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Leslie Parrish, an actress remembered for appearances in The Manchurian Candidate, Star Trek, and the television series Batman, died at the age of ninety. Her screen career made her recognizable, but the life she built away from Hollywood included political organizing, environmental protection, music, and writing.
She was born Marjorie Hellen in Pennsylvania in 1935 and spent part of her childhood in an isolated rural setting with limited access to radio and television. Music became an early ambition, and she studied piano. A job as a waitress eventually led to modeling work and then a studio contract with 20th Century Fox.
The studio changed her professional name to Leslie Parrish. Like many performers under the old system, she entered an industry that placed heavy emphasis on appearance. Parrish, however, developed a varied list of film and television roles rather than remaining only a promotional face.