'The Defiant Ones' star Cara Williams dead at 96
One of the last stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age has passed away.
“The Defiant Ones” star Cara Williams died on Thursday due to a heart attack. She was 96.
Her daughter Justine Jagoda and her great-nephew Richard Potter confirmed her death to Variety.
“Not only was she a sparkling actress with impeccable comedic timing, she was also funny, over-the-top, warm-hearted and loving,” Jagoda said in a statement. “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.”
The Brooklyn native was born Bernice Kamiat in 1925. She came to Hollywood with her mother and, by 16, she had a contract with 20th Century Fox and appeared in small and uncredited roles.
One of her first big roles was 1958’s “The Defiant Ones” alongside Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier. Williams played the lover of Curtis’ character, who portrayed an escaped convict, and scored an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work on the adventure film.
On television, Williams earned an Emmy nomination for her performance as Gladys in CBS’ “Pete and Gladys,” which debuted in 1960. She starred in her own series, “The Cara Williams Show,” from 1964 to 1965.
She also played opposite Humphrey Bogart in “Knock on Any Door” (1949) and guest-starred on several episodes of the TV series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”
Williams also appeared in movies including “The Girl Next Door” (1953) and “Meet Me in Las Vegas” (1956), “The Great Diamond Robbery” (1954) and “Doctors’ Wives” (1971).
The actress was married three times, first to Alan Gray, whom she wedded in 1945. They had a daughter, but divorced two years later.
She then tied the knot with actor John Drew Barrymore. The couple had a son, actor John Blythe Barrymore, before divorcing in 1959. The younger Barrymore is the father of actress Drew Barrymore.
Her last marriage was to real estate mogul Asher Dann in 1964. The two stayed married until Dann’s death in 2018.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, her funeral will take place on Dec. 15 at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City.
