Shivangi Sinha
While Netflix’s ‘Avedon’ explores Richard Avedon’s life and career, it also touches upon the woman he was married to before meeting Evelyn Franklin. His first wife was Doe Avedon, who went on to become a famous model and Broadway actress. In fact, her association with Richard helped propel her towards a career in the entertainment industry. Although their marriage lasted only a few years, it was a well-known relationship that continued to attract considerable attention for a long time.
Doe Avedon Started Working as a Model for Richard Avedon
Dorcas Marie Nowell was born on April 7, 1925, in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York. Her father worked as a butler for a prominent lawyer, and the family lived a comfortable life. She was just three years old when her mother passed away, and by the age of 12, she had also lost her father, leaving her orphaned. Dorcas was subsequently brought up by her father’s employer’s family. As soon as she was old enough, she began working in various offices to support herself. It was while working as a bank clerk that she caught the attention of Richard Avedon, then a 21-year-old aspiring photographer, who immediately fell in love with her.
It was Richard who gave her the name “Doe,” saying that she had deer-like eyes. The two were married by 1944 and began a life together. While Richard worked as a photographer for ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, she became his muse and featured in many of the photographs he took. Many reports state that it was upon her husband’s persuasion that she took up the work. Her own calling lay elsewhere, as she wanted to become an actress. In 1948, she made her Broadway debut in ‘The Young and Fair’. The following year brought its share of ups and downs.
While she and Richard separated, Doe was cast in ‘My Name Is Aquilon’, which also featured prominent names such as Jean-Pierre Aumont and Arlene Francis. Doe also made her film debut in 1949, appearing under the name Betty Harper in ‘Jigsaw’. That same year, while touring with ‘Diamond Lil’, she met Dan Matthews, and the two married later that year. Doe seemed to be settling into her new life and even stepped away from acting for a while, until tragedy struck in 1952. While driving from New York to Los Angeles, California, the couple were involved in an accident in which Dan lost his life. Following his death, Doe decided to return to acting, making her comeback with ‘The High and the Mighty’ and ‘Deep in My Heart’.
Doe Avedon Worked as an Actor After the Passing of Her Second Husband
Doe Avedon continued using her first husband’s name and went on to have a busy run in the film and television industry. Her credits included the television series ‘Big Town,’ which ran from 1955 to 1956, in which she played Diane Walker across 12 episodes. In 1956, she was cast in an episode of ‘NBC Matinee Theater’ titled ‘Three for the Money’ and stars as Elsie Reynolds in ‘The Boss’. The following year, she got the role of Mike McCall in the unaired pilot of ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ and appears as Ruth Harding in ‘The Ford Television Theatre’. In 1958, she features in episodes of ‘Alcoa Theatre’ and ‘Climax!’, playing Ruth and Alice Peters, respectively.
In 1957, Doe found love again with Don Siegel, the successful film director and producer. It was also the year ‘Funny Face’, starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, was released. It is a film based on the story of Doe and Richard. Doe and Don did not have children of their own but adopted four: daughters Anne Siegel-Wamsat and Kit Saldiveri, and sons Nowell and Jack Siegel. Together with Don’s son from a previous relationship, Kristoffer Tabori, they built a large and loving family. After her marriage, Doe decided to step away from films once again. She retreated from public life and preferred to live privately. By 1975, she and Don had separated.
Doe Avedon Passed Away Surrounded by the Love and Affection of Her Large Family
Doe Avedon did not appear in many films in the later years of her career. In 1984, she briefly returned to the screen with a small but impactful role in ‘Love Streams’. Otherwise, she led a private life and spent much of her time with her children. On December 18, 2011, she passed away after being admitted to Encino Hospital Medical Center in Encino, California, for pneumonia. At the time of her death, she had a longtime companion, Michael Liscio. She had lived a full life, surrounded by the love of her seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She lived an extraordinary life that amazes anyone who hears about it.
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