Sandra de Bruin

April 21, 1939 - January 30, 2025 It is with great sadness that her friends announce the passing of actress Sandra de Bruin on January 30, 2025, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. She died following a brief struggle from contracting the flu. Sandra-"Sandy" to her friends-was a charismatic, generous, one-of-a-kind personality. A longtime resident of Studio City, California, she was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Her parents were John Migel and Elizabeth Bijur, both born in New York. Following their divorce, John married Helene Janik, Sandra's stepmother, for whom Sandra felt great affection.

In 1953, at age 14, Sandra attended Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Her love of acting was nurtured in the school's creative environment. After graduating, Sandra went to Bard College in upstate New York, majoring in acting. She left Bard two years later and moved to Los Angeles, where she married Theo de Bruin, then a medical student, and temporarily put aside her acting ambitions. They divorced in 1968, although she retained Theo's last name. She subsequently studied with Stanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Within two years, she was landing acting jobs in Hollywood.

A versatile character actress, Sandra's career spanned 50 years, beginning in 1970. Comfortable in both drama and comedy, Sandra appeared in more than 100 television shows and several movies, including the 1971 science fiction classic "The Andromeda Strain." She brought her dramatic and comedic chops to such numerous cult TV shows as "The Rockford Files," "Three's Company," and "Growing Pains." Sandra was also a featured member of The Mighty Carson Art Players, an informal group of actors that performed irreverent skits on the long-running "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Her resume included numerous television commercials, plus extensive voiceover and looping work.

Sandra especially loved performing live. She joined the Melrose Theatre in the early 1970s and frequently acted there and in other theatres in Los Angeles. She joined the L.A./Actor's Lab founded by actor/director/playwright Frederick Combs, with whom she formed a close friendship. Sandra also involved herself politically in Hollywood. She was among the high-profile and lesser-known actors who formed the group Actors Working for an Actors Guild (AWAG), which was headed by Charlton Heston.

A talented writer, Sandra formed a scriptwriting partnership with close friend and fellow actress Helen Funai. Their scripts were optioned, bought, and sold by major studios and independent producers. Sandra also created the innovative "Actor's Audition Log" and "Performer's Workshop Log" to fulfill the organizational needs of her fellow artists.

In 2022, she wrote about her career in the well-reviewed book "Hollywood with a Smile: My Follies and Foibles in the Film Industry." Unlike typical celebrity tell-all books, Sandra shared positive, offbeat, encounters with some of biggest names in entertainment-Paul Newman, Cliff Robertson, Elvis Presley, Cher, Dolly Parton, and many more-told with insight, warmth, and good-natured humor. Her book included tributes to fellow actresses and friends, including playwright C. Bernard Jackson, founder of the Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles; iconic film director Robert Wise; and legendary costume designer Ret Turner.

Sandra kept up with the latest films and streaming shows even after she stopped performing in front of the cameras. She regularly participated in the Academy Awards voting, and retained a keen interest in Hollywood and entertainment news, as well as national and international events. She treasured longstanding friendships and cultivated new ones. Those fortunate to be so considered found her to be unfailingly upbeat, adventurous, generous, stalwart, and stimulating. She will be greatly missed.