Actress Claire Malis Callaway, star of television, film and the stage, has passed away. She was 69.
Callaway died August 24 of congestive heart failure and pneumonia at City of Hope Helford Clinical Research Hospital in Duarte, California. She had undergone a stem cell transplant in 2010 in a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
As Claire Malis, she played Rose Polniaczek, the divorced mother of Nancy McKeon’s character, on THE FACTS OF LIFE. The show is currently running in syndication on The Hub and just last week played two of her episodes, when Jo and Blair graduated from Eastland.
Earlier in her career, she played Dorian Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE from February 1977 to April 1979. Malis was succeeded in the role by Robin Strasser.
Her other television roles included FALCON CREST, PICKET FENCES, THE DIVISION and WILL & GRACE.
Survivors include her husband Thomas Callaway, their son Catlin, and her brother Lee.
Malis appears briefly in the clip below opposite Erika Slezak's Viki.
2 comments:
I know most people think of Nancy Pinkerton and, of course, Robin Strasser, as Dorian, but Ms. Malis gave Dorian a sexuality that made her character more vulnerable and sympathetic after those early years when Dorian murdered Victor Lord.
Sad news. Robin Strasser tweeted a great tribute to Ms. Malis right after her death. Class act, that.
Rest In Peace, Dear Claire!
Brian
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