Gwen Van Dam
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1928-11-05
  • Deathday:

    2024-12-19

Gwen Van Dam

Gwendolyn Greta Van Dam (November 5, 1928 – December 19, 2024) was a prolific American character actress with a career spanning 70 years, accumulating around 140 screen and TV credits. Born in San Francisco, California, she graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in 1950, where she discovered her passion for acting. After seeking advice from stage legend Gertrude Lawrence, Van Dam was cast in a touring show, "The Guardsman," where she met her future husband, actor Bill Smillie, whom she married in October 1959. They remained together until his death in November 2003. Throughout her career, Van Dam appeared in numerous notable films, including Husbands (1970), The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), Coming Home (1978), Stir Crazy (1980), True Confessions (1981), Halloween (1978) as the sanitarium nurse, and Star Trek: Generations (1994). She was also a staple on the small screen, guest-starring in popular TV series such as The Brady Bunch (where she played the teacher in the "Her Sister's Shadow" episode), Maude, Days of Our Lives, Moonlighting, Knots Landing, ER, Gilmore Girls, Modern Family, New Girl, and Homecoming. Beyond film and television, she performed with 14 different L.A. theater companies and appeared in music videos for major artists like U2 and Beyoncé later in her career. Gwen Van Dam passed away in West Los Angeles on December 19, 2024, at the age of 96, and is survived by her daughter, Claudia Tumas; son, Dirk Smillie; and three grandchildren.

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