Brooke Hayward is an American stage, film and television actress. She is the author of Haywire, a best-selling memoir about her family.
Early life and family
Born in Los Angeles, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and stage producer Leland Hayward and actress Margaret Sullavan. Brooke Hayward is a great-granddaughter of Monroe Hayward, former U.S. Senator from Nebraska, and the granddaughter of Colonel William Hayward, who led the United States' 369th Infantry Regiment, aka the "Harlem Hellfighters", the first regiment composed entirely of African-American soldiers during the First World War. She is also a descendant of Mayflower passenger William White, and pilgrim Robert Coe. Hayward had a younger sister Bridget and a brother William "Bill". When Hayward was 7 years old, the family moved to a farm in Brookfield, Connecticut. Hayward's parents divorced in April 1948. The following year, Hayward's father married Nancy "Slim" Hawks. After his divorce from Slim Hawks, Leland Hayward married Pamela Harriman. Her mother married importer and producer Kenneth Wagg in 1950. Margaret Sullavan died of an accidental drug overdose on January 1, 1960. Nine months later, on October 17, 1960, Hayward's younger sister Bridget was found dead of a drug overdose in her apartment in New York City. Bridget left what was described as an "incoherent note", the contents of which never were made public. Her death was ruled a suicide. Hayward's brother Bill also committed suicide by gunshot on March 9, 2008. Hayward attended Vassar College and studied acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Career
In May 1961, Hayward made her Broadway debut in the stage production of Mandingo opposite her future husband Dennis Hopper. She made her film debut that same year in Burt Balaban's Mad Dog Coll. In one early episode of Bonanza, she played sea-ship captain's daughter Laura White. She delivered a memorable performance in the iconic Twilight Zone episode "The Masks" in March 1964. Over the next 30 years, Hayward appeared in a handful of screen roles. In 1977, Hayward wrote Haywire, a childhood memoir that expounded on her family, the mental breakdowns of her mother and sister, and her own personal demons. Her last screen appearance was in a small role in John Guare's 1993 film adaptation of Six Degrees of Separation, with Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland, and Will Smith.
Personal life
Hayward was married to Michael M. Thomas from July 1956 until their July 1960 divorce; they had two sons. Hayward met actor Dennis Hopper while studying at the Actors Studio. They were married in August 1961. They had a daughter, Marin Brooke Hopper, in June 1962 and divorced in 1969. In 1981, Hayward began living with Peter Duchin. They were married in 1985 and separated in 2008. They divorced in 2011. She divides her time between her loft in Manhattan and her country house in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
