Joyce Elaine Ingalls (January 14, 1950 – August 5, 2015) was an American actress and model, best known for her roles in Paradise Alley in 1978 and Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998. She also had a guest role in the television series Starsky and Hutch in 1979, as the mutual love interest of both main characters.[1][2]

Joyce Ingalls
Born
Joyce Elaine Ingalls

January 14, 1950
DiedAugust 5, 2015 (age 65)
Occupation(s)Model, actress
SpouseDarrell Fetty

Early years edit

Ingalls was born on January 14, 1950, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Frederick G. Ingalls, a U.S. Navy commander, and Elaine Wright Ingalls, a relative of the Wright Brothers.[1][3] Ingalls had five sisters and three brothers.[4]

Ingalls' mother died in 1959. Her father remarried JoAnn DiSandro, who raised Joyce Ingalls and her four siblings, as well as four more children of Frederick and JoAnn.[3]

Modeling edit

In 1966,[5] Ingalls won Co-Ed Magazine's[6] national High School Cover Girl contest when she was 16.[1][5] The contest led to a contract with the Ford Modeling Agency. She appeared in numerous fashion magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, and Vogue.[1][2] Ingalls was the face of a 1973 advertising campaign for Yardley of London, a British cosmetics company.[2] She also appeared in print ads for Black Velvet whisky, Breck Shampoo (as one of the Breck Girls), and Clairol.[2]

Acting edit

Ingalls was best known for her role as Bunchie, a prostitute who comforts Sylvester Stallone's character, Cosmo Carboni, in the 1978 drama, Paradise Alley.[1][2] She also appeared in The Man Who Would Not Die[7] in 1975, Deadly Force in 1983, and Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998.[1]

Personal life edit

In 1978, Ingalls was named when Sylvester Stallone was sued for divorce by his wife, Sasha, "who claimed the star of Rocky used community funds for a vacation for himself and actress Joyce Ingalls."[8] Earlier that year, gossip columnist Liz Smith had written: "Sylvester ("Sly") Stallone and his Paradise Valley co-star Joyce Ingalls are what one might call a real hot item. Mrs. Stallone knows all about it and is definitely not happy."[9]

A 1978 newspaper article reported that Ingalls "has been married once previously but doesn't like to discuss that part of her past."[4]

In 1984, Ingalls married Darrell Fetty, a screenwriter and actor, at the Little Brown Church in Studio City, California.[1] They had two sons.[10] Ingalls and Fetty oversaw their Little Brown Church's homeless ministry.[2] They also operated the church's food pantry, now called the Darrell & Joyce Fetty Food Pantry, for nearly 25 years.[2] The food pantry is estimated to have served thousands of families.[2]

Death edit

Ingalls died of an undisclosed illness at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on August 5, 2015, at the age of 65.[1][2] She is survived by her husband, Darrell Fetty; two sons, her stepmother, the former JoAnn DiSandro; and eight siblings.[2] Her father Frederick died in 1996.[3]

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes
1975 The Man Who Wouldn't Die Pat Reagan
1978 Paradise Alley Bunchie
1983 Deadly Force Eddie Cooper
1998 Lethal Weapon 4 Nurse Final film role

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Joyce Ingalls, actress in Paradise Alley and Lethal Weapon 4, dies at 65". Entertainment Weekly. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnes, Mike (2015-08-19). "Joyce Ingalls, Actress and Former Model, Dies at 65". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Joyce Elaine Ingalls Fetty obituary". The Post-Star. 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  4. ^ a b Scott, Vernon (March 23, 1978). "Leading Lady Takes Role Off-Screen". Texas, Galveston. The Galveston Daily News. p. 40. Retrieved January 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ a b Bishop, Linda (July 6, 1966). "Dreams Come True". California, San Mateo. The Times. p. 45. Retrieved January 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  6. ^ DeLora, Myrtle (October 27, 1966). "Whitehall". New York, Troy. The Troy Record. p. 42. Retrieved January 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "(advertisement)". Kansas, Leavenworth. The Leavenworth Times. April 14, 1976. p. 15. Retrieved January 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "(photo caption)". Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The Ottawa Journal. March 18, 1978. p. 16. Retrieved January 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  9. ^ Smith, Liz (February 20, 1978). "Quoth a Lady: We Talk Too Much". Colorado, Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. 18. Retrieved January 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ McRady, Rachel (August 20, 2015). "Joyce Ingalls Dead: Actress, Model, Wife of Producer Darrell Fetty Dies at Age 65". Us Weekly. Retrieved 23 January 2016.

External links edit