Leslie Parrish, an actress and activist who starred in the 1962 movie "The Manchurian Candidate" and appeared in episodes of 1960s "Batman" and an episode of "Star Trek," has died. She was 90.
Erica Berdan, a daughter of Parrish's second husband, Richard Bach, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, saying the actress died in late 2025.
Born Marjorie Hellen in Massachusetts in 1935, Parrish had nearly 100 onscreen acting credits dating back to the mid-1950s and into the late 1970s, according to IMDb. Her most memorable roles included Jocelyn Jordan in the 1962 version of "The Manchurian Candidate." She starred opposite Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury in the Oscar-nominated movie.
Parrish, who got her start as a model, also
starred in films like the 1959 musical "Li'l Abner," Jerry Lewis' 1966 comedy "Three on a Couch," and the 1975 science-fiction movie "The Giant Spider Invasion."
On the TV side, Parrish appeared in episodes of popular television shows ranging from "Perry Mason" to "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." She starred in three episodes of the 1960s Adam West-led "Batman" series, playing different characters both times: In a Season 1 episode, she portrayed an actress who becomes a target of the Penguin, and she returned in Season 2 as Mr. Freeze's henchwoman.
In a Season 2 episode of the original "Star Trek" series, Parrish played Carolyn Palamas, a USS Enterprise officer.
Parrish was married twice, first to songwriter Ric Marlow and again to writer Richard Bach. Bach wrote the novella that was adapted into the movie "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," on which Parrish worked in a behind-the scenes capacity.
According to her website, the star "devoted her life to activism" in addition to acting: She protested the Vietnam War and founded the anti-war organization Speakers and Talent Organized for Peace.
Parrish was also a conservationist. She and Bach "donated conservation easements in a series of several transactions over a number of years, that now protect 168 acres of forest land and wildlife habitat" at the 230-acre Spring Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Washington, according to the San Juan Preservation Trust. She is quoted on the San Juan Preservation Trust's website as saying her conservation work is "what I'm most proud of."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leslie Parrish, 'Star Trek' and 'Batman' actress, dies at 90
