Los Angeles, September 16, 2025 — Hollywood lost a true trailblazer over the weekend with the passing of Patricia Crowley, the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her roles in “Dynasty” and “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.” She was 91 and died of natural causes at her home on Sunday, September 14—two days shy of her 92nd birthday on September 17.
Crowley’s son, Jon Hookstratten, executive vice president of administration and operations at Sony Pictures Entertainment, shared the news with a heartfelt tribute. “She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and her spirit will live on in all of us,” he said, confirming she passed peacefully surrounded by family. She is survived by her second husband, producer Andy Friendly, whom she married in 1986; her daughter, Ann Hookstratten Osher; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, in 1933, Crowley burst onto the scene in the early 1950s after moving to New York City to study at the High School of the Performing Arts. She made her Broadway debut as a high school senior in the 1950 comedy “Southern Exposure.” Her film breakthrough came in 1953 with roles in “Forever Female,” opposite Ginger Rogers and William Holden, and “Money from Home,” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Those performances earned her the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress, tying with Bella Darvi and Barbara Rush.
Television became her playground in the ’60s, where she shone as Joan Nash, the witty newspaper columnist and mom of four rambunctious boys, in the NBC sitcom “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” from 1965 to 1967—based on Jean Kerr’s best-selling book. Fans adored her alongside co-star Mark Miller and their sheepdog, Ladadog. She later guest-starred on classics like “Columbo,” “Hawaii Five-O,” and “Charlie’s Angels,” and had recurring turns in soaps such as “Generations” (1989-1990) and a whopping 251 episodes of “Port Charles” (1997-2003).
Soap fans will remember her as Emily Fallmont on “Dynasty” in 1986, where she played the senator’s wife tangled in family secrets and scandal during the show’s explosive sixth season. Her final screen role was in the 2012 film “Mont Reve,” and she popped up in later shows like “The Closer” (2006) and “Cold Case” (2009).
Crowley’s 60-year career spanned over 100 credits, blending glamour, grit, and that signature warmth. Tributes flooded social media Monday, with one fan writing, “Sad to read that Patricia Crowley has died at 91. What a career—from Broadway to Dynasty, she lit up every screen.” Another called her “a Republican who endorsed Eisenhower and still charmed us all—rest in peace, Pat.”
As her family mourns, Crowley’s legacy as a versatile star who bridged eras feels timeless. She’ll be missed, but her work? That’s here to stay.