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Priscilla Pointer(1924-2025)

  • Actress
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Priscilla Pointer
A musical version of the classic story about a miller's daughter who receives help from a mischievous dwarf, then ends up over her head. Now, she and a mute servant girl may be the only hope for her baby son, John.
Play trailer1:59
Rumpelstiltskin (1987)
1 Video
10 Photos
Though character actress Priscilla Pointer may be better known as the mother of Amy Irving, she has enjoyed a major stage, film and TV career herself for over four decades. The New York-born performer was trained on the stage and appeared in several tours and Broadway shows, including "A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Country Wife" and "The Condemned of Altona". Many of these were under the direction of husband Jules Irving, a former actor, whom she married in 1947. Together, they co-founded the San Francisco Actor's Workshop along with Herbert Blau and Beatrice Manley. Forsaking her career for a time to raise her children, Pointer returned full time and, at the age of 40+, decided to set her sights on film and TV. She seemed to be everywhere in the 1970s and 1980s as somebody's mom, both brittle and resilient. She also proved to be dependable as a stern, no-nonsense teacher, doctor or judge. She played the mother of daughter Amy Irving in the cult shocker Carrie (1976), Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Sean Penn in The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) and Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986). On the nighttime soap hit Dallas (1978), she played mom to Victoria Principal's character. In 1979, her husband Jules passed away and, two years later, she married actor Robert Symonds. They have appeared together quite frequently on stage, including the plays "Voices" and "The Road to Mecca".
BornMay 18, 1924
DiedApril 28, 2025(100)
BornMay 18, 1924
DiedApril 28, 2025(100)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos9

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Known for

Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan in Blue Velvet (1986)
Blue Velvet
7.7
  • Mrs. Beaumont
  • 1986
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
6.7
  • Dr. Elizabeth Simms
  • 1987
Sissy Spacek in Carrie (1976)
Carrie
7.4
  • Mrs. Snell
  • 1976
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Twilight Zone: The Movie
6.5
  • Miss Cox (segment "Kick the Can")
  • 1983

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress



  • Blue Velvet Lost Footage (2014)
    Blue Velvet Lost Footage
    7.1
    • Mrs. Beaumont
    • 2014
  • Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008)
    Sweet Nothing in My Ear
    6.6
    TV Movie
    • Sally (voice)
    • 2008
  • Union Station (2007)
    Union Station
    5.4
    Short
    • 2007
  • Cold Case (2003)
    Cold Case
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Lillian Vine - 2006
    • 2006
  • Judging Amy (1999)
    Judging Amy
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Margaret Palmer
    • 2001
  • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Inferno (1999)
    Inferno
    5.2
    • Mrs. Henry Howard
    • 1999
  • Alone (1997)
    Alone
    5.6
    TV Movie
    • Susan Hight
    • 1997
  • Dennis Hopper and Amy Irving in Carried Away (1996)
    Carried Away
    6.3
    • Lily Henson
    • 1996
  • Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese in Touched by an Angel (1994)
    Touched by an Angel
    6.1
    TV Series
    • Elizabeth Carpenter
    • 1996
  • Picket Fences (1992)
    Picket Fences
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Dr. Ellen Smithie
    • 1995
  • Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, Ming-Na Wen, Noah Wyle, Laura Innes, Alex Kingston, Eriq La Salle, Kellie Martin, Paul McCrane, Michael Michele, Erik Palladino, Maura Tierney, and Goran Visnjic in ER (1994)
    ER
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Mrs. Abernathy
    • 1994
  • Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994)
    Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics
    6.2
    TV Movie
    • Woman in cinema (segment "The Theatre")
    • 1994
  • The Painted Desert (1993)
    The Painted Desert
    7.5
    • Barbara
    • 1993
  • Traveler's Rest
    9.1
    TV Short
    • Annie
    • 1993
  • George Clooney and Diane Louise Salinger in Unbecoming Age (1992)
    Unbecoming Age
    4.2
    • Grandma
    • 1992

Videos1

Official Trailer
Trailer 1:59
Official Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Pricilla Pointer
  • Born
    • May 18, 1924
    • Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • April 28, 2025
    • Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
  • Spouses
      Robert SymondsJanuary 3, 1981 - August 23, 2007 (his death)
  • Children
      Katherine Marie Irving
  • Parents
      Kenneth Keith Pointer
  • Relatives
    • John Davis Pointer(Sibling)
  • Other works
    (July 11 to 15, 1967) She played Edna in Edward Albee's play, "A Delicate Balance," in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production at the Adams Memorial Theatre Main Stage at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts with Margaret Barker (Agnes); Tom Brennan (Harry); Joyce Ebert (Claire); William Swetland (Tobias) and Barbette Tweed (Julia) in the cast. Nikos Psacharapoulos was artistic director. Glenn A. Jordan was director. Douglas Higgins was scenery designer. Rita Bottomley was costume designer. Peter Hunt was lighting designer. Mark Healy was stage manager.

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Often co-starred with her daughter, Amy Irving, who usually played her daughter or daughter-in-law.

FAQ

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  • When did Priscilla Pointer die?
    April 28, 2025
  • How old was Priscilla Pointer when she died?
    100 years old
  • Where did Priscilla Pointer die?
    Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
  • When was Priscilla Pointer born?
    May 18, 1924
  • Where was Priscilla Pointer born?
    Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

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