Romy Windsor

 

Romy Walthall, ‘Face/Off’ and ‘The House of Usher’ Actor, Dies at 57

Variety

By Ellise Shafer

May 31, 2021

Romy Walthall, an actor known for her roles in “Face/Off” and “The House of Usher,” died on May 19 in Los Angeles after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. She was 57.

Walthall’s son, actor and director Morgan Krantz, confirmed her death to Variety.

Born on Sept. 16, 1963 in Pasadena, Texas, Walthall got her start in the entertainment industry by winning the Mother/Daughter USA pageant in 1980. At age 17, Walthall was signed to Ford Models and began modeling in Europe. She eventually moved back to Los Angeles and dipped her toes into the acting world, sometimes going by her stage name, Romy Windsor.

She landed her first major role in Jerry Bruckheimer’s 1984 thriller “Thief of Hearts,” and played Bobbi in 1985’s “A Bunny’s Tale,” which was based on Gloria Steinem’s investigation of Playboy Bunnies’ working conditions. Walthall also starred in the cult horror films “Howling IV: The Original Nightmare” in 1988 and “The House of Usher” in 1989 alongside Oliver Reed. In 1997’s “Face/Off,” Walthall played Kimberly, the neurotic secretary of John Travolta’s Sean Archer.

Walthall also enjoyed a career in television, starring in the 1991 sitcom “Man of the People” with James Garner, the 1994 show “Hotel Malibu” alongside Jennifer Lopez, as well as legal dramas “Civil Wars” and “Murder One.” Other television appearances include “The X-Files,” “Camp Nowhere,” “Charles in Charge,” “Quantum Leap,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “L.A. Law,” “Love Boat: The Next Wave” and “The Nightmare Room.” She appeared as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1991.

Walthall’s final credit was in the 2011 film “0s & 1s,” in which she appeared alongside her son, Morgan. After retiring, Walthall became an acting teacher in the San Fernando Valley.

Walthall is survived by her mother, sister and three children: Morgan, Isabella and Theodore. A memorial was held in her honor in Malibu last week

WINDSOR, Romy (Romy Walthall)

Born: 9/16/1963, Pasadena, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 5/19/2021, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Romy Windsor’s westerns – producer, actress:

Big Bad John – 1990 (Marie Michelle)

Winds of Change – 2019 [producer]

RIP Arlene Golonka

'Mayberry R.F.D.' Actress Arlene Golonka Dies at 85

 

EXTRA

May 31, 2021

According to close friends, longtime stage, film, and TV actress Arlene Golonka, best remembered for her time on two series set in the idyllic, fictional town of Mayberry, died Monday. She was 85.

Born January 23, 1936, in Chicago, the bubbly blonde with impeccable comedic timing got her start on the theater scene in her hometown ahead of a move to NYC, where she studied with greats like Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg.

The Actors Studio lifer made her Broadway debut in 1958's "The Night Circus," and went on to appear in such shows as "Take Me Along" (1959), Neil Simon's debut "Come Blow Your Horn" (1961), and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1963) opposite Kirk Douglas, later adapted into the Oscar-winning film by his son Michael Douglas.

In 1965, she was a part of the smash comedy album "You Don't Have to Be Jewish," and in 1967 moved to L.A., where she embarked upon a long — and busy — TV and movie career.

She was perhaps best known for two episodes as Millie Hutchins on the iconic series "The Andy Griffith Show" (1967) and as Millie Swanson on 49 episodes of its spin-off "Mayberry R.F.D" (1968-1971).

Along with films including the Clint Eastwood vehicle "Hang 'em High" (1968), "Airport '77" (1977), "The In-Laws" (1979), "Love at First Bite" (1980), and "My Tutor" (1983), she guested on a wealth of TV series, specializing in such sitcoms as "Car 54, Where Are You?" (1963), "The Flying Nun" (1967), "Get Smart" (1968), "That Girl" (1967 & 1968), "All in the Family" (1973), "Love, American Style" (1971, 1972 & 1974), "Mary Tyler Moore" (1971 & 1974 — with her '60s roommate Valerie Harper), "Maude" (1974 & 1975), "Alice" (1977), "One Day at a Time" (1978), "Growing Pains" (1988 & 1990), and, in her final TV role, "The King of Queens" (2005).

She was also a popular voice actor, including as Debbie on "Speed Buggy" (1973).

In the latter part of her career, Golonka turned to coaching, counting stars like Halle Berry among her clients.

She told a charmed audience in 1997 of the life of an actor, "It's 97% work and it's 3% glamour. I call it the most unglamorous glamorous business in the world. I mean, you've gotta go on diets, you've gotta keep your body wonderful, you've gotta try to stay looking young, you've gotta bleach your hair — I do! — you've gotta have a huge wardrobe [for auditions]."

In spite of the hard work, she said, "I breathe, eat, and live acting."

GOLONKA, Arlene (Arlene Leonora Golonka)

Born: 1/23/1936, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Died: 5/31/2021, Palm Desert, California, U.S.A.

 

Arlene Golonka’s westerns – actress:

Welcome to Hard Times – 1967 (Mae)

The Big Valley (TV) – 1967 (Gail Miller)

Hang ‘Em High! – 1968 (Jennifer)