{{Short description|American actress (1942–2015)}} {{Infobox person | name = May Heatherly | image = May Heatherly in 1964.jpg | caption = Heatherly in 1964 | birth_name = Mary Gay Prindle | birth_date = {{birth date|1942|05|13}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|10|06|1942|05|13}} | death_place = Madrid, Spain | occupation = Actress | years_active =1961–2015 }}
'''May Heatherly''' (born '''Mary Gay Prindle'''; May 13, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American actress who worked primarily in Spain. A native of Los Angeles, California, Heatherly spent her childhood there before relocating with her family to Spain. After working as an actress in Spain, she went on to appear in some U.S. television, including a recurring guest role on ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1964). Her film credits include ''The Cups of San Sebastian'' (1967), ''Open Season'' (1974), ''From Hell to Victory'' (1979), ''Pieces'' (1982), and ''Edge of the Axe'' (1988).
In addition to her acting career, Heatherly also trained in bullfighting in the 1960s, and at one time considered making a career in it. She died in Madrid in October 2015, aged 73.
==Early life== Heatherly was born Mary Gay Prindle<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uniondeactores.com/index.php/noticias/obituario/7256-muere-la-actriz-may-heatherly|work=Unión de actores|language=es|title=Obituario: Muere la actriz May Heatherly|date=2015|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011030312/https://www.uniondeactores.com/index.php/noticias/obituario/7256-muere-la-actriz-may-heatherly|archive-date=October 11, 2021|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> on May 13, 1942, in Los Angeles, California.<ref name=moviefone/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/mary_gay_prindle_born_1942_2533343|work=California Birth Index|title=The Birth of Mary Gay Prindle|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> When she was eleven years old, she relocated with her family to Spain, where her businessman father took a job opportunity.<ref name=moviefone/>
==Career== In the early 1960s, Heatherly began working in Spain as an actress, appearing in the films ''Ella y el miedo'' (1962), ''Los muertos no perdonan'' (1963), and ''Torrejón City'' (1964). During this period in Spain, Heatherly also trained to be a bullfighter,<ref name=uncle>{{Cite news|work=Kansas City Star|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86869128/the-kansas-city-star/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Tuesday Highlights|date=October 18, 1964|page=14B}}</ref> and considered making a career of it.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Shreveport Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86872364/the-shreveport-journal/|title=TV series wins over bullring|page=37|date=December 4, 1964|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Heatherly returned to the United States in later 1964 to appear in a recurring guest role as Heather McNabb on ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''.<ref name=uncle/>
She subsequently appeared in the Spanish-based production ''The Cups of San Sebastian'' (1967) alongside Tab Hunter, followed by a small role in the American drama film ''Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing'' (1973) directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Maggie Smith.<ref name=nylove>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/20/archives/fun-of-love-and-pain-yields-to-ethic.html|work=The New York Times|date=April 20, 1973|title=Fun of 'Love and Pain' Yields to Ethic|last=Canby|first=Vincent|authorlink=Vincent Canby|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Heatherly also had roles in the European-based thrillers ''The Killer Is One of 13'' (1973) and ''The Student Connection'' (1974), followed by ''Open Season'' (1974), which starred Peter Fonda and William Holden.{{sfn|Senn|2013|p=77}}
After appearing in a number of Spanish-based productions, Heatherly was cast in José Ramón Larraz's slasher film ''Pieces'' (1982), portraying the overbearing, abusive mother of the film's killer villain.{{sfn|Stine|2015|p=188}} She subsequently had a supporting role in the drama ''Crystal Heart'' (1986), starring Tawny Kitaen. She later reunited with director José Ramón Larraz, appearing in his 1988 slasher film ''Edge of the Axe''.{{sfn|Stine|2015|p=118}}
In 2006, Heatherly has a minor part in the Miloš Forman-directed drama ''Goya's Ghosts''.<ref name=moviefone>{{Cite web|work=Moviefone|url=https://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/may-heatherly/1882556/main/|title=May Heatherly|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-date=October 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011011849/https://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/may-heatherly/1882556/main/|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref>
==Death== Heatherly underwent a hip replacement surgery in 2013.<ref name=moviefone/> She died two years later on October 6, 2015, in Madrid, aged 73.<ref name=moviefone/>
==Selected filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row" | 1962 | ''Torrejón City'' | Ruth | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row" | 1963 | data-sort-value="dead"| ''The Dead Don't Forgive'' | Marta | Spanish title: ''Los muertos no perdonan'' | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row" | 1964 | ''Edge of Fear'' | Laura Berke | Spanish title: ''Ella y el miedo'' | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86875003/the-tampa-times/|work=Tampa Times|date=January 9, 1973|page=18|title=Movies|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 1967 | data-sort-value="Cups"| ''The Cups of San Sebastian '' | Jane | Spanish title: ''El dedo del destino'' | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row" | 1973 | ''Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing'' | Melanie Elbertson | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1974 | data-sort-value="Student"| ''The Student Connection'' | Marina | Spanish title: ''Un par de zapatos del '32'' | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row" | 1974 | ''Open Season'' | Alicia Rennick | | style="text-align:center;"| {{sfn|Senn|2013|p=77}} |- ! scope="row" | 1975 | ''Blood Stains in a New Car '' | María Rovira | Spanish title: ''Manchas de sangre en un coche nuevo'' | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1976 | ''Ambitious'' | Margarita | Spanish title: ''Ambiciosa'' | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1979 | ''From Hell to Victory'' | WAAF Lt. Mary Jennings | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1980 | ''Cannibals in the Streets'' | Nurse Helen | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1982 | ''Pieces'' | Mrs. Reston | Spanish title: ''Mil gritos tiene la noche'' | style="text-align:center;"|{{sfn|Stine|2015|p=188}} |- ! scope="row"| 1986 | ''Crystal Heart'' | Diana Newley | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1987 | ''Beaks: The Movie'' | Olivia | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1989 | ''Edge of the Axe'' | Anna Bixby | Spanish title: ''Al filo del hacha'' | style="text-align:center;"|{{sfn|Stine|2015|p=118}} |- ! scope="row"| 1999 | data-sort-value="Long Kill"| ''The Long Kill'' | Mrs. Preble | Television film | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 2000 | ''One of the Hollywood Ten'' | Thug's Wife | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 2005 | data-sort-value="Feast of Goat"|''The Feast of the Goat'' | Nurse | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 2006 | ''Goya's Ghosts'' | Harlot's Dueña | | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 2015 | ''Vampyres'' | Woman | | style="text-align:center;"| |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row"| 1961 | ''Hawaiian Eye'' | Julie Talbot | Episode: "The Stanhope Brand" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1961 | ''My Three Sons'' | Mary Hawkins | Episode: "The Lostling" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1961 | data-sort-value="Tom Ewell"| ''The Tom Ewell Show'' | Diane | Episode: "The Prying Eye" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"|1961–1962 | data-sort-value="Real McCoys"| ''The Real McCoys'' | Maxine / Barbara | 2 episodes | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1962 | ''Gunsmoke'' | Molly | Episode: "The Boys" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row" | 1964 | data-sort-value="Man from UNCLE"| ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' | Heather McNabb | 4 episodes | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1977 | ''Curro Jiménez'' | Leonor | Episode: "El míster" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1991 | ''Farmacia de guardia'' | Maggie | Episode: "La novia del abuelo" | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| 1996 | ''Médico de familia'' | Vera | Episode: "Los Martín conquistan Manhattan" | style="text-align:center;"| |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== *{{Cite book|last=Senn|first=Bryan|year=2013|title=The Most Dangerous Cinema: People Hunting People on Film|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn= 978-1-476-61357-4}} *{{cite book|last=Stine|first=Scott Aaron|year=2015 |orig-year=2003 |title=The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s |publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=9781476611327}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{IMDb name|0372754}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heatherly, May}} Category:1942 births Category:2015 deaths Category:20th-century American actresses Category:Actresses from Los Angeles Category:Actresses from Madrid Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American expatriates in Spain Category:21st-century American women