R.I.P. Jacqueline Scott, who played both the Fugitive's sister and Festus' love interest

She also played Dennis Weaver's wife in 'Duel'. She was 89.

"Once I'd be the good girl and once I'd be the bad girl," Jacqueline Scott told the blog Classic Film & TV Café in a 2016 interview. "I wanted to play all different characters. And I got to do that." Indeed, looking back at the half-century career of Scott, the thing that jumps out is her range.

While never landing a recurring lead role on a television series, the Missouri native nevertheless crafted unforgettable characters, while working alongside legends of the small screen.

Her most notable role is perhaps that of Donna Kimble Taft, sister of the falsely accused Dr. Richard Kimble (she called him "Dick") on The Fugitive. She first appears in the early episode "Home Is the Hunted," with Bill Mumy and Clint Howard as her kids, crying tears of both joy and panic when her brother (David Janssen) reaches out to her on the run. Her character would appear in five episodes, including the epic, record-breaking finale "The Judgment: Part II."

Like, on Gunsmoke, Smith made a mere handful of appearances but cut a memorable path through Dodge City. She portrayed the title character in "Abelia," a tough widow whose life is threatened by bank robbers and snake bites. Festus comes to her aid — and becomes a bit smitten with Abelia. She would return in "A Man Called 'Smith'" and "The Predators."

Again, Smith worked with some impressive child stars in those tales. In "Abelia," Susan Olsen of The Brady Bunch portrayed her daughter, in one of her first-ever roles. Jodie Foster is by her side in "The Predators."

Abelia was not her first character in Dodge City. Smith can be found in earlier black-and-white episodes such as "Love of a Good Woman," as the similarly named Abbie, a former nurse of Doc's.

She was Amelia in her first of three Perry Mason appearance, in the gripping, twisty early mystery "The Case of the Daring Decoy." Years later, she reunited with Raymond Burr for a couple of episodes of Ironside.

Scott in 'The Twilight Zone'

Elsewhere, while Scott was typically cast as "the wife," she continued to demonstrate her mesmerizing acting range. She was an outlaw's spouse on Bonanza in "The Hostage," the partner of an astronaut in The Twilight Zone's "The Parallel," and the significant other of Dennis Weaver in the brilliant Steven Spielberg made-for-TV chase Duel.

Quinn Martin, the producer of The Fugitive, constantly utilized her skills, casting her in his other productions such as The F.B.I., The Streets of San Francisco, Cannon and Barnaby Jones.

One of her earliest roles was Macabre, the 1958 horror film directed by the visionary William Castle. It was on that set where Scott met her husband, press agent Gene Lesser.

Scott nearly had a lead role. She auditioned for the part of Olivia on The Waltons. "I wanted to do The Waltons. I tested for the mother," she told Classic Film & TV Café. "Other than that, I never wanted to be a regular on a TV series."

On July 23, Scott died in her home in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 89.

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30 Comments

lovetheoldies1958 28 months ago
Just found out that Jacqueline Scott had passed away in 2020. I remember sitting on a bench at Marineland in 1974, and she sat with me. We talked for about a half hour while she was on break while filming the FBI. Before she left, she signed my IGA Foodliner hat. I was part of a trip of kids that won their local store contests. She was a very kind and thoughtful woman!
Muleskinner 42 months ago
Not a raving beauty but a great actress. RIP
🥲
Mac2Nite 45 months ago
Always loved Jacqueline Scott in everything she did. She was such a natural... always totally believable in every role she played. I never felt like she was "acting"...
JoeSHill 46 months ago
I'm disappointed that MeTV overlooked another credit that Jacqueline Scott did. In late 1962, "STONEY BURKE" creator Leslie Stevens, who also used Jaqueline Scott as a guest star on an episode, opposite Albert Salmi, also used Scott in the TV pilot called "PLEASE STAND BY" with Cliff Robertson and Lee Phillips, along with future "MASH" producer Burt Metcalf. "PLEASE STAND BY" was made by Leslie Stevens' Daystar Productions and United Artists Television for The ABC Network, but ABC didn't like the "PLEASE STAND BY" title, since this was in 1962, and America was unnerved by events with The Cuban Missile Crisis, and the network didn't want to mislead the American public with another "War Of The Worlds" panic like the Orson Welles radio broadcast did, so, Leslie Stevens, ABC, and United Artists agreed to change the title, and in September 1963, "PLEASE STAND BY" became the debut episode of "THE OUTER LIMITS" called "The Galaxy Being", where Jacqueline Scott played the not so supportive wife of Radio engineer "Alan Maxwell" (Robertson) who, while experimenting with TV microwave signals accidentally makes with an extra-terrestrial - a florescent being from the Andromeda Galaxy. later in the ABC sci-fi anthology series, Jacqueline Scott returned as a guest star on the show's second season episode, "Counterweight" about six passengers making a simulated space flight, but to eventually discover an alien in their midst, who has been testing their natures as people. the Paul Stanley-directed episode also included Micheal Constantine, Larry Ward, Sandy Kenyon, Sharry Marshall, and Crahan Denton, with Stephen Joyce, and was the only "OUTER LIMITS" that had ended an episode with a reintroduction of the cast of characters like-"Alicia Hendrix was played by Jacqueline Scott" it wasn't exactly the best episode of the series, but still worth the viewing time!
Tresix 50 months ago
I first saw her as Abelia. I just saw her appearance on “Twilight Zone” and noticed she had an awesome body!
MadMadMadWorld 50 months ago
Jacqueline Scott (her real birth name) is on The Twilight Zone right now, in "The Parallel" episode. Aired on Mar. 14, 1963, when she was at her gorgeous peak, at 31. I recently saw her in a Perry Mason episode (aired on Jan. 17, 1959), as 'Sally Wilson', in "The Case of the Glittering Goldfish." I wish everyone could live to be at least 95. She did live to be 89, dying of lung cancer one month after her husband (at 94 in June 2020) of 62 years, married in 1958. She was one vivacious and terrific character actress in so many great series.
F5Twitster 51 months ago
“Again, Smith worked with some impressive child stars in those tales.”

You mean that SCOTT, and not the character she played, worked with them.
MarkSpeck 51 months ago
Aside from The Fugitive, most of her appearances in QM shows were as worried wives. On The FBI alone, she was the worried wife of (in order of episodes) Bradford Dillman, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Michael Tolan and Earl Holliman.
JamesCavender 51 months ago
She had the honors of being on the first Outer Limits, September 1963 "Galaxy Being" with Cliff Robertson. Great episode!!
TheDavBow3 51 months ago
I really liked her in The Fugitive. 🙏✌
texasluva 51 months ago
I check notable deaths most weeks. The passing of Olivia De Havilland(Jul 26th) was a real shocker (104). Now Jacqueline Scott (Jul 23rd). R.I.P wonderful ladies. I have been waiting for Duel to come back on so I can tape it. Kept you on the edge of your seat. It is amazing for someone to make 100 years of age. It is around 5% for women. Men are 3%. People are living to an older age now. Olivia last one alive from Gone With The Wind.
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MrsPhilHarris texasluva 51 months ago
I found it painful.
TheDavBow3 texasluva 51 months ago
I know! I liked his 6 Million $ Man performance. I found it very riveting, for a 10 year old.
texasluva MrsPhilHarris 51 months ago
I will not be one to follow in your footsteps. It is not on any of my wish lists for future watching. Thanks for the heads up
clugul 51 months ago
In at least 3 places you have her last name as Smith instead of Scott. It would be nice if you correct that.
rraynard 51 months ago
If was not for METV app, I would not have known the passing of some of the classic tv stars of my youth. Thank you.
abbysis 51 months ago
I know what you mean.The one thing this new technology gives us now not then,is we can lookup,and read about low key but important people like this one.They should be remembered!!!
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abbysis 51 months ago
These memories keep me together, and I feel for the younger who won't understand.They are missing out.Its like a teddy bear.
stephaniestavropoulos 51 months ago
You not only face death as one ages, you also face it before one is even born. Sad fact, but true nonetheless
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