Lynne Marta, the actress known for her roles in films such as "Joe Kidd" and "Footloose," as well as her appearances on the TV series "Love, American Style," has died at the age of 78. Marta's friend, Chris Saint-Hilaire, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she died on Thursday at her Los Angeles home following a battle with cancer.
Marta is survived by her sister, MJ, and her cat, Mr. Peaches, according to reports. The New Jersey native's death comes just a few weeks after the death of her longtime partner, David Soul, the actor known for "Starsky & Hutch," who died on January 4 at the age of 80.
An Icon is Dead
In a 1983 interview with People magazine, Marta described her relationship with Soul as an 'open relationship,' as he was married to actress Karen Carlson at that time. People magazine reported that Soul and Marta lived together throughout the "Starsky & Hutch" years from 1975 to 1979 but also spent time with other people, describing their relationship as open.
Marta joined her late partner on his 1977 special, "David Soul and Friends." Before her relationship with Soul, Marta was married to the late actor Brick Huston from 1968 to 1975. Huston passed away in August 2018.
Marta, born on October 31, 1948 in Somerville, New Jersey, made her debut in acting with a credit in a 1966 episode of the comedy series "Gidget."
She then went on to do 18 episodes of the anthology comedy series "Love, American Style."
Lynne Marta had an extensive career with numerous episodic appearances in various television shows.
Some of the shows she appeared in include "The Mod Squad," "The Rookies," "Starsky & Hutch," "Charlie's Angels," "Vegas," "Matt Houston," "The F.B.I.," "Dan August," "Cannon," "The Streets of San Francisco," "Barnaby Jones," "The Manhunter," and "Caribe," showcasing her versatility across a range of popular series.
A Life Worth Remembering
Marta also had notable roles in several films during her career. She starred alongside Robert Duvall and Clint Eastwood in the 1972 film "Joe Kidd" and appeared alongside Kevin Bacon in the 1984 hit "Footloose."
Additionally, she featured in movies such as "Red Sky at Morning," "Help Me ... I'm Possessed," "Blood Beach," and "Three Men and a Little Lady."
Her final acting credit was in 2004, with an appearance on an episode of the television series "American Dreams."
Marta also found herself close to one of the grimmest incidents in Hollywood history when Rebecca Schaeffer, the actress from "My Sister Sam," was tragically murdered at the age of 21 on July 18, 1989, in her Los Angeles home by Robert John Bardo—an obsessed fan.
Lynne Marta, who lived nearby, testified during Bardo's trial about being a neighbor of Schaeffer. She shared her account of hearing the gunshots that tragically took the life of the promising young actress, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
"The door shook, the wall shook," she testified in the case. "The cat went up into the air. I fell to my knees and crawled into the bedroom. Then, I heard Rebecca's first scream.
"She was still screaming while I was talking to 911. By the time I got to the door, she was wailing. I opened the small hatch in my door. There was a smell I'll never forget: the smell of gunfire. It was quiet except for light moaning."
