Hollywood’s Golden Age actress Cara Williams dies at 96
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Hollywood’s Golden Age actress Cara Williams dies at 96
Oscar-nominated and one of the remaining actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, Cara Williams, has passed away at the age of 96.
Cara Williams’ family confirmed that the Hollywood star passed away at 96. Credit: Getty Images/Toronto Star.
William's death was confirmed by her daughter, Justine Jagoda, and her great-nephew Richard Potter.
Speaking to Variety, Jagoda described how her mother was off-camera: 'Not only was she a sparkling actress with impeccable comedic timing, she was also funny, over-the-top, warm-hearted and loving.'
'She could make anyone laugh and smile if they had a bad day. She was everything that you could wish for in a mother and more. It’s a sad loss to lose a woman from this incredible era.'
Meanwhile, Potter took to Twitter to share the sad news, writing: 'My Great Aunt, who might have been the last surviving Golden Age of Hollywood actress died on Thursday at 96. #Oscar & #Emmy Nominated. #CaraWilliams. RIP Cara.'
Williams was known for her performance in 1958's The Defiant Ones where she received an Oscar nomination.
The actress, who enjoyed a four-decade career from 1941 to 1982, was born ‘Bernice Kamiat’ in Brooklyn, New York to Romanian Jewish immigrant parents.
Kamiat used the screen name ‘Cara Williams’ after she relocated to Los Angeles with her mother where she attended the Hollywood Professional School.
Williams had her first footing in acting for the big screen when she played a credited role in a 1941 film titled 'Wide Open Town'. She then starred in dramas like Girls Town (1942) and Happy Land (1943).
However, it wasn't her roles from the early 1940s that put her in the limelight, it was her supporting roles in Oscar-nominated films including Boomerang (1947) and an uncredited role in Sitting Pretty (1948) that gained her fame.
The Hollywood star then started appearing regularly on television in the early 1950s, playing supporting roles in musicals The Girl Next Door (1953) and The Great Diamond Robbery (1954).
Williams also starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in a comedy titled Monte Carlo Baby (1951).
The actress took the stage name Cara Williams after relocating to Los Angeles with her mother. Credit: Corbis/GettyImages.
Around this time, the actress took a break from acting as she married her first husband, John Drew Barrymore, and gave birth to her son John Blyth Barrymore in 1954.
The Hollywood star then returned to TV, starring in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents including Decoy (1956), De Mortuis (1956), Last Request (1957), and The Cure (1960).
It was also around this time that Williams was launched into superstardom after she played the role of Billy's mother in the Oscar-nominated film The Defiant Ones (1958) where she also received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The actress was launched into superstardom after she played a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated film The Defiant Ones (1958). Credit: YouTube/MovieClipsClassicTrailers.
Aside from the big screen, she also had a momentous achievement in television after she played a titular role in Pete And Gladys, a CBS comedy series that aired from 1960 to 1962, alongside Harry Morgan.
Her acting in Pete and Gladys earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy category.
She later had her own prime time series in 1964 titled The Cara Williams Show which only aired for one season.
Williams mellowed down her acting in the 1970s, appearing less frequently on TV.
The actress then retired from acting after her role in a 1982 television movie ‘In Security’.
After her retirement from acting, she began a career as an interior designer.
Williams spent her remaining days in Los Angeles where she used to live with her third husband, real-estate entrepreneur and former actor, Asher Dann, until his death in 2018.
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