Priscilla Pointer
American actress (1924–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Priscilla Marie Pointer[1] (May 18, 1924 – April 28, 2025) was an American actress of theater, film and television.
May 18, 1924
Priscilla Pointer | |
|---|---|
Pointer c. 1968 | |
| Born | Priscilla Marie Pointer May 18, 1924 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 2025 (aged 100) Ridgefield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1948–2014 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, including David and Amy Irving |
| Relatives | Austin Irving (granddaughter) |
Pointer began her career in the theater in the late 1940s, including productions on Broadway, and later moved to Hollywood to pursue a television and film career beginning in the early 1950s. She was widely known for her recurring role as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth in the popular television series, Dallas.
Background
Pointer was born on May 18, 1924, in New York City.[2] Her mother, Augusta "Gus" Leonora Pointer (née Davis; 1898–1970), was a sculptor and an illustrator, and her father, Kenneth Keith Pointer (1890–1984), was an artist.[1] One of her maternal great-grandfathers, Jacob Barrett Cohen, was from a Jewish family who had lived in the United States since the 1700s.[1][3][4] Pointer turned 100 in May 2024.[5][6]
Pointer was married to film and stage director Jules Irving, former artistic director of Lincoln Center, from 1947 until his death in 1979; they were the parents of Katie Irving, director David Irving, and actress Amy Irving.[7] Through her daughter, she was mother-in-law of filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Bruno Barreto, respectively.[8] She was the widow of Robert Symonds, whom she married in 1980.
Career
Early career
Pointer was a performer from the late 1940s on, starting her career in theatre and appearing on Broadway as well as several tours in "A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Country Wife" and "The Condemned of Altona",[9] She also featured in the TV series China Smith (also known as The New Adventures of China Smith) in 1954. After a long hiatus, Pointer returned to acting in the early 1970s.
Pointer's first major starring role was on the TV soap opera Where the Heart Is as Adrienne Harris Rainey from 1972 and 1973.
Films
Pointer appearances included Carrie (1976), in which she played the onscreen mother of Amy Irving's character; The Onion Field (1979); Mommie Dearest (1981); Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983); A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987); David Lynch's Blue Velvet; and Coyote Moon (1999). In addition to Carrie, she played the onscreen mother to Amy Irving in Honeysuckle Rose (1980) and Carried Away (1996). They were both in the films The Competition in 1980 and Micki & Maude in 1984.
Pointer appeared in three films directed by her son: Rumpelstiltskin (a 1987 musical version, which starred her daughter), Good-bye, Cruel World, and C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D.
Television
Pointer made many guest appearances on television, including Adam-12, L.A. Law, The A-Team, Judging Amy, The Rockford Files, and Cold Case.
From 1981 to 1983, Pointer had a recurring role on the soap opera Dallas as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, the mother of Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal), and Katherine Wentworth (Morgan Brittany). She appeared in 44 episodes.[5]
Death
Pointer died of natural causes on Monday, April 28, 2025 at an assisted living facility in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She was 100 years old, as announced by her daughter Amy Irving.[10][11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Carrie | Eleanor Snell | |
| Nickelodeon | Mabel | ||
| The Great Texas Dynamite Chase | Miss Harris | ||
| 1977 | The 3,000 Mile Chase | Emma Dvorak | |
| Looking for Mr. Goodbar | Mrs. Dunn | ||
| 1979 | The Onion Field | Chrissie Campbell | |
| 1980 | Honeysuckle Rose | Rosella Ramsey | |
| The Competition | Mrs. Donellan | ||
| 1981 | Mommie Dearest | Mrs. Chadwick | |
| 1983 | Good-bye, Cruel World | Myra | |
| Twilight Zone: The Movie | Miss Cox | Segment: "Kick the Can" | |
| 1984 | Micki & Maude | Diana Hutchison | |
| 1985 | The Falcon and the Snowman | Mrs. Lee | |
| 1986 | Blue Velvet | Mrs. Beaumont | |
| 1987 | Rumpelstiltskin | Queen Grizelda | |
| A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | Dr. Elizabeth Simms | ||
| From the Hip | Mrs. Martha Williams | ||
| 1989 | C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. | Doctor Berlin | |
| 1990 | A Show of Force | Alice Ryan | |
| Disturbed | Nurse Francine | ||
| 1992 | Unbecoming Age | Grandma | |
| 1993 | Painted Desert | Barbara | |
| 1996 | Carried Away | Lily Henson | |
| 1999 | Inferno | Mrs. Henry Howard | |
| 1999 | The Rage: Carrie 2 | Eleanor Snell | Archive footage (uncredited) |
| 2010 | Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | Herself/Dr. Elizabeth Simms | Documentary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | China Smith (also known as The New Adventures of China Smith) | Carla Tilson/Iris Clarke | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | N.Y.P.D. | Woman with child in park | Episode: "The Night Watch" |
| 1970 | The High Chaparral | Mrs. Colton | Episode: "A Matter of Vengeance" |
| 1971 | The Failing of Raymond | History Teacher | Television film |
| 1973 | Adam-12 | Jacqueline Carey | Episode: "Van Nuys Division: Pete's Mustache" |
| 1977 | Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night | Laura Atherton | Television film |
| 1978 | Quincy, M.E. | Victim's mother | Episode: "Dead and Alive" |
| 1981–1983 | Dallas | Rebecca Barnes Wentworth | 44 episodes |
| 1984 | The New Mike Hammer | Edna Grundy | Episode: "Seven Dead Eyes" |
| Too Close for Comfort | Betty Farnsworth | Episode: "The Sound of Mother" | |
| St. Elsewhere | Marie Halloran | Episode: "In Sickness and in Health" | |
| 1986–1988 | L.A. Law | Judge Dorothy M. Pehlman | 4 episodes |
| 1987 | Newhart | Clara Whitscomber | Episode: "Me and My Gayle" |
| Rags to Riches | Ruby | Episode: "Vegas Rock" | |
| 1990–1991 | The Flash | Nora Allen | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | ER | Mrs. Abernathy | Episode: "The Gift" |
| 1997 | Alone | Susan Hight | Television film |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Margaret Palmer | Episode: "The Unforgiven" |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Lillian Vine | Episode: "Debut" |
| 2008 | Sweet Nothing in My Ear | Sally (voice) | Television film |
