Actress Jennifer Leak, who entertained audiences on both the boob tube and the silver screen has passed away. She was 76.
Jennifer Leak, Rest In Peace
The news was widely disseminated by her former husband, and one-time costar, Tim Matheson in a Facebook post. He wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak’s passing. She wasn’t just my screen sister in Yours, Mine and Ours, but also my beloved first wife. Jennifer was a remarkable woman, strong, lovely, and incredibly talented. My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D’Auria, and their multitude of friends.”
Per the East Hampton Star, Leaks breathed her last on March 18 in Jupiter Florida. For several years previous, she had lived with a rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy.
The Montreal, Quebec native’s sojourn into acting came courtesy of a small part in the pilot episode of procedure Wojeck, where her “un-studied natural talents” made quite the impression on Mike Nichols. The famed director cast Leak in his next project, The Graduate, but issues with immigration prevented her from partaking in the shoot.
Leak’s film debut would instead come in the Lucille Ball starring Yours, Mine and Ours. She continued to add to her resume, appearing in popular prime series of the day, Hawaii Five-O, McMillan & Wife, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show among others.
A run on daytime soap Bright Promise saw Leaks first immerse herself in what D’Auria described as “her favorite medium and what she loved performing in most.”
Subsequent suds stints included three years at The Young and the Restless (during which time her alter-ego, prostitute Gwen Sherman, fell for the charms of do-gooder Greg Foster and wound up joining a nunnery!), three years at Another World (where she played sociopathic schemestress Olive Gordon whose reign of terror included unwittingly tossing acid into Eileen Simpson — she’d been aiming for love rival Alice Matthews — and the arson murder of ex-husband John Randolph — again, an unintended consequences of trying to stick it to Alice.), as well as tenures on Ryan’s Hope, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, and Loving.
In addition to D’Auria and Matheson, Leaks is survived by her brother, Kenneth.
Daily Drama extends our sincerest condolences to Jennifer Leak’s family, friends, and fans.
Catch up with Daily Drama on Social Media!
Subscribe to the Daily Drama Podcast on YouTube!
Follow our main Daily Drama Facebook page.
Check out our Daily Drama Instagram page.
Find us on our Daily Drama Threads
Spend time with Daily Drama on TikTok
Tweet with us on our Daily Drama X account
