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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
Joan Bradford · (9 episodes)
6.1
1977
Mickey Lubitch
5.7
1976
(1 episode)
7.0
1975
(1 episode)
4.6
1974
(1 episode)
7.7
1974
Cleo Donatello · (1 episode)
6.9
1973
Jennifer Pearson · (1 episode)
7.2
1973
(1 episode)
7.0
1972
(1 episode)
6.9
1972
(1 episode)
6.5
1971
(1 episode)
6.9
1971
Leila Barton
5.6
1970
(1 episode)
6.1
1969
Lisa Adrian · (1 episode)
6.8
1968
Sarah
6.0
1968
Janice Graham · (1 episode)
6.7
1967
(2 episodes)
7.5
1967
(1 episode)
6.9
1967
Sherri Vikor · (1 episode)
6.8
1967
Ellie Markham · (2 episodes)
6.8
1967
(1 episode)
7.0
1966
Marta Grenier · (2 episodes)
6.8
1966
Claudia Bromley · (1 episode)
7.2
1966
Diana Russell · (1 episode)
6.7
1966
Julie Richards
5.5
1966
Martha Grenier
6.5
1966
Elizabeth Rogers
7.1
1966
Marie-Luise Karn · (1 episode)
5.4
1965
Virginia Lamberth · (1 episode)
5.4
1965
Joanne Kinston · (1 episode)
5.4
1965
Pat Laner · (1 episode)
5.4
1965
Eileen Henderson · (1 episode)
7.2
1965
Diana Hays · (1 episode)
7.2
1965
Princess Diana
6.3
1965
Miranda Bryant / Irina · (1 episode)
7.1
1964
Susan Winter · (517 episodes)
6.6
1964
Celeste Martel · (1 episode)
7.5
1964
Ruth Stafford Peale
4.0
1964
Laura DeLinda Stevenson / Laura Murdoch · (1 episode)
5.3
1963
(1 episode)
5.5
1963
Laurel Peachey · (1 episode)
6.0
1963
Stella Savano · (1 episode)
7.2
1963
Carol Hollister · (1 episode)
7.2
1963
Penny · (1 episode)
7.2
1963
Alison Priestley · (1 episode)
7.2
1963
(1 episode)
5.7
1962
Janet Nelson · (1 episode)
7.8
1962
Grace Renford · (1 episode)
7.8
1962
(1 episode)
6.0
1962
(62 episodes)
5.5
1961
(1 episode)
5.7
1961
Dr. Lilith McGraw · (1 episode)
5.4
1961
Marguerite Williams · (1 episode)
5.4
1961
Anne Henderson / Rider in Black · (1 episode)
8.4
1959
(322 episodes)
3.0
1958
Vivian North · (1 episode)
5.3
1958
Dallas Fair · (1 episode)
6.5
1955
Judy · (1 episode)
5.2
1950