Dyan Cannon

Dyan Cannon. Samille Diane Friesen, known professionally as Dyan Cannon, is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She first gained major attention for her role in the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Her career spans over six decades, encompassing notable work in film and television, and she is also recognized for her high-profile marriage to actor Cary Grant.

Early life and education

Samille Diane Friesen was born in Tacoma, Washington, to a Baptist family. Her mother, Claire (née Portnoy), was a homemaker, and her father, Ben Friesen, worked as an insurance salesman. She developed an interest in acting during her youth in Seattle, where her family relocated. After graduating from West Seattle High School, she briefly attended the University of Washington before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her career. In California, she studied acting under the guidance of renowned coach Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.

Career

Cannon's early career included guest roles on television series such as Playhouse 90 and 77 Sunset Strip. Her breakthrough came with her performance in the comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, directed by Paul Mazursky, for which she received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination. She followed this with roles in films like The Anderson Tapes opposite Sean Connery, and Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty. Cannon also demonstrated versatility by starring in the thriller Deathtrap and the comedy The Last of Sheila, written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. In the 1990s, she earned an Emmy Award for her role in the television film The Christmas Wife. She made her directorial debut with the documentary The End of Innocence, which she also wrote and starred in, and later directed episodes of the series Ally McBeal.

Personal life

Cannon was married to actor Cary Grant from 1965 to 1968; their divorce was highly publicized. The couple had one daughter, Jennifer Grant. Following her divorce from Grant, she had a relationship with photographer Terry O'Neill. She later married attorney Stanley Fimberg in 1985; they divorced in 1991. Cannon has been open about her spiritual journey, including her practice of Transcendental Meditation and her involvement with the Church of Scientology, which she later left. She published a memoir, Dear Cary: My Life with Cary Grant, in 2011.

Filmography

A selected list of Cannon's film and television work includes The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1968), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), The Anderson Tapes (1971), Such Good Friends (1971), The Last of Sheila (1973), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Coast to Coast (1980), Deathtrap (1982), Caddyshack II (1988), The End of Innocence (1990), The Pickle (1993), That Darn Cat (1997), and Kangaroo Jack (2003). Her television roles include appearances on Ally McBeal, Three Sisters, and the miniseries Master of the Game.

Awards and nominations

Cannon received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. She won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for the same film. For her work in television, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for The Christmas Wife. She has also received nominations from the British Academy Film Awards and the Satellite Awards.

Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American film directors Category:1937 births Category:Living people