Elyse Donaldson, best known for her role in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and his appearances in acclaimed television series built a career that spanned more than two decades in Hollywood.
She died suddenly at her home in Studio City at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and a life rooted in Texas and Los Angeles.
Born Mary Elise Donalson on October 5, 1947, in Victoria, Texas, she grew up in a family where her father managed the family lumber yard and her mother worked as a church secretary and accountant.
After graduating from Victoria High School in 1965, she attended Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), where she performed in plays and met her future husband, Joe Houde.
The couple eventually moved to Los Angeles, where Donaldson pursued his passion for acting.
Her Hollywood journey began in the early 1980s, when she took acting classes and landed her first role in 1983 on the CBS fantasy series. Wizards and Warriors.
From there, she appeared in more than two dozen television series, including Doogie Howser, MARYLAND, Everything but love, Chicago Hope, The practiceAnd Beverly Hills, 90210.
She became a familiar face in guest roles on popular shows of the time.
Donaldson’s film work included his memorable appearance in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), where she played a sanatorium patient in a chilling scene opposite Paul Rudd’s Tommy Doyle.
On television, she plays a nun in Saint-Ailleurs (1986), judge in Matlock (1988), nurse at Quantum leap (1989), and a woman aged The X Files (2000).
Lovers of Dr. Quinn, medicine woman may remember her as Mrs. Marley in the 1993 Christmas episode Mike’s Dream: A Christmas Story.
Beyond acting, Donalson was a longtime member of SAG-AFTRA and balanced his career by working at law firms in Los Angeles.
She was known for her love of animals and movies.
She is survived by her sister Harriette Meyer (who announced her sister’s death to The Hollywood Reporter), nieces Kellie and Kate, brother-in-law Jimmie, great-nieces Madison, Macy and Piper and great-nephew Clay.
Donalson’s journey from Texas to Hollywood reflects the determination of an actress who has carved out a place for herself in the industry while remaining deeply connected to her family and personal passions.
