
Diana Hyland
Born
January 25, 1936
Died
March 27, 1977 (41 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
Diana Hyland, a striking, knowing beauty with a confident air about her, was born Diane Gentner on January 25, 1936, in Ohio and appeared on stage in summer stock as a teen before graduating from Cleveland Heights High School. Moving to New York in 1955 to test her acting mettle, the slim-faced, honey-blonde actress began to find TV roles almost immediately (one of her first being a "Robert Montgomery Presents" episode) in between supplementing her income as a switchboard operator. Initially billed Diane Gentner, she changed it to Diana Hyland (taking her mother's maiden name). Following a tour of the play "Look Back in Anger," she broke through quite impressively on the Broadway boards as the neurotic ingénue in the acclaimed 1959 Tennessee Williams production of "Sweet Bird of Youth" starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page. Her role of Heavenly Finley could have made her a film star had she been allowed to take it the big screen, but Shirley Knight was given that honor. In the early 60s, Diana focused on the small screen with strong, emotional roles on such soaps as "Young Dr. Malone" (1958) and "Peyton Place" (1964) (in a particularly showy role as a minister's alcoholic wife). She also scored well in a series of guest parts, notably "The Twilight Zone," "The Fugitive," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alcoa Presents," the last for which she received an Emmy nomination. She was a particularly sought-after presence on medical shows as well, spicing up such popular tearjerkers as "Ben Casey," "Dr. Kildare," "The Doctors and the Nurses," "Medical Center" and "Marcus Welby, M.D.". Strangely, Diana made noticeably few films during her career, her best showcase being that of the unconventional minister's wife opposite Don Murray's Rev. Norman Vincent Peale in One Man's Way (1964). In addition to a small, downbeat supporting turn in The Chase (1966) starring Marlon Brando, Robert Redford and, Jane Fonda, she also co-starred with Fess Parker in the routine western yarn Smoky (1966). Remaining focused on TV, Diana continued to brightened up the TV medium into the 1970s with an emphasis on crime ("Kojak, "Harry O", "Cannon," "Mannix," etc.). IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Eight Is Enough
Joan Bradford · (9 episodes)
1977

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Mickey Lubitch
1976

S.W.A.T.
(1 episode)
1975

Harry O
(1 episode)
1974

Happy Days
(1 episode)
1974

Kojak
Cleo Donatello · (1 episode)
1973

Hawkins
Jennifer Pearson · (1 episode)
1973

Banyon
(1 episode)
1972

Search
(1 episode)
1972

Cannon
(1 episode)
1971

Alias Smith and Jones
(1 episode)
1971

Ritual of Evil
Leila Barton
1970

Medical Center
(1 episode)
1969

The Name of the Game
Lisa Adrian · (1 episode)
1968

Jigsaw
Sarah
1968

Mannix
Janice Graham · (1 episode)
1967

Judd for the Defense
(2 episodes)
1967

Ironside
(1 episode)
1967

The Invaders
Sherri Vikor · (27 episodes)
1967

The Invaders
Ellie Markham · (2 episodes)
1967

Felony Squad
(1 episode)
1966

The Iron Horse
Marta Grenier · (1 episode)
1966

The Green Hornet
Claudia Bromley · (1 episode)
1966

Tarzan
Diana Russell · (1 episode)
1966

Smoky
Julie Richards
1966

Scalplock
Martha Grenier
1966

The Chase
Elizabeth Rogers
1966

The F.B.I.
Marie-Luise Karn · (1 episode)
1965

The F.B.I.
Virginia Lamberth · (1 episode)
1965

The F.B.I.
Joanne Kinston · (1 episode)
1965

The F.B.I.
Pat Laner · (1 episode)
1965

Run for Your Life
Eileen Henderson · (1 episode)
1965

Run for Your Life
Diana Hays · (1 episode)
1965

Hercules and the Princess of Troy
Princess Diana
1965

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Miranda Bryant / Irina · (1 episode)
1964

Peyton Place
Susan Winter · (517 episodes)
1964

The Rogues
Celeste Martel · (1 episode)
1964

One Man's Way
Ruth Stafford Peale
1964

Kraft Suspense Theatre
Laura DeLinda Stevenson / Laura Murdoch · (1 episode)
1963
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
(1 episode)
1963

Burke's Law
Laurel Peachey · (1 episode)
1963

The Fugitive
Stella Savano · (1 episode)
1963

The Fugitive
Carol Hollister · (1 episode)
1963

The Fugitive
Penny · (1 episode)
1963

The Fugitive
Alison Priestley · (1 episode)
1963

Stoney Burke
(1 episode)
1962

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Janet Nelson · (1 episode)
1962

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Grace Renford · (1 episode)
1962

Sam Benedict
(1 episode)
1962

Alcoa Premiere
(62 episodes)
1961

Ben Casey
(1 episode)
1961

Dr. Kildare
Dr. Lilith McGraw · (1 episode)
1961

Dr. Kildare
Marguerite Williams · (1 episode)
1961

The Twilight Zone
Anne Henderson / Rider in Black · (1 episode)
1959
Young Doctor Malone
(322 episodes)
1958

Naked City
Vivian North · (1 episode)
1958

Gunsmoke
Dallas Fair · (1 episode)
1955

Robert Montgomery Presents
Judy · (1 episode)
1950