Actress Claudette Nevins has died at the age of 82. According to a statement from her family, Nivens, who notably starred on Melrose Place as well as in the original production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite on Broadway, passed away in hospice care at her Los Angeles-area home on Feb. 20. A cause of death has not been revealed.
“She was a voracious reader, loved attending the theater, movies, art exhibits and generally taking in all life had to offer,” the family’s statement reads in part. “Competent in everything she touched, Claudette was funny, strong-willed, awesomely disciplined, relentless in her pursuit of excellence. A staunch feminist, she also actively supported several philanthropies and kept herself and those around her on their toes about their civic and personal responsibilities to the world. Starting from very humble origins, Claudette grew herself into an elegant, articulate, gorgeous woman who was universally admired. She was dazzling. She will be endlessly missed.”
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Born in Pennsylvania in 1937 and raised in Brooklyn, Nivens’ acting career spanned six decades. After attending The High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan and later New York University, Nivens made her Broadway debut opposite George C. Scott and Marian Seldes in The Wall in 1960. Just a year later, she starred in the 3D horror feature The Mask.
After serving as Lee Remick’s standby/replacement in the original production of Wait Until Dark, she notably went on to portray multiple characters in Plaza Suite, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She made her way to Los Angeles after starring as Ellie in the national Broadway tour of The Great White Hope.
Nevins also had recurring roles in the ’90s television drama Melrose Place, where she portrayed Constance Fielding, the mother of Doug Savant’s Matt, and the ’70s CBS series Headmaster.
Her other credits include the daytime soap opera Love of Life, Police Story, Husbands, Wives & Lovers, M*A*S*H, One Day at a Time, Beverly Hills, 90210, and films including Sleeping With the Enemy (1991), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Something’s Gotta Give (2003).
Nivens’ last credited role in a 2005 episode of Strong Medicine.
She is survived by her two children, Jessica and Sabrina Pick, their husbands, and her grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled to be held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park on March 2 at 10:00 a.m.
