Lesley Woods

Whether braving the stages of Broadway, seeing her name in the bright lights of cinema marquees, or playing it straight in small-screen dramas, actress Lesley Woods' star shined no matter where she chose to take her talent. After impressively kicking off her acting career in a Broadway production of A Case of Libel (where she met future husband Richard McMurray), Woods made her way to television with a role in the series Young Doctor Malone in 1958. Supporting roles in such features as The Light Fantastic (1964) were quick to follow, though, particularly during the 1960s, Woods gained most of her exposure through the small screen. Carrying this success into made-for-TV features in the '70s, Woods turned up in such enduing soap operas as Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. Her role as Amanda Ewing in Dallas found her career continuing to flourish in the '80s, and, in addition to such soaps as All My Children and The Bold and the Beautiful, she appeared in such apocalyptic dramas as World War III (1982) and Testament (1983). Regardless of her onscreen success, Woods remained unquestionably dedicated to the Theater West, for which she donated a marquee and, in her later days, appeared in productions of Tom Tom on a Rooftop. Lesley Woods died of natural causes August 2, 2003, in Los Angeles. She was 90. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide