Lost in Space and Lassie actor John Lockhart dies at 100 | television

Acclaimed actress June Lockhart, known for her work in film and television, has died at the age of 100.

She died Thursday night of natural causes, with her daughter, June Elizabeth, and granddaughter, Christiana, by her side, according to People magazine.

Family spokesman Lyle Gregory, a friend of 40 years, told the Associated Press: “She was very happy until the end, and she read the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times every day. It was very important to her to stay focused on the news of the day.”

Lockhart was born in New York City in 1925, the daughter of actors Jane and Kathleen Lockhart. She made her stage debut when she was only eight years old in a Metropolitan Opera production by Peter Ibbetson. Her first film appearance came in 1938 in A Christmas Carol, in which she played Bob Cratchit’s daughter.

On Broadway, she starred in For Love or Money in 1947 and Grand Prix in 1955. Her performance in For Love or Money earned her a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer in 1948.

The actress began her television career in 1949 with guest appearances on shows such as Hallmark Hall of Fame, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Wagon Train and Gunsmoke. Over her nearly 80 years in entertainment, she has continued to work steadily, appearing in shows such as Petticoat Junction, General Hospital, Beverly Hills 90210, The Beverly Hillbillies, Happy Days, Full House, Roseanne and Grey’s Anatomy.

She achieved particular fame for her leading role in Lassie beginning in 1958. Then, from 1965 to 1968, she portrayed the matriarch of a family of space explorers in Lost in Space. Decades later, in 2021, she provided a cameo voice in Netflix’s reboot of the same series.

Speaking to NPR in 2004, Lockhart talked about how Lost in Space inspired viewers: “People would tell her that watching Lost in Space inspired them to become scientists. I did Lassie for six years, and no one ever came up to me and said, ‘That made me want to be a farmer.'”

Lockhart received two Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama Series, for Lassie. She was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film and one for television.

In 1951 she married John F. Maloney. The couple had two daughters, Anne and John Elizabeth, before divorcing in 1959.

Funeral services will be held privately. The family has asked that, in lieu of sending flowers, donations be made to the Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog Inc.