Former actress finds joy in helping others
Spring 2013 · Comment ·
Her termination came courtesy of Elizabeth Taylor—at least she’s pretty sure it did. Ann Palmer ’60 was playing one of five princesses in filming the movie Cleopatra when Richard Burton, in full view of Taylor, acknowledged Palmer by her first name.
“Miss Taylor glared,” Palmer recalls. “I had my notice three days later!”
Palmer, who earned her degree in commercial art from UT Arlington, had always wanted a career in fashion and modeling. A move to Los Angeles brought plenty of modeling work, which segued into acting jobs.
Over the years, she appeared in 75 national commercials, several films, and as a nurse for 14 seasons on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Her ultimate goal was to produce inspirational, values-driven movies that bucked the trend of dark subject matter as entertainment. Though the dream went unrealized, Palmer hopes her efforts laid the groundwork for the success of others with similar dreams.
“Show business really can be a dog-eat-dog kind of world,” she says. “I like to think I helped open doors for younger women to get into production.”
Now that Palmer has transitioned out of the Hollywood scene, she teaches voice and stage presence to aspiring actors. She also has officiated more than 400 weddings.
“I love creating beauty. Helping couples create beautiful beginnings of their lives together is very rewarding.”
