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The Poseidon Adventure star Carol Lynley dead at 77
Actres Carol Lynley, best known for her role as Nonnie Parry in 1972's The Poseidon Adventure, has died at the age of 77.
Variety confirmed that Lynley died in her home on Tuesday, after suffering a heart attack. They confirmed the news with Lynley's friend, actor Trent Dolan.
Lynley began her career early, starting off as a child model and gracing the cover of Life magazine at 15. She went on to appear as Shenandoe in The Light in the Forest for Disney, as well as Rapunzel in Shirley Temple's Storybook. She would go on to appear in multiple genre-related television shows, including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Journey to the Unknown, and Orson Welles' Great Mysteries.
Her most well-known role came in 1972, when she appeared in the classic disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. Starring alongside Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine, Lynley's Nonnie had to escape a capsized ship. A memorable moment from the movie comes when Nonnie performs a song on the ship, right before the giant wave hits. Lynley actually sang the song on set, but the studio dubbed her singing voice for the final cut. Nonnie also uses a Christmas tree as a ladder at one point, and ultimately survives the disaster in the end.
Lynley maintained a prolific television career after the film's release, appearing on Charlie's Angels as well as 11 episodes of Fantasy Island. She'd deal with a different kind of film escape in 1989, this time dealing with a skyscraper full of ghosts in Dark Tower. Her career almost came full circle in 2003, when she played Grandma Irene in A Light in the Forest — a film with a very similar title to the one she appeared in as a young girl. Her final screen appearance was in Sylvester Stallone's 2006 short film, Vic.
Lynley leaves behind her daughter, Jill, and a very memorable legacy.
