‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost in Space’ actress June Lockhart dies at 100

The actress June Lockhartone of the most beloved figures on American television in the 1950s and 1960s for his roles in the series Lassie and Lost in Spacedied last Thursday (23), aged 100, of natural causes, in Santa Monica, California. The information was confirmed by Variety.

Daughter of actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, June was born in New York, in 1925, and debuted in cinemas as a child, at the age of 13, in the Christmas classic A Christmas Carol (1939), starring alongside his own parents. The precocious talent would soon cement itself into one of the most enduring and respected careers in American TV.

Between 1958 and 1964, Lockhart played Ruth Martin, little Timmy’s adoptive mother in the series Lassieproduced by CBS, a role that made her a familiar face to audiences and earned her two Emmy nominations, the top US television award. “When I wasn’t filming Lassie, I was a Scrabble master with my hairdresser and crew.”, recalled the actress in an interview with Closer in 2024.

A few years later, she would become Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Spacea science fiction series aired between 1965 and 1968. As a brilliant scientist and mother of three lost in the cosmos alongside her family and a robot, Lockhart conquered a new generation. “It was so camp!,” she said of the show, which she has always considered her favorite.

The actress also shined on stage. In 1948, she won the Tony Award for best performance by a newcomer in the play For Love or Moneyconsolidating herself as a complete artist.

Over almost eight decades of career, Lockhart accumulated participation in dozens of films and series, including Barred at the Dance (Beverly Hills 90210), General Hospital, Happy Days, Roseanne, Full House and even Grey’s Anatomy. Even at an advanced age, she remained active: her last work was dubbing in an episode of the new version of Lost in Spacereleased in 2021 by Netflix.

In addition to the Emmy nominations and Tony win, Lockhart received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one dedicated to cinema and the other to television — a rare recognition even among big names in the industry.

Before her fame on TV, she had participated in productions such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Yearling (1946) and Sergeant York (1941). In the 1950s, he became a constant presence in television westerns such as Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Rawhide.

June Lockhart She was remembered by colleagues and fans for her elegance, humor and generosity. “She always said that TV allowed her to enter people’s homes in an intimate, almost familiar way.,” wrote a former co-star on social media.

A private ceremony will be held in his honor. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog, Inc. — institutions that Lockhart supported throughout his life.

Source: Variety

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• June Lockhart