Lelia Goldoni was an actress who starred in John Cassavetes’ (1929–1989) classic indie film “Shadows.”
- Died: July 22, 2023 (Who else died on July 22?)
- Details of death: Died at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, at the age of 86.
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Lelia Goldoni’s legacy
Goldoni had her breakout role in “Shadows,” Cassavetes’ first feature film and a landmark in the history of independent cinema. Despite being ethnically Italian, she was cast as a light-skinned Black woman in the film that explored racial prejudices in the 1950s. She went on to small but notable roles in such movies as “Hysteria,” “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Her final film was 2012’s “The Devil Inside.”
Goldoni directed the 1993 documentary “Genius on the Wrong Coast,” and she later worked as an acting teacher. Her TV appearances included “Cagney & Lacey,” “Knots Landing,” and “L.A. Law.”
Tributes to Lelia Goldoni
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
