Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 12, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American stage and screen actress whose career spanned nearly sixty years.
Originally from Detroit, Hunter made her screen debut in 1943 with the Val Lewton-produced Film Noir thriller The Seventh Victim. Three years later she gained a higher profile with Michael Powell’s fantastic romance A Matter of Life and Death.
In 1952 Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Later in the 1950s her career was slowed after she spoke out against The Hollywood Blacklist, although she was never entirely forced out of Hollywood. In the late '60s and early '70s her career picked up again with the Planet of the Apes movies, in which she played the kindly but headstrong chimpanzee Dr. Zira – reportedly, she greatly enjoyed the acting challenge imposed by all the ape makeup, and appreciated that in this role, nobody could ever accuse her of getting by on her good looks. She also had a notable role later in life in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Hunter was married twice: to William Baldwin,note with whom she had a daughter; and Robert Emmett, with whom she had a son. She died of a heart attack at the age of 79.
Works with Kim Hunter:
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Film roles
- 1943 The Seventh Victim: Mary Gibson
- 1943 Tender Comrade: Doris Dumbrowski
- 1944 A Canterbury Tale: Johnson’s Girl (US release only)
- 1944 When Strangers Marry: Mildred Baxter
- 1945 You Came Along: Frances Hotchkiss
- 1946 A Matter of Life and Death: June
- 1951 A Streetcar Named Desire: Stella Kowalski
- 1952 Deadline USA: Nora Hutcheson
- 1952 Anything Can Happen: Helen Watson
- 1956 Storm Center: Martha Lockridge
- 1956 Bermuda Affair: Fran West
- 1957 The Young Stranger: Helen Ditmar
- 1958 Money Women And Guns: Mary Johnston Kingman
- 1960 The Closing Door: Norma Trahern (Made-for-TV Movie)
- 1961 Give Us Barabbas: Mara (TV Movie)
- 1964 Lilith: Dr. Bea Brice
- 1966 Lamp At Midnight: Maria Celeste (TV Movie)
- 1968 Planet of the Apes (1968): Zira
- Reprised role in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971).
- 1968 The Young Loner: Freda Williams (TV Movie)
- 1968 The Swimmer: Betty Graham
- 1970 Dial Hot Line: Mrs. Edith Carruthers (TV Movie)
- 1970 The Teaching: Nan Golden (TV Movie)
- 1971 In Search Of America: Cora Chandler (TV Movie)
- 1974 Unwed Father: Judy Simmons (TV Movie)
- 1974 Born Innocent: Mrs. Parker (TV Movie)
- 1974 Bad Ronald: Elaine Wilby (TV Movie)
- 1976 The Dark Side Of Innocence: Kathleen Hancock (TV Movie)
- 1976 Dark August: Adrianna Putnam
- 1978 Stubby Pringles Christmas: Mrs. Harper (TV Movie)
- 1979 The Golden Gate Murders: Sister Superior (TV Movie)
- 1980 FDR The Last Year: Lucy Rutherford (TV Movie)
- 1981 Skokie: Bertha Feldman (TV Movie)
- 1985 Private Sessions: Rosemary O’Reilly
- 1987 The Kindred: Amanda Hollins
- 1988 Drop Out Mother: Leona (TV Movie)
- 1989 Cross Of Fire: Mrs. Oberholtzer (TV Movie)
- 1990 Two Evil Eyes: Mrs. Pym
- 1993 Bloodlines Murder In The Family: Vera Woodman (TV Movie)
- 1993 Triumph Over Disaster The Hurricane Andrew Story: Elsa Rael (TV Movie)
- 1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: Betty Harty
- 1998 A Price Above Rubies: Rebbitzn
- 1999 Shadows Of The Past: Emmeline Brown
- 1999 Blue Moon: Sheila Keating (TV Movie)
- 1999 Out Of The Cold: Elsa Lindepu
- 2000 The Hiding Place: Muriel
- 2000 Heres To Life: Nelly Ormond
Short film roles
- 1943 Reconnaissance Pilot: Catherine Cummings (Uncredited)
- 1993 The Black Cat
Television roles
- 1949 Suspense: Emily (1 episode)
- 1949 The Ford Theatre Hour: Meg March (1 episode)
- 1952 Celanese Theatre: Gaby Maple (1 episode)
- 1953 The Gulf Playhouse: Elizabeth (1 episode)
- 1954 Janet Dean Registered Nurse: Sylvia Peters (1 episode)
- 1955 Omnibus: Joan of Arc (1 episode)
- 1955 Appointment With Adventure: Gerri Malloy (1 episode)
- 1955 Screen Directors Playhouse: Elizabeth (1 episode)
- 1955 Lux Video Theatre: Lina (1 episode)
- 1955–58 Climax: Barbara Williams/Lynn Griffith/Ann Brewster (3 episodes)
- 1956 Studio 57: Molly (1 episode)
- 1956 The Joseph Cotten Show On Trial: Anita Wells (1 episode)
- 1956–60 General Electric Theater: Mary Murphy/Hilda/Edie Gauman (3 episodes)
- 1956–60 Playhouse 90: Grace Carney/Julie Hogarth/Anna Rojas/Joyce McClure/Shirl Cato/Mrs. Anderson/Maria/Helen Bragg (8 episodes)
- 1956–62 The United States Steel Hour: Vivan (2 episodes)
- 1957 The Kaiser Aluminum Hour: Helen Ditmar (1 episode)
- 1958 Studio One: Maggie Church (1 episode)
- 1958 Alcoa Theatre: Stephanie Heldman (1 episode)
- 1958 Rendezvous: Amanda “Mandy” Sullivan Skowran (1 episode)
- 1959 Rawhide: Amelia Spaulding (1 episode)
- 1959 The Lineup: Sister Angela (1 episode)
- 1959 Adventures In Paradise: Vanessa Sutton Charles (1 episode)
- 1960 Sunday Showcase: Jill (1 episode)
- 1960–61 Play Of The Week: Norma Trahern (1 episode)
- 1962 Naked City: Edna Daggett (1 episode)
- 1962 The Dick Powell Theatre: Ruth Jacobs (1 episode)
- 1962 The Eleventh Hour: Virginia Hunter (1 episode)
- 1963 The Doctors And The Nurses: Lora Stanton (1 episode)
- 1963 Breaking Point: Anita Anson (1 episode)
- 1963 Arrest And Trial: Geraldine Weston Saunders (1 episode)
- 1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Adelaide Winters (1 episode)
- 1965 The Defenders: Eileen Rolf (1 episode)
- 1965 Dr. Kildare: Emily Field (2 episodes)
- 1966 Hawk: Mrs. Gilworth (1 episode)
- 1967–70 Mannix: Louise Dubrio/Angela Warren (2 episodes)
- 1968 Bonanza: Ada Halle (1 episode)
- 1968 The Jackie Gleason Show: Miss Patterson (1 episode)
- 1968 CBS Playhouse: Gerrie Mason (1 episode)
- 1969 NET Playhouse: Clytemnestra (1 episode)
- 1970 The Young Lawyers: Miriam Hewitt (1 episode)
- 1970 Brackens World: Amy Dobie (1 episode)
- 1971 The Bold Ones The New Doctors: Elaine Miller (1 episode)
- 1971 Gunsmoke: Bea Colter (1 episode)
- 1971 Cannon: Liz Somers (1 episode)
- 1971 Columbo: Edna Matthews (1 episode)
- 1971–74 Medical Center: Carla Yarman/Marion Troy (2 episodes)
- 1972 Night Gallery: Cora Peddington (1 episode)
- 1972 Owen Marshall Counselor At Law: Faye Danner (1 episode)
- 1973 Mission: Impossible: Hannah O’Connel (1 episode)
- 1973 Love, American Style: Ruth (1 episode)
- 1973 The Magician: Nora Coogan (1 episode)
- 1973 Marcus Welby, M.D.: Vera Pulaski (1 episode)
- 1973 Griff: Dr. Martha Reed (1 episode)
- 1973 Police Story (1973): Rose Koster (1 episode)
- 1973 Hec Ramsey: Annie Kirby (1 episode)
- 1973–74 The Evil Touch: Jill/Emily Webber (2 episodes)
- 1974 Ironside (1967): Joanna Portman/Athena Champion (2 episodes)
- 1975 Insight: Ann Hinds (1 episode)
- 1975 Lucas Tanner: Bess Reiter (1 episode)
- 1975 Ellery Queen: Marion McKell (1 episode)
- 1976 Baretta: Crazy Annie (1 episode)
- 1976 Once An Eagle: Kitty Damon
- 1977 The Oregon Trail: Liz Webster (1 episode)
- 1977 Hunter: Mrs. Lovejoy (1 episode)
- 1978 Project UFO: Samantha (1 episode)
- 1979 Backstairs At The White House: Mrs. Ellen Wilson (2 episodes)
- 1979 The Rockford Files: Mrs. Brockelman (1 episode)
- 1979–80 The Edge of Night: Nola Madison
- 1984 Scene Of The Crime: Helen Hollander (1 episode)
- 1985 American Playhouse: Mary Easty/Samuel Nurse (2 episodes)
- 1990 Murder, She Wrote: Beatrice Vitello (1 episode)
- 1993 All My Children: Faye Perth
- 1994 Mad About You: Millie Barton (1 episode)
- 1994 L.A. Law: Natalie Schoen (1 episode)
- 1997 As the World Turns: Nurse / Mrs. Tompkins (3 episodes)
- 2001 The Education of Max Bickford: Adelle Aldrich (1 episode)
Theatre roles
- 1947–49 A Streetcar Named Desire: Stella Kowalski
- 1951 Darkness At Noon: Luba
- 1952 The Chase: Ruby Hawes
- 1952–53 The Children's Hour: Karen Wright
- 1954–55 The Tender Trap: Sylvia Crewes
- 1961–62 Write Me A Murder: Julie Sturrock
- 1968 Weekend: Miss Wilson
- 1969 The Penny Wars: Carrie Bishop
- 1973 The Women: Mary
- 1981 To Grandmothers House We Go: Harriet
- 1996–97 An Ideal Husband: Lady Markby
