Jeanne Cooper
This seasoned, husky-voiced character actress began her career in feature films under contract at Universal in the 1950s. The youngest child of part-Cherokee parents, Jeanne Cooper was born and raised in California. After studies at the Pasadena Playhouse, she made her stage debut in local musical productions. Put under contract, she appeared in several B-movies and Westerns early in her career. On the small screen, Cooper made guest appearances on many of the top shows of the late '50s and early '60s such as "Playhouse 90" (CBS, 1956-1961) and "The Twilight Zone" (CBS, 1959-1964). In 1962, she earned her first Emmy nomination for her performance in an episode of the medical drama "Ben Casey" (ABC, 1961-66). After a turn as a regular on "Bracken's World" (NBC, 1969-1970), a series about the behind-the-scenes goings-on at a film studio, Cooper became beloved by many soap-opera addicts for her long-running role as the wealthy, tough-as-nails but generally goodhearted grand dame Katherine Chancellor on "The Young and the Restless" (CBS, 1973- ). She was the only actor who had been with the serial since its premiere, and, over the course of her long tenure, her character coped with such problems as breast cancer, alcoholism, and kidnapping. (She even got to play a lower-class lookalike.) Cooper created a stir in 1984 when she allowed cameras to film her real-life facelift, which was incorporated into her storyline. Cooper was the mother of actor Corbin Bernsen, and they worked together on several occasions. She twice appeared as his intimidating parent on "L.A. Law" (NBC, 1986-1994) in 1986 and 1990 (earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for the former). In 1992, Cooper was cast as Bernsen's mother in the comedy feature "Frozen Assets." For her work on "The Young and the Restless," she received back-to-back Daytime Emmy nominations as Outstanding Leading Actress in a Drama Series in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992, eventually winning a lifetime achievement award in 2004 and an Outstanding Lead Actress award in 2008. Featured on the soap well into her 80s, she died on May 8, 2013, after appearing as her cherished character for more than 1,000 episodes.
Photos
Jeanne Cooper
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Donna on Demand | Virginia Hart (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
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Carpool Guy | Mrs. Lunsford (Character) | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet |
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Gentle Ben 2: Danger on the Mountain | Rowland (Character) | - | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
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The Tomorrow Man | Jeanine (Character) | - | 2001 |
0% |
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Frozen Assets | Zach Shepard's Mother (Character) | $124.0K | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The San Pedro Bums | Mrs. McClory (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet |
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Sweet Hostage | Mrs. Withers (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The All-American Boy | Nola Bealer (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet |
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Kansas City Bomber | Trainer Vivien (Character) | - | 1972 |
88% |
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The Boston Strangler | Cloe (Character) | - | 1968 |
60% |
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The Glory Guys | Mrs. Rachael McCabe (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
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Black Zoo | Edna Conrad (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet |
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House of Women | Helen Jennings (Character) | - | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Commies Are Coming, the Commies Are Coming | Helen Donavan (Character) | - | 1962 |
No Score Yet |
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Plunder Road | Fran Werner (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
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Rock All Night | Mabel (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet |
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Five Steps to Danger | Helen Bethke (Character) | - | 1957 |
100% |
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The Man From the Alamo | Kate Lamar (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shadows of Tombstone | Marge (Character) | - | 1953 |
50% |
|
The Redhead From Wyoming | Myra (Character) | - | 1952 |
TV
Credit | ||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Young and the Restless | Katherine (Character) | 1984 1994-1996 1999 2002 2004-2005 2011-2013 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bold And The Beautiful, The Beginning | Kay Chancellor (Character) | 2005 |
No Score Yet | 72% | The Nanny | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diagnosis Murder | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | McCloud | Gladys (Guest Star) | 1975 |
100% | 84% | Kolchak: The Night Stalker | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Emma Rand (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Silvia Barberio (Guest Star) | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cimarron Strip | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laredo | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965-1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ben Casey | Linda Miller (Guest Star) | 1961 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Perry Mason | Mary Browne (Guest Star) | 1958-1959 1962 1964 1966 |
100% | No Score Yet | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Loner | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Man Called Shenandoah | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Branded | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Madge Upton (Guest Star) | 1961-1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Kildare | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 77 Sunset Strip | Jean Kingsley (Guest Star) | 1958 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Virginian | Julia Montgomery (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. Novak | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Lily PItts (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962-1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Untouchables | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962-1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dakotas | Rebecca Ridgeway (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Have Gun -- Will Travel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cheyenne | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1957 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Surfside 6 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tall Man | Elmira Webster (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Thriller | Unknown (Character) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sugarfoot | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bronco | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1959-1960 |
92% | 96% | The Twilight Zone | Liz (Character) | 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of Wells Fargo | Belle Starr (Guest Star) | 1957 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown (Character) | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Showcase 39 | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |