Law & Order actress and Marilyn Monroe’s sister-in-law, Joan Copeland has died at the age of 99.
Hollywood’s Joan Copeland was the sister of playwright Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe’s one-time sister-in-law, died in her sleep at her Manhattan apartment, her son Eric told The Hollywood Reporter.
The actress was one of the first members of The Actors Studio and worked on several daytime soap operas and Hollywood movies.
The soap opera star was also the sister of the iconic playwright, Arthur Miller – who had written many plays that Joan went to star in during her six decade-long-career in the industry.
Her brother was married to the infamous Hollywood sweetheart Marilyn Monroe for five years – the pair got married in 1956 and later divorced in 1961.
The Hollywood icon, Joan, had served as Katharine Hepburn’s standby as Coco Chanel in the musical Coco, which ran from 1969-70 and had over 320 shows.
The star was born in New York in June 1922 and made her professional acting debut in 1945 as the female lead in a production of Romeo and Juliet.
She found her greatest fame on Broadway, where she performed alongside the icons Ralph Bellamy and Edward Binns in Sidney Kingsley’s Detective Story.
(Image: Bettmann Archive)
In 1981 she told the New York Times: “It was like a big dream, like kids who want to fly to the moon today. Perhaps I was unconsciously influenced by my brother. He had made it. I was desperate to get out of the dreariness I was living in.”
In the 1950s, Joan turned her attention to television, where she enjoyed years of success.
She portrayed twins Maggie and Kay on CBS’ Love of Life from 1960-63 and the villainess Andrea Whiting on CBS’ Search for Tomorrow from 1967-72.
(Image: Getty Images)
Joan garnered a long list of TV credits, with roles in E.R., All In The Family, NYPD Blue, and a recurring stint as Judge Rebecca Stein on Law & Order from 1991 to 2001.
She was married to an engineer George Kupchik from 1943 until his death in July 1989 – the pair had a son named Eric.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
