Beautiful, sunny, and engaging blonde actress Heather Menzies was born
on December 3, 1949 in Toronto, Canada. Her family moved to the United
States when Heather was eleven. She graduated from Hollywood High
School and subsequently attended the Falcon Studio's University of the
Arts in Hollywood. Heather made a strong and promising film debut as
Louisa von Trapp in the delightful classic musical
The Sound of Music (1965). Menzies
also appeared with
The Sound of Music (1965) star
Julie Andrews in the epic drama
Hawaii (1966).
After initially establishing herself as an innocent ingénue in the
1960s, Heather reinvented herself with a much sexier image in the
1970s. She did a nude pictorial for the August 1973 issue of "Playboy."
Heather gave an extremely sweet and appealing performance as mad
scientist
Strother Martin's lovely and loyal daughter in the enjoyably oddball
horror feature
Sssssss (1973). Menzies was likewise quite spirited and
personable as a feisty skip tracer in the terrific fright film cult
favorite
Piranha (1978).
On television, Heather achieved her greatest fame as
scantily clad fugitive Jessica in the short-lived, but still popular
Logan's Run (1977) science fiction TV series. Among the numerous TV shows Menzies
did guest spots on are
The Farmer's Daughter (1963),
Dragnet 1967 (1967),
Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969),
The Love Boat (1977),
T.J. Hooker (1982),
Bonanza (1959),
S.W.A.T. (1975), and
Love, American Style (1969). Heather appeared with her late actor
husband
Robert Urich on several occasions: She acted in three episodes of
Vega$ (1978) and one episode of
Spenser: For Hire (1985), plus had a small role in the
offbeat science fiction mystery thriller
Endangered Species (1982). Moreover, Menzies
first met Urich on the set of a TV commercial they acted in together.
An ovarian cancer survivor, Heather resided in Los Angeles with
her three children and worked for the Urich Fund for Sarcoma
Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Center. Menzies died from brain cancer at age 68 on December 24, 2017.
Truant(2005)
American Dreamer(1990)
Spenser: For Hire(1985)as Miss Westmore
T.J. Hooker(1982)as Dr. Kincaid
Gavilan(1982)as Dr. Katherine Maitland
Endangered Species(1982)as Susan
MsMojo(2016)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(2017)
20 to 1(2005)
The Sound of Music(1965)
The Oprah Winfrey Show(1986)as Self
From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Aniversary Reunion(2005)as Self, Louisa
Good Morning America(1975)as Self
TCM Remembers 2018(2018)as Self, actress
Scope(2017)as Louisa
The Untold Story of the Sound of Music(2015)as Self, Louisa Von Trapp
On Location with 'the Sound of Music'(2005)as Louisa
