Heather Menzies

Born: 1949-12-03

Heather Menzies Urich (December 3, 1949 – December 24, 2017) was a Canadian–American model and actress, known for her roles as Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film The Sound of Music. Beautiful, sunny, and engaging blonde actress Heather Menzies was born on December 3, 1949 in Toronto, Canada. Her family moved to the United States when Heather was eleven. She graduated from Hollywood High School and subsequently attended the Falcon Studio's University of the Arts in Hollywood. Heather made a strong and promising film debut as Louisa von Trapp in the delightful classic musical The Sound of Music (1965). Menzies also appeared with The Sound of Music (1965) star Julie Andrews in the epic drama Hawaii (1966). After initially establishing herself as an innocent ingénue in the 1960s, Heather reinvented herself with a much sexier image in the 1970s. She did a nude pictorial for the August 1973 issue of "Playboy." Heather gave an extremely sweet and appealing performance as mad scientist Strother Martin's lovely and loyal daughter in the enjoyably oddball horror feature Sssssss (1973). Menzies was likewise quite spirited and personable as a feisty skip tracer in the terrific fright film cult favorite Piranha (1978). On television, Heather achieved her greatest fame as scantily clad fugitive Jessica in the short-lived, but still popular Logan's Run (1977) science fiction TV series. Among the numerous TV shows Menzies did guest spots on are The Farmer's Daughter (1963), Dragnet 1967 (1967), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), The Love Boat (1977), T.J. Hooker (1982), Bonanza (1959), S.W.A.T. (1975), and Love, American Style (1969). Heather appeared with her late actor husband Robert Urich on several occasions: She acted in three episodes of Vega$ (1978) and one episode of Spenser: For Hire (1985), plus had a small role in the offbeat science fiction mystery thriller Endangered Species (1982). Moreover, Menzies first met Urich on the set of a TV commercial they acted in together. An ovarian cancer survivor, Heather resided in Los Angeles with her three children and worked for the Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Menzies died from brain cancer at age 68 on December 24, 2017.


Placeholder

The Sound of Music

as Louisa von Trapp
Released: 1965-03-29

In the years before the Second World War, a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey is hired as...

Movie page

Sssssss

as Kristina Stoner
Released: 1973-07-06

David, a college student, is looking for a job. He is hired by Dr. Stoner as a lab assistant for...

Movie page

Piranha

as Maggie McKeown
Released: 1978-08-03

When flesh-eating piranhas are accidently released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests...

Movie page

Captain America

as Dr. Wendy Day
Released: 1979-01-19

Artist Steve Rogers is nearly murdered by spies, seeking his late father's national secrets. He...

Movie page

Hawaii

as Mercy Bromley
Released: 1966-10-10

Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley...

Movie page

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

as Priscilla's Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
Released: 1969-12-29

Some college students manage to persuade the town's big businessman, A. J. Arno, to donate a...

Movie page

How Sweet It Is!

as Tour Girl
Released: 1968-08-21

All-American couple who try to bridge the generation gap with their free-spirited son on a trip,...

Movie page

Endangered Species

as Susan
Released: 1982-09-10

A retired New York cop on vacation in America's West is drawn into a sheriff's investigation of...

Movie page

Hail, Hero!

as Molly Adams
Released: 1969-10-04

Carl Dixon decides to quit school and enlist in the Army, even though he's already run afoul of...

Movie page

James Dean

as Jan
Released: 1976-02-17

A dramatization of the story of legendary movie actor James Dean. The film's writer, William...

Movie page

Tail Gunner Joe

as Logan
Released: 1977-02-06

Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin accuses prominent people of Communist sympathies in order...

Movie page

The Keegans

as Brandy Keegan
Released: 1976-05-03

A professional football player is accused of murdering the man who attacked his sister. His...

Movie page

Outside In

as Chris
Released: 1972-01-01

A man who moves to Canada to escape the draft returns to the United States for his father's funeral.

Movie page

Bonanza

as Martha Thornton
First aired: 1959-09-12

The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch...

TV Show page

The Love Boat

as Cybill Hartman
First aired: 1977-09-24

Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or...

TV Show page

The Six Million Dollar Man

as Alison Harker
First aired: 1974-01-18

Follow the adventures of Steve Austin, cybernetically enhanced astronaut turned secret agent,...

TV Show page

Love, American Style

as Shari
First aired: 1969-09-29

An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in...

TV Show page

T. J. Hooker

as Dr. Kincaid
First aired: 1982-03-13

Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who...

TV Show page

The High Chaparral

as Beth Roberts
First aired: 1967-09-10

The High Chaparral is an American Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and...

TV Show page

Vega$

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-09-20

Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981....

TV Show page

Marcus Welby, M.D.

as Margie McGurney
First aired: 1969-09-23

Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from...

TV Show page

The Bob Newhart Show

as uncredited
First aired: 1972-09-16

The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired...

TV Show page

Dragnet

as Edna Mae Dixon
First aired: 1967-01-12

Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.

TV Show page

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law

as Sally Waite
First aired: 1971-09-16

Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and...

TV Show page

Spenser: For Hire

as uncredited
First aired: 1985-09-20

Mystery and suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private...

TV Show page

The Farmer's Daughter

as uncredited
First aired: 1963-09-20

The Farmer's Daughter is an American situation comedy series that was produced by Screen Gems...

TV Show page

Logan's Run

as Jessica
First aired: 1977-09-16

In a futuristic society where reaching the age of 30 is a death sentence, a rebellious law...

TV Show page

American Dreamer

as uncredited
First aired: 1990-09-20

American Dreamer is a situation comedy which aired in the U.S. on NBC as part of its 1990-91...

TV Show page