Actress. Fondly remembered for playing ‘Reverend Mother Superior Placido’ in the TV series “The Flying Nun” (1967 to 1970), which starred Sally Field. Born Madeleine Louise Helene Thornton, she experienced her first taste of acting as a performer in a church play during her early youth. After choosing to pursue a career in entertainment, she studied acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York City and made her debut on American television in an episode of the series “The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse” (1952). During the mid 1950s, her career was hindered as she fell victim to McCarthyism which resulted in her being “blacklisted” for a period. Her breakthrough role was her origination of ‘Mae’ in Tennessee Williams’ highly-successful Broadway play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1955 to 1956); a part which she recreated in the film adaption of the production one year later (1957). She followed this with her creation of ‘Miss Lucy’ in Williams’ stage production of “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1959 to 1960) and repeated her part in the 1962 big screen version. She distinguished herself, when she was the recipient of an Obie Award for the off-Broadway play “Hey You Light Man!” (1963). She had further supporting roles in the pictures “Parrish” (1961) and “Hurry Sundown” (1967), in addition to many TV credits including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “The Fugitive”, “Love, American Style”, “Columbo”, “The Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns”. (bio by: C.S.)