After a year of incomparable celebrity death, 2017 has been much slower to take beloved figures away. Thursday did bring a passing of a beloved actress, though. Barbara Hale, most famous for her role on the show "Perry Mason," passed away at the age of 94.
Hale's passing
Actor William Katt, the son of Barbara Hale, announced the passing of the actress on his Facebook page. His agent confirmed her death and stated that the former "Perry Mason" star died peacefully at her home surrounded by loved ones. She is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Hale's legacy
Hale was born in DeKalb, Illinois on April 18, 1922. Through her schooling, she didn't express any real interest in being an actress, instead wanting to be a commercial illustrator or portraitist. She ended up having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, spotted on the streets of Chicago and quickly signed to a modeling contract.
After spending more than a decade toiling around the modeling and film industry, Hale finally received her big break as an actress when she was cast in "Perry Mason" in 1957. She played Della Street, the trusted secretary of Raymond Burr's titular character. She went on to play the role in all 271 episodes of the show, which aired as a legal drama on CBS for a decade.
The show was so popular that it led to 30 television movies (which Hale starred in) and is being revived for HBO in the coming years, starring Robert Downey Jr.
Hale officially retired from acting in 2000. She won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Della Street on "Perry Mason" and was nominated for another one. Her time as an actress on the show earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She was also given a Golden Boot Award in 2001 in recognition of her contributions to western cinema, where she often played uncredited roles across some of Hollywood's most famous leading men, including James Stewart in "The Jackpot," James Cagney in "A Lion Is in the Streets," and Rock Hudson in "Seminole."
