Elyse Donalson, best known for her role in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and his appearances in acclaimed television dramas built a career that spanned more than two decades in Hollywood.
He passed away unexpectedly at his home in Studio City at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and a life rooted in both Texas and Los Angeles.
Born Mary Elise Donalson on October 5, 1947, in Victoria, Texas, she grew up in a family where her father managed the family lumberyard and her mother worked as a church secretary and bookkeeper.
After graduating from Victoria High School in 1965, she attended Southwestern Texas State University (now Texas State University), where she acted in plays and met her future husband, Joe Houde.
The couple eventually moved to Los Angeles, where Donalson pursued his passion for acting.
His journey in Hollywood began in the early 1980s, when he took acting classes and landed his first role in 1983 on the CBS fantasy series. Wizards and warriors.
From there, he appeared in more than two dozen television series, including Doogie Howser, Maryland, Everything But Love, chicago hope, The practiceand beverly hills, 90210.
He became a familiar face in guest roles on popular shows of the time.
Donalson’s film work included his memorable appearance in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), where she played a sanatorium patient in a chilling scene opposite Paul Rudd’s Tommy Doyle.
On television she played a nun in Saint in another place (1986), judge of Matlock (1988), nurse in quantum leap (1989), and an old woman in X-Files (2000).
Fans of Dr. Quinn, healer You may remember her as Mrs. Marley in the 1993 Christmas episode. Mike’s Dream: A Christmas Story.
Beyond acting, Donalson was a longtime member of SAG-AFTRA and balanced his career working at law firms in Los Angeles.
She was known for her love of animals and cinema.
He is survived by his sister Harriette Meyer (who shared the news of her sister’s death with The Hollywood Reporter), his nieces Kellie and Kate, his brother-in-law Jimmie, his great-nieces Madison, Macy and Piper, and his great-nephew Clay.
Donalson’s journey from Texas to Hollywood reflects the determination of an actress who carved out a place for herself in the industry while remaining deeply connected to her family and personal passions.
