Maggie McNamara: American actress and model on screen 1949 – 1964, born Marguerite McNamara 18 June 1929, New York; died 18 February 1978, 49 years of age, New York; barbiturate overdose.
Discovered by the Powers Modelling Agency as a schoolgirl, McNamara was plucked from obscurity by Otto Preminger for the lead role in the controversial and sexually-frank film The Moon Is Blue (1954). Refusing to play the Hollywood game, McNamara acted only sporadically, appearing prematurely aged in TV roles 1963 – 1964, then retired to New York where she worked as a typist.
Her suicide in 1978, following acute depression, was widely reported.
She played “Bunny Blake” in one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes. The episode was filmed in 1963 when she was 34. I don’t think she looked the least bit prematurely aged. Not in the least. She was radiant. Radiant and adorable, actually.