# Judy Pace > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Judy_Pace > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Judy_Pace.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Pace > Source revision: 1354337411 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American actress (1942–2026)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Judy Pace | image = Judy Pace, 1970.jpg | caption = Pace in 1970 | birth_name = Judy Lenteen Pace | birth_date = {{birth date|1942|6|15}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|3|11|1942|6|15}} | death_place = [Marina Del Rey, California](/source/Marina_Del_Rey%2C_California), U.S. | resting_place = [Inglewood Park Cemetery](/source/Inglewood_Park_Cemetery), [Inglewood, California](/source/Inglewood%2C_California), U.S. | alma_mater = [Los Angeles City College](/source/Los_Angeles_City_College) | known_for = ''[Peyton Place](/source/Peyton_Place_(TV_series))''
''[The Young Lawyers](/source/The_Young_Lawyers)'' | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1963–2017 | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|[Don Mitchell](/source/Don_Mitchell_(actor))
|1972|1984|reason=div.}} * {{marriage|[Curt Flood](/source/Curt_Flood)
|1986|1997|reason=d.}} }} | children = 2; including [Julia Pace Mitchell](/source/Julia_Pace_Mitchell) | awards = [Image Award](/source/NAACP_Image_Awards) Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series ''[The Young Lawyers](/source/The_Young_Lawyers)'' (1970) | URL = }} '''Judy Lenteen Pace'''{{Cite news|title=8 Black Women You Should Definitely Know|author=|date=February 10, 2021|work=Call & Post, All-Ohio edition; Cleveland, Ohio.|page=3C|quote=JUDY PACE: Judy Lenteen Pace was a woman of many firsts. In addition to being the first Black woman to ever receive a contract from a major motion picture studio, she is also the first Black television vilíainess, starring in the hit show "Peyton Place" in 1964. The dramatic series was the first to feature a Black family on prime time television.|id={{ProQuest|2495533894}}}} (June 15, 1942 – March 11, 2026) was an American actress known for her roles in films and television shows, particularly [blaxploitation](/source/blaxploitation) films. Pace portrayed Vickie Fletcher on the TV series ''[Peyton Place](/source/Peyton_Place_(TV_series))'' (1968–1969) and Pat Walters on the [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) drama series ''[The Young Lawyers](/source/The_Young_Lawyers)'' (1970–1971), for which she won an [NAACP Image Award](/source/NAACP_Image_Awards) for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 1970. ==Early life and career== Pace was born in [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California), on June 15, 1942,McCann, Bob (2010). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=d0iKEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA257 Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television]''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 257. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3790-0}}. to an airplane mechanic and a dressmaker.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tpt845rGohkC&q=curt+flood+the+dating+game+judy+pace&pg=PT65 |title=A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports |author=Brad Snyder |publisher=Penguin |date=2007|isbn=9781440619014 }} After graduation from [Dorsey High School](/source/Susan_Miller_Dorsey_High_School),{{cite news |author= |date=Dec 28, 1968 |title=Young Negro actress joins Peyton cast |work=Longview (WA) Daily News |quote=Judy attended Louis Pasteur Junior High and Dorsey High School before enrolling at Los Angeles City College.}}{{cite news |author= |date=Feb 13, 1971 |title=Judy Pace is Bright Star in Young Lawyers |work=The Louisiana Weekly |quote=She attended Louis Pasteur Junior High and Dorsey High School before enrolling at Los Angeles City College.}} Pace attended [Los Angeles City College](/source/Los_Angeles_City_College), majoring in sociology. She made her film debut as one of the title characters in [William Castle](/source/William_Castle)'s ''[13 Frightened Girls](/source/13_Frightened_Girls)'' (1963).{{cite book |title=Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies |author=Lisanti, Tom |publisher=McFarland |date=2010 |isbn=9781476601168 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-kWeCQAAQBAJ&q=curt%20flood%20the%20dating%20game%20judy%20pace&pg=PA221}} She got her first major break in [Hollywood](/source/Cinema_of_the_United_States) in 1968 as the first black villainess on TV with her role as Vickie Fletcher in the hit ABC-TV soap-opera/drama series ''Peyton Place''.{{cite web|url=https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/03/31/little-known-black-history-fact-judy-pace/|title=Little Known Black History Fact: Judy Pace|date=1 April 2013|publisher=}} Also in 1968, Pace was singled out for praise by noted film critic [Roger Ebert](/source/Roger_Ebert), for her performance in the popular youth-oriented film, ''[Three in the Attic](/source/Three_in_the_Attic)'':
The find in this movie, for my money, is the young black actress Judy Pace, who is terrific. [''Variety''](/source/Variety_(magazine)) calls her "the most beautiful black actress in Hollywood," which is debatable since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, etc., but she's a quick, funny actress who can put an edge on a line and keep a scene sparkling.{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/three-in-the-attic-1968|author=Ebert, Roger|title=THREE IN THE ATTIC|website=RogerEbert.com|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times|date=20 December 1968}}
Pace quickly became a familiar face in the 1970s on both the big and small screens, appearing in popular blaxploitation movies and popular television shows. She appeared on television shows including ''[Batman](/source/Batman_(TV_series))'', ''[Tarzan](/source/Tarzan_(1966_TV_series))'', ''[Bewitched](/source/Bewitched)'', ''[I Dream of Jeannie](/source/I_Dream_of_Jeannie)'', ''[The Flying Nun](/source/The_Flying_Nun)'', ''[Days of Our Lives](/source/Days_of_Our_Lives)'', ''[I Spy](/source/I_Spy_(1965_TV_series))'', ''[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))'', ''[Peyton Place](/source/Peyton_Place_(TV_series))'', ''[The Mod Squad](/source/The_Mod_Squad)'', ''[Medical Center](/source/Medical_Center_(TV_series))'', ''[That's My Mama](/source/That's_My_Mama),'' ''[O'Hara, US Treasury](/source/O'Hara%2C_US_Treasury)'', ''[The New People](/source/The_New_People)'', ''[Insight](/source/Insight_(American_TV_series))'', ''[Kung Fu](/source/Kung_Fu_(1972_TV_series))'', ''[Shaft](/source/Shaft_(TV_series))'', ''[Caribe](/source/Caribe_(American_TV_series))'', ''[Sanford and Son](/source/Sanford_and_Son),'' ''[What's Happening!!](/source/What's_Happening!!)'', and ''[Good Times](/source/Good_Times)''. [[File: The young lawyers 1970.JPG|thumb|right|Cast of [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) TV series ''[The Young Lawyers](/source/The_Young_Lawyers)'' (1970), from left: Pace, [Lee J. Cobb](/source/Lee_J._Cobb) (both seated) and [Zalman King](/source/Zalman_King)]] For one season, she starred in the drama ''[The Young Lawyers](/source/The_Young_Lawyers)'', broadcast on ABC. She also had a key supporting role as [Gale Sayers](/source/Gale_Sayers)'s wife, Linda, in the critically acclaimed 1971 [ABC-TV](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) movie ''[Brian's Song](/source/Brian's_Song)''.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/judy-pace/credits/159213/|title=Judy Pace| website=TVGuide.com|publisher=[TV Guide](/source/TV_Guide)|access-date=19 April 2020}} ==Personal life and death== In 1972, Pace married actor [Don Mitchell](/source/Don_Mitchell_(actor)). They had two daughters together before their divorce in 1984.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television |author= McCann, Bob |pages=257–258 |date=2009 |publisher=McFarland |isbn= 9780786458042 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7ZYsnTPIhwC&q=%22judy%20pace%22%20actress&pg=PA257}}{{cite book |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2013 |author= Harris M. Lentz III |publisher=McFarland |date= 2014|page=259 |isbn= 9781476616520 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MoHGCwAAQBAJ&q=Shawn%20Meshelle%20Mitchell%20pace&pg=PA258}} Their daughters are actress [Julia Pace Mitchell](/source/Julia_Pace_Mitchell) and Shawn Meshelle Mitchell.{{Cite news |last=Abrams |first=Jonathan |date=March 16, 2026 |title=Judy Pace, 83, Dies; Actress Brought Layers to Black Characters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/arts/television/judy-pace-dead.html |access-date=March 17, 2026 |work=The New York Times}} Pace had been courted by former baseball player [Curt Flood](/source/Curt_Flood) in 1966, when he saw her as a bachelorette contestant on the game show ''[The Dating Game](/source/The_Dating_Game).'' They dated until 1970. After divorcing Mitchell in 1984, Pace and Flood met again, leading to their 1986 marriage. They remained together until Flood's death in 1997.{{cite web|title=Interview with Judy Pace |author=Ebert, Roger|date=January 10, 1969|publisher=RogerEbert.com |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-judy-pace}} Pace died in her sleep on March 11, 2026, while visiting her family in [Marina del Rey](/source/Marina_del_Rey), at the age of 83. {{Cite web |last=Garner |first=Glenn |date=2026-03-15 |title=Judy Pace Dies: Groundbreaking Black Actress Who Starred In ‘Brian’s Song’ Was 83 |url=https://deadline.com/2026/03/judy-pace-dies-83-1236754391/ |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} ==Filmography== '''As actress:''' {{Div col}} * ''[13 Frightened Girls](/source/13_Frightened_Girls)'' (1963) * ''[I Spy](/source/I_Spy_(1965_TV_series))'' (1966) * ''[The Fortune Cookie](/source/The_Fortune_Cookie)'' (1966) as Elvira * ''[Batman](/source/Batman_(TV_series))'' (1966) * ''[Bewitched](/source/Bewitched)'' (1966) * ''[Days of Our Lives](/source/Days_of_Our_Lives)'' (1967) * ''[The Flying Nun](/source/The_Flying_Nun)'' (1967) * ''[I Dream of Jeannie](/source/I_Dream_of_Jeannie)'' (1967) * ''[Three in the Attic](/source/Three_in_the_Attic)'' (1968) * ''[The Mod Squad](/source/The_Mod_Squad)'' (1968) * ''[The Thomas Crown Affair](/source/The_Thomas_Crown_Affair_(1968_film))'' (1968) as Pretty Girl * ''[Tarzan](/source/Tarzan_(1966_TV_series))'' (1968) * ''[Peyton Place](/source/Peyton_Place_(TV_series))'' (1968–1969) * ''[The New People](/source/The_New_People)'' (TV movie) (1969) * ''The Young Lawyers'' (TV series) (1970–1971) * ''[Up in the Cellar](/source/Up_in_the_Cellar)'' (1970) * ''[Cotton Comes to Harlem](/source/Cotton_Comes_to_Harlem)'' (1970) as Iris Brown * ''[Brian's Song](/source/Brian's_Song)'' (1971) as Linda Sayers * ''O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' (1971) * ''[Cool Breeze](/source/Cool_Breeze_(film))'' (1972) as Obalese Eaton * ''Oh, Nurse!'' (1972 TV movie) * ''[Frogs](/source/Frogs_(film))'' (1972) * ''[Shaft](/source/Shaft_(TV_series))'' (TV series) (1973) * ''[The Slams](/source/The_Slams)'' (1973) as Iris Daniels * ''[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))'' (1974) * ''[That's My Mama](/source/That's_My_Mama)'' (1974) * ''[Sanford and Son](/source/Sanford_and_Son)'' (1974) * ''[Kung Fu](/source/Kung_Fu_(1972_TV_series))'' (1974) * ''[Medical Center](/source/Medical_Center_(TV_series))'' (1974) * ''[Good Times](/source/Good_Times)'' (1975) * ''[Caribe](/source/Caribe_(U.S._TV_series))'' (1975) * ''[What's Happening!!](/source/What's_Happening!!)!!'' (two episodes, 1977–1979) * ''Beyond Westworld'' (1980) * ''[Sucker Free City](/source/Sucker_Free_City)'' (2004) * ''Beauty and the Baller'' (four episodes, 2017) {{div col end}} '''As herself:''' * ''Stevie Wonder/The Moments/Fully Guaranteed'' (1973) (TV episode) * ''[Soul Train](/source/Soul_Train)'' (1973) * ''Christopher Jones'' (1999) * ''[E! True Hollywood Story](/source/E!_True_Hollywood_Story)'' (1999) * ''Curt Flood'' (2000) (TV episode) * ''[ESPN SportsCentury](/source/ESPN_SportsCentury)'' (two episodes, 2000–2004) * ''Disciples of Jackie Robinson'' (2004) (TV episode) ==References== {{Reflist|2}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060506212838/http://macumbalove.tripod.com/id29.html Macumba Love Spotlight On Actress Judy Pace] * [https://cocoalounge.blogspot.com/2007/03/cocoa-lounge-legends-002-judy-pace.html The Cocoa Lounge recognizes acting legend Judy Pace] ==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name|id=0655142|name=Judy Pace}} {{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Judy}} Category:1942 births Category:2026 deaths Category:American television actresses Category:Actresses from Los Angeles Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:20th-century African-American actresses Category:21st-century African-American actresses Category:Susan Miller Dorsey High School alumni --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Judy Pace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Pace) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Pace?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.