Ena Hartman

Ena Hartman, the actress best known for playing opposite Burt Reynolds (1936–2018) in the 1970s cop show "Dan August," died April 16, 2025, of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 93.?

Hartman was a daughter of sharecroppers from Arkansas who dropped out of high school to run a restaurant, only to be discovered by a modeling agency in New York. Suits at NBC offered her a contract after a talent competition in 1962, opening the door to a career that saw her appearing in an array of television roles in the 1960s and '70s. In addition to her work on "Dan August," where she played the trailblazing police dispatcher Katy Grant, Hartman appeared in the 1960s "Tarzan" series and the 1967 version of "Dragnet," in three episodes of "Ironside," and others. She also appeared in "The Corbomite Maneuver" from the original "Star Trek" series. Hartman retired from acting in the mid 1970s.

Fans on social media praised Hartman for breaking new ground for Black performers. "Rest up aunty & thank you for showing all of us nieces & nephews what was possible in life," X user Pretty_Tony187 said, while on Facebook, Kevin Kasha said, "I always thought the beautiful and talented Ena Hartman would have a big career but she appeared to have walked away from the industry in the 70's."

By Eric San Juan

(Image: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)