Sylvia Miles

Actress Sylvia Miles found success on screen but was perhaps more well-known as a fixture on the Manhattan social scene for decades. A New York native, she began working on stage in her early 20s, while also making periodic television appearances. In Carl Reiner's pilot for what would become "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (CBS, 1961-66), she played the role of female comedy writer Sally Rogers, but was replaced by Rose Marie for the series. She went on to make numerous TV appearances throughout the 1960s on shows such as "Route 66" (CBS, 1960-64) and "The Defenders" (CBS, 1961-65). On the big screen, a small role in a landmark film earned the actress a spot in history. Miles appeared in John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" (1969). Playing Cass, a kept woman with a thing for Jon Voight's Joe Buck, the actress earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress despite being on screen for less than 10 minutes. She went on to star in "Heat" (1972), a "Sunset Boulevard" parody produced by Andy Warhol. An appearance opposite Robert Mitchum in the Raymond Chandler adaptation "Farwell, My Lovely" (1975) earned her another Oscar nomination. As with "Midnight Cowboy," she had less than 10 minutes of screen time in the film. She continued acting in movies and on television throughout the '80s. Her notable big screen appearances included Tobe Hooper's "The Funhouse" (1981), "Crossing Delancey" (1988), and the Meryl Streep-Rosanne Barr comedy "She-Devil" (1989). Oliver Stone cast her as a real estate agent in "Wall Street" (1988), a role that she reprised in its follow-up "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" (2010). On television, she had guest roles on shows such as "Miami Vice" (NBC, 1984-90) and "The Equalizer" (CBS, 1985-89). Her standing as a noted New York party-goer made her a natural for a cameo on "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004) in 2002. Miles passed away in Manhattan on June 12, 2019 at 94.