Leslie Parrish: More Than a Hollywood Star

Hollywood has lost another familiar face from television’s golden age. Actress Leslie Parrish, known for The Manchurian Candidate, Batman, Perry Mason and Star Trek, died in Washington state in 2025 at age 90, according to reports.

Born Marjorie Hellen in Massachusetts in 1935, Parrish grew up in a remote Pennsylvania town with little access to television or radio. She dreamed of becoming a concert pianist and worked as a waitress to fund her studies before turning to modeling.

A Twentieth Century Fox scout discovered her, gave her the name Leslie Parrish and brought her to Hollywood. She soon appeared in films and became a familiar face on television, including three episodes of Batman and the Star Trek episode “The Apple.”

Her best-known film role came in 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate, where she played Jocelyn Jordan.

But Parrish’s life eventually moved far beyond acting. She became an outspoken anti-war and environmental activist, protesting the Vietnam War and working on political and conservation causes.

After leaving Hollywood in the late 1970s, she and her husband, author Richard Bach, co-founded a wildlife sanctuary in Washington state, helping protect 168 acres of forest and habitat.

From Hollywood actress to passionate activist and conservationist, Leslie Parrish left a legacy that reached far beyond the screen.

She was 90. Rest in peace, Leslie Parrish.