Born July 21, 1938, in Gunnison, Colorado, Patricia Elliott was drawn to the theater all her life. As a child in Denver, Colorado, she was, by her own admission, a "constant show-off." After a brief stint working in a public relations office at Harvard, she headed for England, where she had been accepted at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
In 1973, Ms. Elliott made her Broadway debut as the Countess Charlotte in the critically acclaimed Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music. This appearance (her first musical and her first Broadway show) won her New York's triple crown -- the Tony Award, a Theater World Award, and a Drama Desk Award. Then came an equally dazzling performance in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Shadow Box, which earned her a second Tony nomination. Her other Broadway ventures include The Elephant Man, opposite David Bowie, and A Month of Sundays, opposite Jason Robards.
In 1987, the actress was cast as One Life to Live's Renee Divine Buchanan, a former madam turned society matron, and the frequent wife of feisty oil baron Asa Buchanan.
In addition to those triumphs, the actress headlined in extensive off-Broadway and repertory productions, tackling everything from Greek tragedy to French farce. She played Dorine in the Circle in the Square revival of Tartuffe (and won her second Drama Desk nomination), starred in Bunker Reveries and Misalliance at New York's Roundabout Theater, and sparkled as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at the American Shakespeare Festival. She won a Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for her performance in Noel Coward's Hay Fever at the Ahamson Theatre. She most recently starred in Durang! Durang!, Christopher Durang's satirical evening at the Manhattan Theatre Club.
She guest starred on numerous primetime television series, including Kate & Allie, Spenser: For Hire, St. Elsewhere, and Hill Street Blues. Her other television appearances included starring roles in Sometimes I Don't Like My Mother, The Ladies, The Cartier Heist, The Adams Chronicles, and Man Without a Country. In 1984, she was a regular on Empire, a situation comedy series satirizing corporate America.
Ms. Elliott also appeared in three feature films: Somebody Killed Her Husband, Natural Enemies, and Morning, Winter and Night.
Ms. Elliott served on the board of Plays for Living, an organization that produces inspirational plays performed at schools, shelters, prisons, churches, and corporations. She was also the chairperson for the Theatre World Awards Fund.
"So sad to hear Patricia Elliott has passed away," tweeted OLTL's former head writer, Ron Carlivati. "Such an honor to have written for Renee on #OLTL. She was divine!"
"So saddened to hear the passing of the glorious Patricia Elliott," shared Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair, OLTL). "Such an earth angel. An amazing person!"
"RIP #PatriciaElliott what an honor to know and work with such an amazing woman," added Eddie Alderson (ex-Matthew Buchanan)
In addition to her niece, Ms. Elliott is survived by an aunt, Claudine Walker, and several cousins.
January 4, 1988
1987 to August 24, 2011
The Ladies
Darlene
1987
A Special Friendship
Mrs. Davis
1987
Spenser: For Hire"
Vera Canning
January 17, 1987
Spenser: For Hire
October 25, 1985
Hill Street Blues
January 24, 1985
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
voice
1985
Empire
Renee
1984
St. Elsewhere
Ms. Colman
March 28, 1984
Summer Solstice
Emily
1981
Tartuffe
Dorine
1978
The Quinns
Rita Quinn O'Neill
1977
Kojak
Christina
January 4, 1977
The Man Without a Country
Mrs. Graff
1973
101 Ways (The Things a Girl Will Do to Keep Her Volvo)
Ruth
2000
Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
Hazel
1998
Casper: A Spirited Beginning
Mortified Teacher
1997
Criminal Hearts
Good Samaritan
1995
Natural Enemies
Woman on train
1979
Somebody Killed Her Husband
Helene Birch
1978
Interval
Martha
1977
The Green Slime
Nurse
1968
Tony Award: Nomination, Best Actress in a Featured Role (Play) (1977; for The Shadow Box)
Soap Opera Digest Awards: Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (1992)
Soap Opera Digest Awards: Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (1993)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Gunnison, Colorado
DATE OF BIRTH: July 21, 1938
DATE OF DEATH: November 20, 2015
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown
