Person Biography:
Jacqueline Sue Scott, a renowned actress, began her career in show business at the tender age of three by winning a tap-dancing contest. Despite initially describing herself as "the worst child tap dancer ever to haunt an audience," she successfully transitioned from juvenile performer in tent shows to a leading and character actress with an impressive number of screen credits to her name.
Born in the small town of Sikeston, Missouri, to John D. Scott and Maxine Finley, Jackie's early start in acting professionally came at 17 with a small St. Louis community theatre company. She later moved to New York, graduated from Hunter College, and worked for David Sarnoff at RCA before studying acting under Uta Hagen.
Her breakthrough came when she was chosen by the renowned thespian Louis Calhern to play the part of his granddaughter in The Wooden Dish on Broadway. Mentored by Calhern, Jackie was cast opposite Paul Muni in Inherit the Wind, playing a young girl in love with the hapless teacher at the center of the infamous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.
In television, Jackie's early work included live anthology drama, which led to her being brought to Hollywood by William Castle. Her debut big-screen appearance was in Macabre (1958),a low-budget horror movie that managed to gross $5 million.
Throughout her career, Jackie was married to screenwriter and photographer Gene Lesser, whom she met on the set of Macabre, for an impressive 62 years. Her prolific output consisted primarily of TV guest spots, with notable roles including Donna Kimble Taft in The Fugitive, the wife of an astronaut in The Parallel, and Dr. Kira in Planet of the Apes.
In films, Jackie frequently played supportive spouses, including Walter Matthau's in Charley Varrick, Dennis Weaver's in Duel, and James Stewart's in Firecreek. She also appeared in the monster flick Empire of the Ants and had repeat appearances in various western TV shows, including Have Gun - Will Travel, Laramie, Bonanza, and Gunsmoke.
