RIP Patty Duke- A true hero

[Steadmund Brand]

I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Patty Duke, not only was she an Academy Award winning actress ( at the age of 16 no less), but multiple Emmy Award winner and the star of a delightful 60's TV series that still holds up today!! But what I will remember her for was being a true champion for mental health issues.

As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, as do many generations of my family (thanks for the great DNA) I feel blessed that I was lucky enough to grow up in an era where people like Patty Duke were so open about their own afflictions, which is something she admitted long, so long before it was even acceptable to talk about such things in public, let alone a celebrity doing it, that was career suicide,

Patty was so open about being manic depressive (she didn't like the term bi-polar) that she forced the world to see it, and realize that these problems were medical issues, that people like us were not "loons" who should be locked away (as some members of my family tree sadly were, in less enlightened times)- she put a face to mental health issues, a face people knew and loved, and made the world more accepting, made the world realize that with understanding, and care and proper medication, we can live completely normal lives... which thanks to her, I am able to do. For her bravery, her willingness to risk her career and livelihood and her compassion, I will always remember her, and be so very thankful for her.

please rest in peace dear Patty

lovingly

Steadmund Brand

[Mayerling]

I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Patty Duke, not only was she an Academy Award winning actress ( at the age of 16 no less), but multiple Emmy Award winner and the star of a delightful 60's TV series that still holds up today!! But what I will remember her for was being a true champion for mental health issues.

As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, as do many generations of my family (thanks for the great DNA) I feel blessed that I was lucky enough to grow up in an era where people like Patty Duke were so open about their own afflictions, which is something she admitted long, so long before it was even acceptable to talk about such things in public, let alone a celebrity doing it, that was career suicide,

Patty was so open about being manic depressive (she didn't like the term bi-polar) that she forced the world to see it, and realize that these problems were medical issues, that people like us were not "loons" who should be locked away (as some members of my family tree sadly were, in less enlightened times)- she put a face to mental health issues, a face people knew and loved, and made the world more accepting, made the world realize that with understanding, and care and proper medication, we can live completely normal lives... which thanks to her, I am able to do. For her bravery, her willingness to risk her career and livelihood and her compassion, I will always remember her, and be so very thankful for her.

please rest in peace dear Patty

lovingly

Steadmund Brand

She was also able to raise several children (two of her sons, Sean and Mackenzie Astin, became actors too), and was President of the Screen Actor's Guild for three years. Oddly enough, William Schallert (who played her father on "The Patty Duke's Show", and survives her) preceded her as President of the Screen Actor's Guild.

Your comment respecting her guts in revealing the mental problems she suffered and how her career might have gone up in smoke is quite correct. Frances Farmer, back in the 1930s and early 1940s was a well known movie leading lady, but her bouts of mental illness destroyed her career totally - and were the basis for the film "Frances" with Jessica Lang in the 1980s.

Ms Duke's Oscar for best supporting actress in "The Miracle Worker" as "Helen Keller" was the record for youngest actress (at age 17) until Tatum O'Neal won the same award as "Adie Pray" in "Paper Moon" a decade later, at age 9. Interestingly Ms Duke won one of her Emmy Awards for a television movie version of "The Miracle Worker" where she played the role of "Annie Sullivan", the woman who managed to break through and communicate to Helen, who was played in the original movie by Anne Bancroft (who won the Oscar for best actress as a result).

Jeff

[MsWeatherwax]

Frances Farmer, back in the 1930s and early 1940s was a well known movie leading lady, but her bouts of mental illness destroyed her career totally - and were the basis for the film "Frances" with Jessica Lang in the 1980s.
Jeff

It was also the inspiration for the song 'Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle' by Nirvana (Kurt Cobain, although never diagnosed formally, was strongly believed to be bi-polar).

Thank you for posting this Steadmund Brand. I'm sorry to hear of her passing, but she sounds like quite an inspirational lady.

Regards,

MsW