Natalie Trundy, who appeared in four of the five original Planet of the Apes movies, died on December 5, 2019, at the age of 79. Her daughter, Alessandra Sabato, confirmed that she passed away in Los Angeles of natural causes
Trundy was a versatile actress who played different roles in the sci-fi franchise, including a mutant, a human, and a chimpanzee. She was also the wife of the producer of the series, Arthur P. Jacobs, who died in 1973.
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Early Life and Career
Trundy was born on August 5, 1940, in Boston, Massachusetts, to an Italian father and an Irish mother. She began her acting career as a child, appearing on Broadway and in live TV shows. She made her film debut in The Montecarlo Story (1956), starring Marlene Dietrich and Vittorio De Sica
She also starred with Dean Stockwell in The Careless Years (1957), the first feature directed by Arthur Hiller. She had guest roles on popular TV shows such as Thriller, Bonanza, Perry Mason, and The Twilight Zone.
In 1963, she suffered a serious car accident that injured her back and disrupted her career. She spent a year recovering in a back brace
Marriage to Arthur P. Jacobs and Planet of the Apes
Trundy met Jacobs, who was a prominent Hollywood agent and producer, while filming The Montecarlo Story. They reconnected in London in 1967, when he was producing Doctor Dolittle (1967). They married in June 1968, shortly after the release of the first Planet of the Apes movie
Jacobs cast Trundy in the sequels of the franchise, starting with Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), where she played Albina, a telepathic mutant. She then portrayed Dr. Stephanie Branton, a human scientist, in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). She switched to playing a chimpanzee named Lisa, who became the mate of Caesar (Roddy McDowall), in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Trundy said that she did the movies for fun and that she enjoyed working with the makeup artists and the actors. She also said that she felt close to Jacobs when she was on set with him
Jacobs died of a heart attack in 1973 at their Beverly Hills home. He was 51 years old. Trundy was devastated by his death and took over his company, APJAC Productions. She also produced a musical adaptation of Huckleberry Finn (1974), which was his last project
Later Years and Death
Trundy made one more onscreen appearance in a 1978 episode of Quincy M.E. She then retired from acting and focused on her personal life. She married three more times after Jacobs’ death and had two children with her fourth husband, Andres Lopez. She also had two stepchildren from her marriage to Jacobs
She lived a quiet life away from the spotlight until her death in 2019. Her daughter said that she was surrounded by her family and friends when she died peacefully. She also said that her mother was a beautiful person who loved life and had a great sense of humor
Trundy’s fans and co-stars paid tribute to her on social media and remembered her as a talented and lovely actress who made a lasting impression on the Planet of the Apes saga.
