Sian Barbara Allen, actor known for 'The Waltons' and 'You'll Like My Mother,' dies at 78

Sian Barbara Allen, a Golden Globe-nominated histrion who appeared successful dozens of TV bid including “The Waltons” from the 1970s to the ’90s and besides was known for her enactment successful the 1972 movie “You’ll Like My Mother,” has died.

Allen died Monday successful Chapel Hill, N.C., of Alzheimer’s disease, her household announced successful an online obituary. The actor’s loved ones said Allen was champion known for portraying characters who “showed large vulnerability and uncommon empathy, which won her a legion of fans each implicit the world.” She was 78.

Throughout her career, Allen garnered dozens of credits ranging from deed bid “Columbo,” “Kojack” and “Hawaii Five-O” to films “Billy Two Hats” and “You’ll Like My Mother.” Allen besides appeared successful respective TV movies, including “Scream, Pretty Peggy” and “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case,” notably sharing the surface with Bette Davis and Anthony Hopkins, among others.

Allen was calved successful Reading, Penn., connected July 12, 1946, and was raised by her parent and grandmother. Before her surface debut successful “O’Hara, U.S. Treasury” successful 1971, she accepted a assistance to the Pasadena Playhouse. She studied nether Peggy Feury done the Journeyman programme astatine the Mark Taper Forum, according to her obituary.

The archetypal mates of years of Allen’s tv vocation were defined by insignificant roles successful bid including Westerns “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza” and TV movies “The Scarecrow” and “The Family Rico.” In 1972, she tried her manus astatine film, portraying a mentally challenged young pistillate successful “You’ll Like My Mother” other Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas.

For Allen, “You’ll Like My Mother” was much than conscionable different acting recognition nether her belt. The movie earned her a caller prima of the twelvemonth information astatine the 1973 Golden Globes (Diana Ross won the prize for her starring relation successful “Lady Sings the Blues”) and marked the opening of her concern with Thomas. They had a little romance earlier Allen joined (and aboriginal divorced) Peter Gelblum successful 1979.

After their clip connected “You’ll Like My Mother,” Allen and Thomas reunited successful 1972 for the CBS play “The Waltons.” Allen concisely portrayed Jenny Pendleton, the emotion involvement of Thomas’ John-Boy Walton. Throughout the ’70s, Allen had a dependable watercourse of insignificant roles successful shows including “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Ironside,” “Baretta” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

Allen’s surface vocation began to taper disconnected successful the ’80s and her last acting recognition was successful 1990 for a azygous occurrence of “L.A. Law,” according to IMDb. Allen, who besides enjoyed a theatre career, withdrew from the nationalist oculus successful 1990 and focused connected section politics, including supporting Cesar Chavez’s United Farmer Workers labour movement.

Allen received the cardinal to the metropolis of her hometown and was besides a poet, euphony enthusiast and person of “mac and cheese, basal brew floats, and bacon cheeseburgers (no lettuce oregon tomato),” her household said. She is survived by her ex-husband, Peter, their daughter, Emily (whom she named aft her “Our Town” quality Emily Webb), sisters Hannah Davie and Meg Pokrass, nephew Miles Bond, respective cousins and grandson Arlo Fonseca.