Television and film actress Judy Pace has died at the age of 83.
Pace — widely recognized for her work in 1970s Blaxploitation films and television — passed away Wednesday while visiting family in Marina del Rey, California, her daughters Shawn and Julia Pace Mitchell confirmed, according to Deadline.
In a statement, her family shared that the actress “died peacefully in her sleep.”
Judy Pace was an American television and film actress who became a recognizable face of 1970s Hollywood, particularly during the era of Blaxploitation cinema. Born June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles, California. Before finding success as an actress, Pace began her career as a model.
She began appearing on television in the 1960s and quickly became known for her striking screen presence and versatility. Pace guest-starred on numerous popular series of the era, including Peyton Place, The Mod Squad, Ironside, Mannix, and Sanford and Son. At a time when roles for Black actresses were still limited, she became one of the first African American women to appear regularly in major television dramas.
Pace also found success in films and became associated with the rising Blaxploitation genre of the 1970s, which centered stories around Black characters and audiences. One of her most widely recognized roles came in the 1971 sports drama Brian’s Song, where she appeared alongside James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in the acclaimed film about Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.
Throughout the decade, Pace continued working in film and television, earning a reputation as a glamorous and influential figure within Black cinema during a transformative period for representation in Hollywood.
Beyond her acting career, Pace was also known for her personal life within entertainment circles. She was previously married to actor Don Mitchell, best known for his role on Ironside. Their daughter, Julia Pace Mitchell, later followed in her footsteps, becoming an actress known for her work on the soap opera The Young and the Restless.
She later married baseball star Curt Flood, and the couple remained together until his death in 1997, according to Page Six.