Heidi Lourdes Murray Vanderbilt (July 20, 1948 – January 31, 2021) was an American actress, photographer, equestrian, and writer. She made her Broadway debut in 1965, under the stage name Heidi Murray, in Ruth Gordon's play A Very Rich Woman. In 1983, she received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
Heidi Vanderbilt | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 20, 1948 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 31, 2021 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Other names | Heidi Murray Heidi Harris |
| Education | Columbia University |
| Occupation(s) | actress writer photographer equestrian rancher |
| Spouse | Jones Gordon Harris |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (father) Jeanne Lourdes Murray (mother) |
| Relatives | Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III (brother) |
Early life and family
editVanderbilt was born on July 20, 1948 to the racehorse owner Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. and the socialite Jeanne Lourdes Murray Vanderbilt.[1][2] She was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family and the granddaughter of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. Through her mother, she was the great-granddaughter of the inventor Thomas E. Murray and a niece of fashion editor Catherine Murray di Montezemolo.
Vanderbilt was educated at Spence School, Lycée Français de New York, and the Professional Children's School.[3] She continued her studies at the School of General Studies at Columbia University.[3]
Career
editVanderbilt made her Broadway debut, using the stage name Heidi Murray, as Dalphne Bailey in Ruth Gordon's 1965 play A Very Rich Woman at the Belasco Theatre.[4][5] She retired from the stage to pursue a career in photography.[3]
She published work as a photographer, poet, and author of both nonfiction and fiction.[1] She wrote the novel The Scar Rule.[1] She received the Edgar Award in 1983 from the Mystery Writers of America.[1]
Personal life
editIn October 1971, she married Jones Gordon Harris, the son of Ruth Gordon and Jed Harris.[3] The ceremony, officiated by New York Supreme Court Justice Theodore R. Kupferman, took place at her family's home in Oyster Bay.[3] Wedding guests included Thornton Wilder and Garson Kanin.[3] She and Harris had one son, Jack Gwynne Emmet Harris.[6][7]
Vanderbilt lived in New York City, Cleveland, and in Connecticut before moving to Martha's Vineyard in 1978.[1] She lived in Edgartown and then Vineyard Haven until 1994, when she moved to Tucson, Arizona.[1]
Vanderbilt was an accomplished equestrian and horsewoman and raised horses, donkeys, pigs, cats, dogs, and goats at her ranch in Benson, Arizona.[1] She finished the one-hundred-mile-long one-day Tevis Cup ride three times.[1]
She died on January 31, 2021.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Heidi Vanderbilt, 72". The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News.
- ^ "Harris, Mrs. Jones (Heidi Murray Vanderbilt) | Collection Guides". collections.library.vanderbilt.edu.
- ^ a b c d e f "Miss Vanderbilt Becomes Bride Of Jones Harris". The New York Times. 1971-10-28.
- ^ "A Vanderbilt Ready For Debut on Stage". The New York Times. 6 September 1965. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^ "Inside the Playbill Gallery | Playbill".
- ^ "Son to Mrs. Jones Harris". The New York Times. 1972-03-26.
- ^ "Rebekah Sturges And Jack Harris". The New York Times. 1999-06-27.