Person Details

Birthday: 1936-01-25 11:37:47

Death: 1977-03-27 11:37:47

Aliases: No known aliases

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 7

TV Involvements: 21


Most Famous Work

Biography

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 / [email protected]

Most Famous Work

The Twilight Zone
Average
8

The Twilight Zone

(1959) Anne Henderson / Rider in Black
The Fugitive
Average
7

The Fugitive

(1963) Alison Priestley
Mannix
Average
7

Mannix

(1967) Janice Graham
The Invaders
Average
7

The Invaders

(1967) Ellie Markham
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Average
8

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

(1962) Grace Renford
Naked City
Average
5

Naked City

(1958) Vivian North
The F.B.I.
Average
5

The F.B.I.

(1965) Pat Laner
Tarzan
Average
7

Tarzan

(1966) Diana Russell

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1977 Joan Bradford
1976 Mickey Lubitch
1975 N/A
1974 N/A
N/A
1973 N/A
Jennifer Pearson
1972 N/A
N/A
1971 N/A
N/A
1970 Leila Barton
1969 N/A
1967 Janice Graham
N/A
N/A
Sherri Vikor
Ellie Markham
1966 N/A
Marta Grenier
Claudia Bromley
Diana Russell
Julie Richards
Martha Grenier
Elizabeth Rogers
1965 Marie-Luise Karn
Virginia Lamberth
Joanne Kinston
Pat Laner
N/A
Princess Diana
1964 Miranda Bryant / Irina
Susan Winter
Celeste Martel
Ruth Stafford Peale
1963 N/A
N/A
N/A
Carol Hollister
Stella Savano
Penny
Alison Priestley
1962 N/A
Janet Nelson
Grace Renford
N/A
1961 N/A
N/A
N/A
1959 Anne Henderson / Rider in Black
1958 N/A
Vivian North
1955 N/A
1950 N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

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