Mary Frann was a talented and famous actress of American descent. She only had a few film and stage credits to her name as much of her work was mostly on the small screen. To viewers, she was best known for her career-defining role as Joanna Loudon on the hit 1980s sitcom Newhart. Sadly, the actress passed away in September 1998 at the age of 55.
Who is Mary Frann?
Mary Frann was born Mary Frances Leucke on February 27, 1943, in the city of St. Louis in the state of Missouri, United States. She was just starting out as a model and she also appeared in commercials for a local TV station. She attended Nerinx Hall High School, a Catholic girls’ school in Webster Groves, Missouri. Frann continued to model through her teenage years and at 18 she was voted “Junior Miss” in her home state of Missouri. She eventually won the national title of Miss America Junior, which earned her a college scholarship and a starring role in the educational short. Prom: It’s a Pleasure (1961).
Frann enrolled at Northwestern University and while in school worked as a weather correspondent for an NBC-owned television station in St. Louis. She left college after just one year and chose to pursue a career in media. She moved to Chicago where she was hired to co-host an ABC affiliate’s morning show. She also began working in local theater productions and in film and television.
She made her screen debut on the NBC Kraft Theater series Suspense (1964) and her first film role was in the musical film Nashville Rebel (1966). While his acting profile has skyrocketed, his broadcasting career has also flourished. She received an offer to present another morning show, but she declined the offer and opted to focus on her acting career.
Mary Frann only appeared in a few feature films. During her career, most of her roles were in television productions. Interestingly, she was credited as ‘Mary Douglas’ in most of her early acting roles. She had guest roles on hit series like Get Smart (1968), That Girl (1968) and The Wild West (1968-1969). His first major television role was in the short-lived detective series My Friend Tony (1969). She also recorded notable guest appearances on other shows like The Rockford Files (1975-1978) and WKRP in Cincinnati (1981).
Frann landed the biggest role of her career in the early 80s, when she played Joanna Loudon, one of the main characters on the CBS sitcom. Newhart (1982-90). She remained in the main cast of the hit series throughout its successful 8-season run. Following her breakthrough role on Newhart, she starred in several TV movies, including Enough Eight: A Family Reunion (1987), Dance ‘Til Dawn (1988), and I’m Dangerous Tonight (1990). She also starred in the miniseries Lucky/Chances (1990) and the thriller Fatal Charm (1990).
Husband
Mary Frann had a long-term marital relationship during her lifetime. On August 11, 1973, she tied the knot with TJ Escott, actor and businessman. Their union lasted 12 years before ending in divorce in 1985 and the two parties separated without any children from the union. Frann then met a Los Angeles-based businessman, Jonathan Cookman Jr., whom she dated for a very long time.
Dead
Mary Frann’s life ended on September 23, 1998. She died in her sleep that fateful day at her home in Beverly Hills. Her body, discovered by her longtime lover, Jonathan Cookman Jr., also acted as a publicist. An inquest into the cause of her death revealed that she died of a heart attack. His body was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Height and other body measurements
Besides having a very pretty face, Mary Frann also had an enviably tall physique. However, the exact details regarding his physical characteristics are currently unverifiable. According to some reports, she was 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall with a weight of 52 kg (115 lb). The stunning Hollywood star is known to have had a full head of long blonde hair, which was one of her most distinctive features.
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