Piper Laurie

About this actor

Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) is an American actress of stage and screen best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks and the films The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, all of which brought her Academy Award nominations. In 1991 she won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks. Piper has also received nine Emmy nominations and has won one. Laurie was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Charlotte Sadie (née Alperin) and Alfred Jacobs, a furniture dealer. Her father was a Polish Jewish immigrant, and her mother's family were Russian Jews. The father moved the family to Los Angeles, California in 1938. The young Rosetta was red-haired and naturally attractive, but socially hesitant. She attended Hebrew school, and to combat her shyness her parents provided her with weekly elocution lessons; this activity eventually led her to minor roles at nearby Universal Studios. In 1949 Rosetta Jacobs signed...