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Monique van Vooren

American actress (1927–2020) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monique van Vooren

Monique van Vooren (March 25, 1927 – January 25, 2020) was a Belgian-American actress, singer, and dancer whose credits included onscreen roles in Tarzan and the She-Devil, Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, the television series Batman, and Wall Street.[3]

Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Monique van Vooren
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Van Vooren in 1957
Born(1927-03-25)March 25, 1927
Brussels, Belgium
DiedJanuary 25, 2020(2020-01-25) (aged 92)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
NationalityBelgian-American
Other namesMonique Vooren
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer
Years active1950–2012
Spouses
  • Jakobson (details unknown)
    Kurt (or Curt) Henry Pfenniger (m. 1950-195?; divorced)
Gerard Walter "Jerry" Purcell
​
​
(m. 1958⁠–⁠2002)​
, his death); 1 child[1][2]
Children1
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Early years

Born Monique Bronz in Brussels to George Bronz (or Bronze) and Louise van Vooren, Monique was a champion skater and a beauty queen in Belgium. She reportedly studied philosophy at New York University on a Fulbright scholarship,[3] and languages, learning to speak English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. "I can also read Greek and Latin," she stated.[4] Her first visit to the United States apparently took place in 1946 at age 19, with the married name "Jakobson" and listed as a "housewife."[5][6] Her second husband was Kurt (or Curt) Henry Pfenniger. Her third husband was New York businessman Gerard Walter Purcell. The couple were married from 1958 until Purcell's death in 2002.[1]

Career

On Broadway, Van Vooren played in John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953–54) and Man on the Moon (1975).[7] In the 1960s, Van Vooren also starred in summer stock theatre productions in the United States.[6]

She had roles in numerous films from 1950 to 1979.[3]

On television, she appeared in a 1959 NBC adaptation What Makes Sammy Run? and as Miss Clean on Batman (1968).[3]

In 1956, she signed a contract with Request Records, and in 1958, Van Vooren recorded an album, Mink in HiFi for RCA Victor.[6] She appeared frequently in cabaret performances[8] and on game shows including To Tell the Truth and Password.[3]

In 1981, Signet published Night Sanctuary, written by Van Vooren.[9] She described the book as being about "the dark side of people."[10]

Later life, legal problems, and death

In 1983, Van Vooren was found guilty of lying before a federal grand jury and "ordered to get psychiatric help and perform 500 hours of community service as part of a suspended sentence."[11] The sentence resulted from an investigation of "whether she had pocketed her dead mother's Social Security payments."[11] Van Vooren died of cancer in Manhattan on January 25, 2020, leaving behind a son, Eric Purcell, and granddaughter.[12][3]

Filmography

References

External links

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