E.J. Peaker, an actress who starred in the 1969 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Hello Dolly! alongside Barbra Streisand, has passed away following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 82 years old.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peaker died on May 16 at her residence in Las Vegas. Her husband, Scott Rosen, confirmed the news.
Born in February 1944, the actress, whose real name is Edra Jean Peaker, started her acting career in 1964 as Olivia Devereau in the TV series Route 66. She continued in TV by appearing in Occasional Wife, That Girl, The Flying Nun, Good Morning World, That’s Life, and Three’s a Crowd.
She made her big-screen debut as Minnie Fay in Hello Dolly! That same year, she was working on That’s Life, a Broadway-like hourlong TV show. Although the show was highly successful, it wasn’t renewed after one 26-episode season.
Peaker Continued Her Acting Career Until 2001
Four years after Hello Dolly! and That’s Life, Pearker appeared in two films, Getting Away from It All and The All-American Boys.
Nearly a decade later, she returned to the big screen for 1981’s Graduation Day. Other films she was in included Private Road: No Trepassing, The Banker, and Dreamrider.
While taking a break from film, Peaker made more appearances in various TV shows, including The Odd Couple, Love, American Style, Get Christie Love! and The Rockford Files.
She continued acting throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Her final film role was Rosie in The Last Producer, and her last TV show was Natalie Schafer in Surviving Gilligan’s Island in 2001.
Along with acting, Peaker was a producer, credited as an associate producer for the 1993 made-for-TV film Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back.
During her career, she made more than 50 TV commercials, guest-starred on TV, and starred in film. She also appeared on The Tonight Show 17 times and multiple game shows.
Peaker is preceded in death by her second husband, Steven Lee Salko. The couple was married from 1977 until he died in 2010. She was previously married to film producer Bob Zampino from 1965 until 1977. She is survived by Rosen, whom she was married to for eight years, as well as her son, David, and her siblings, Howard, Donna, Hannah, and Donald.