Judy Pace, trailblazing actress and model known for Peyton Place, Brian’s Song, and The Young Lawyers, passes away at 83.
Judy Pace, a trailblazing model and actress celebrated for her roles in Peyton Place, Brian’s Song, The Young Lawyers, and numerous films, has passed away at the age of 83.
She died peacefully in her sleep on March 11 while visiting family in Marina del Rey, according to a statement from her loved ones.
Pace made history in the early 1960s as the first Black female actress to secure a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures, initially rising to prominence as a model. She later made her film debut in 13 Frightened Girls, directed by William Castle, before gaining wider recognition on ABC’s hit primetime soap Peyton Place in 1968 and 1969—where her performance helped establish her as one of the most visible Black actors on television at the time.
Judy Pace further rose to prominence in 1971 with her supporting role in the critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning ABC television film Brian’s Song. She portrayed Linda Sayers, the wife of NFL star Gale Sayers, in the true story of the deep friendship between Sayers and teammate Brian Piccolo as Piccolo battled terminal cancer.
Billy Dee Williams played Sayers in the film, a performance that also helped elevate his career in Hollywood.
Around that same period, Judy Pace also appeared in the ABC drama series The Young Lawyers, which aired for one season from September 1970 to May 1971. She portrayed one of three law students offering pro bono legal aid to struggling clients in the tough neighborhoods of Boston.
The series featured Lee J. Cobb as the seasoned mentor leading the effort, alongside fellow cast members Zalman Kingand Phillip Clark as her co-law students.
Born in Los Angeles in 1942, Pace grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Dorsey High School and Los Angeles Community College. Her sister Betty trained her in the art of modeling. Pace went on to become the youngest model selected for Ebony magazine’s Fashion Fair national tour in 1961-62. She became the first TV and print “spokesmodel” for Fashion Fair Cosmetics, making inroads for Black models in advertising and fashion.
In 1965, Judy Pace made history once again as the first Black “bachelorette” to appear on the TV show The Dating Game.
Her diverse film career included roles in The Fortune Cookie (1966), Three in the Attic (1968), The Thomas Crown Affair(1968), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), Frogs (1972), and Cool Breeze (1972).
Pace also made numerous guest appearances on some of the most popular television series of the 1960s and ’70s, including Bewitched, I Spy, I Dream of Jeannie, The Mod Squad, Sanford and Son, That’s My Mama, Good Times, and What’s Happening!!.
Judy Pace was also deeply involved in philanthropy. In 1971, she co-founded the Kwanza Foundation alongside Nichelle Nichols, focusing on uplifting Black women in film and offering scholarships to minority students pursuing careers in the arts.
She was married for 12 years to actor Don Mitchell, known for his role on the NBC drama Ironside. In 1986, she wed baseball star Curt Flood, remaining by his side until his passing in 1997.
Pace is survived by her two daughters, attorney Shawn Pace Mitchell and actress Julia Pace Mitchell, as well as a grandson.
