landau in the 1981 comedy-drama movie Only When I Laugh. For her performance, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Her other movie roles include The Group (1966), Will Penny (1968), The Last of Sheila (1973), The Terminal Man (1974), One Trick Pony (1980), and The Escape Artist (1982). Television credits include Tales of the Unexpected, Mourning Becomes Electra, and many made-for-TV movies (as per IMDb). She also appeared in the Off-Broadway plays A Clearing in the Woods and Call Me by My Rightful Name (as per The New York Times).
Tragically, at the age of just 49, on Oct. 8, 1983, Hackett passed away in Encino, California.
How did Joan Hackett die?
According to Legacy.com and various other sources, Joan Hackett died of ovarian cancer. She had first been diagnosed with the awful disease two years earlier, in 1981, and had undergone surgery and various treatments.
The New York Times says Marita Flick, her niece, Christopher Flick, her niece’s husband, and Michael Lucas, her secretary and a friend of the family, were by her bedside when she passed. Her close friend, actress Nancy Livingston Olson, said Hackett “refused to give in to it until very close to the end until she had no choice. And she handled that with courage and acceptance, a kind of intelligence and wisdom.”
May she rest in peace forever as her short but impressive career continues to keep her art alive.