Joan Benedict Steiger (July 21, 1927 – June 24, 2024) was an American actress best known for her role as Edith Fairchild on General Hospital.[1]

Joan Benedict Steiger
Born
Joan Benedict

(1927-07-21)July 21, 1927
DiedJune 24, 2024(2024-06-24) (aged 96)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
Spouses
  • (m. 1962; died 1992)
  • (m. 2000; died 2002)
PartnerJeremy Slate (2002–2006; his death)
Children1

Early life and education

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Benedict Steiger was born in Brooklyn, New York, and first performed at the age of seven at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She continued her training at Rome Opera Ballet School, before studying with acting coaches Robert Lewis and Stella Adler, founders of the Actors Studio in New York.

Career

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Theatre

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Her list of stage credits include acclaimed productions of contemporary offerings such as Promises, Promises, The Beauty Queen of Leenane,[2] Collected Stories by Donald Margulies, P.J. Barry's The Octette Bridge Club, Horton Foote's The Traveling Lady, and Morris West's The World is Made of Glass, opposite Don Knotts in the comedy The Mind with the Dirty Man, and others.

Film

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Benedict Steiger is known for a classic bit from the original version of Candid Camera, where she played a lost tourist looking for directions from passersby.[3] She was also part of the ensemble of the original Steve Allen Show, where she did double duty as the spokesperson for Hazel Bishop cosmetics. On daytime drama, she had regular and recurring roles on General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and Capitol.[4] She has a starring role the 2011 feature Dead Border.[5]

Personal life

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Joan Benedict Steiger's personal relationships are the basis for her one-woman show, The Loves of my Life. Her first marriage was to actor John Myhers, best known for his work in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,[6] and they were married from 1962 until Myhers' death in 1992. Benedict Steiger is also the widow of the Academy Award-winning actor Rod Steiger, whom she married October 10, 2000. They appeared in two films together, A Month of Sundays and the telefilm The Flying Dutchman.[4] Following Rod Steiger's death in 2002, Benedict Steiger's partner was actor Jeremy Slate, a veteran of over 80 films and television shows dating back to 1959, until his death in 2006.[7]

Steiger lived in Malibu, California.[citation needed] She died from complications of a stroke at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on June 24, 2024. She was 96.[8]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 Saturday Night in Apple Valley Poopsie Patata
1977 The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington Sally
1979 The Prize Fighter Dori
1988 Perfect Victims Receptionist
2001 A Month of Sundays Dr. Stanz
2004 Sweet Underground Martha
2006 The Theory of Everything Judge
2013 Dead Border Dr. Charlotte Barnes
2017 Opus of an Angel Bird Lady

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 The Smith Family Marge Episode: "Greener Pastures"
1974 Apple's Way Mr. Knowles Episode: "The Pen Pal"
1980 The Incredible Hulk Society Woman Episode: "Falling Angels"
1981, 1982 Fantasy Island Announcer / Matron 2 episodes
1984 T. J. Hooker Mary Episode: "Model for Murder"
1985 Berrenger's Rue McDaniels Episode: "For Gloria's Benefit"
1985 Crazy Like a Fox M. C. Episode: "Fox in 3/4 Time"
1985 Hunter Jewelry Customer Episode: "Waiting for Mr. Wrong"
1986 Hotel Mrs. Adams Episode: "Changes of Heart"
1986 Days of Our Lives Real Estate Agent Episode #1.5318
1986 The New Gidget Matron Episode: "Super Gidget"
1992 The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Wife Episode: "Heartbreak Hotel"
2001 The Flying Dutchman Moira Television film
2009 Dollhouse Old Lady Episode: "A Spy in the House of Love"

References

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  1. ^ "Joan Benedict Steiger's Collected Stories in Venice Magazine". Archived from the original on 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  2. ^ "Full Cast Set for The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Malibu Stage | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. Retrieved Dec 3, 2020.
  3. ^ "Joan Benedict Steiger's Collected Stories in Venice Magazine". Archived from the original on 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  4. ^ a b "Joan Benedict Steiger". IMDb. Retrieved Dec 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "Dead Border". Retrieved Dec 3, 2020 – via IMDb.
  6. ^ "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers. Retrieved Dec 3, 2020.
  7. ^ "Jeremy Slate". IMDb. Retrieved Dec 3, 2020.
  8. ^ Barnes, Mike (8 July 2024). "Joan Benedict, 'Candid Camera' Actress and Widow of Rod Steiger, Dies at 96". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
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