Gayle Hunnicutt was an American film, television, and stage actress who was born on February 6, 1943, in Fort Worth, Texas, and died on August 31, 2023, in London, England.
She attended the University of California, Los Angeles on a scholarship to study English literature and theatre and worked as a fashion model before becoming an actress.
During her career, Hunnicutt was typecast as a brunette sexpot and made more than 30 film appearances.
She was best known for her role as Vanessa Beaumont in the final three seasons of Dallas.
Gayle Hunnicutt husband
Hunnicutt was married and divorced twice and had two children before she died.
Her first husband was British actor David Hemmings, with whom she had a son, the actor Nolan Hemmings.
They got married on November 16, 1968, but divorced in 1975 after Hemmings had an affair with Samantha Eggar, one of his co-stars.
In 1970, Hunnicutt met and later married journalist Simon Jenkins.
The couple lived in Primrose Hill, London, where they raised their son Edward; they divorced in 2009.
It was sad news to learn of Gayle Hunnicutt’s passing. I think her looks and grace made for a splendid Victorian lady in Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal In Bohemia. The American actress became Lady Jenkins in real life.
She will be remembered very affectionately. Especially among us… pic.twitter.com/mvacmYArbU
— Retro Brit (C. A. Powell) (@RetroBrit) September 6, 2023
Gayle Hunnicutt career
Hunnicutt was an American actress who had a successful career in both Hollywood and Britain.
She was discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout and offered a small part in an episode of the TV navy comedy Mister Roberts (1965).
Hunnicutt appeared in several TV shows and movies in the 1960s, including The Wild Wild West, The Big Valley and The Legend of Hell House.
She moved to Britain in the early 1970s and became a successful actress on the British stage and screen.
Hunnicutt appeared in several British TV shows, including The Avengers, The New Avengers and Doctor Who.
She also appeared in several British movies, including The Legacy (1978) and The Martian Chronicles (1980).
Hunnicutt continued to act in movies and TV shows throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
She appeared in the movie The Wisdom of Crocodiles (1998) and the TV show Law & Order: UK (2011).
Hunnicutt’s last acting credit was in the TV show Doctors in 2016.