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Character actress Gwen Van Dam, who starred in The Brady Bunch and Modern Family, has passed away at the age of 96. The news was confirmed by her son, Dirk Smillie, who told the Hollywood Reporter she passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at her home in Los Angeles after a recurrence of cancer.
The actress has starred in over 140 films and shows through her seven-decade-long career. She has also appeared in music videos for artists and bands like U2, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Panic! At the Disco, and Mastodon. The actress last appeared in two episodes of Hulu's Interior Chinatown (2024) and also starred in a theater production.
Gwen Van Dam studied under Mira Rostova at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York
Gwen was born Gwendolyn Greta Van Dam on November 5, 1928, in San Francisco, California. According to an article by Deadline, dated January 5, 2025, she discovered her love for acting while attending San Jose State University. After graduating with a B.A. degree in 1950, she moved to New York to pursue a career in acting.
Per the publication, Gwen Van Dam wrote to Gertrude Lawrence (a Broadway star) for advice on how to land roles in New York. The English actress advised her to contact her husband, producer Richard Aldrich. Aldrich would later cast her in a touring show, The Guardsman.
Van Dam also studied under Mira Rostova at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York. While there, she received an offer for a screen test for a role in From Here to Eternity (1953) and a 7-year contract with Columbia Pictures. Per Deadline, when fellow student Montgomery Clift warned her:
"Are you sure you want to move to Hollywood? It could destroy you."
Per the publication, Clift eventually ended up starring in the film. Gwen Van Dam would later admit it was the worst mistake of her career.
Nevertheless, she starred in movies like Lilith, Husbands, and The Kentucky Fried Movie. Her TV credits include The Brady Bunch, Mannix, Maude, House Calls, Days of Our Lives, Star Trek: Generations, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Criminal Minds, Angie Tribeca, and Modern Family.
While on the sets of The Guardsman, Van Dam met her future husband, actor Bill Smillie, who was the show's property manager. They got married in Carmel in October 1959 and remained together until his death in November 2003. Per the Hollywood Reporter, every New Year's Day, Smilie hosted a party at their home that actors like Len Lesser, Marvin Kaplan, and Tina Louise frequented.
Gwen Van Dam was also a theatre actor, appearing in several productions over the years. This included 2011's Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful. Praising her performance, an L.A. Stage Times reviewer wrote:
"In the lead role of Carrie Watts, Gwen Van Dam has big shoes to fill — Geraldine Page (the film) and Lillian Gish (the play). Ms. Van Dam chooses rightly to make her own path and use her own assets and experiences. She brings a sweetness and vulnerability to the role."
Per her IMDb profile, the actress appeared in fourteen productions by L.A.-based theater companies.
Gwen Van Dam's sister, Jeanie, died a week after her. She is survived by her children, Dirk and Claudia, and grandchildren, Lorelei, Amanda, and Crystal. Per the Hollywood Reporter, a memorial service is planned for next month in Hollywood.
