Priscilla Pointer, Star of ‘Carrie’ and ‘Dallas’, Dies at 100—A Tribute to Her Iconic Life
Her acting credits spanned decades—but family was always at the heart of Priscilla's story
Actress Priscilla Pointer, best known for her work in Carrie (1976), Dallas (1981 to 1983) and Blue Velvet (1986), died in her sleep on Monday, April 28. She was 100. Not only was she an actress in her own right, but was famously the mother of actress Amy Irving, who confirmed the news on Instagram.
“Priscilla Pointer, acclaimed stage, television and film actress, and mother of David, Katie, and Amy Irving, died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 100, hopefully to run off with her two adoring husbands and her many dogs. She most definitely will be missed,” the post read.
To honor the late actress, we look back at her career highlights and her relationship with her children below.
The beginning of Priscilla Pointer
Pointer was born on May 18, 1924, in New York, New York. She began acting on Broadway in the late 1940s, before switching to film in the 1950s. Her earlier credits include things like an episode of N.Y.P.D in 1969, an episode of The Rockford Files in 1974, an episode of Doc in 1976 and an episode of Phyllis that same year.
That was the last project she worked on before landing the role of Mrs. Snell, the mother of Sue Snell, who was played by her real-life daughter, Amy, in the 1976 adaptation of Carrie.
“Part of doing Carrie was to be able to say I worked with my mom, the first of six films we did together,” Amy told Glide Magazine in 2023. “Plus I talk a lot about her for Honeysuckle Rose because I was offered Honeysuckle Rose at my dad’s memorial service and I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to leave my mom and that’s when they said, ‘Well bring her on down and she can play Slim Pickens wife!’ And that’s what she did.”
Along with Pointer and Amy, the Stephen King adaptation also starred Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, P. J. Soles Betty Buckley and more. It was nominated for two Oscars and is currently available to stream on Max.
Priscilla Pointer goes to Dallas
Aside from Carrie, Pointer is also very well known for her work as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth in the hit Texas-based drama Dallas. She joined the show during Season 4 in 1981 and would stay on it until 1983.
“Priscilla Pointer, my favorite TV mama & a wonderful woman, passed away today,” Dallas star Victoria Principal wrote on Instagram on April 30. “Sincere condolences to Amy Irving & all of Priscilla’s family. Always a special place in my heart. RIP.”
Along with Pointer and Principal, Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Ken Kercheval, Charlene Tilton and several other stars starred in Dallas. It had a total of 357 and even has several spin-offs like Knots Landing (1979 to 1993), Secrets of Midland Heights (1980 to 1981) and Dallas: War of the Ewings (1988).
The show is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Priscilla Pointer’s later works
After leaving Dallas, Texas, Pointer still acted in things like Blue Velvet (1986), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), Inferno (1999) and Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008). That was her last project.
At the time of her death, the actress had 94 credits to her name and no nominations or awards.
The personal life of Priscilla Pointer
Aside from her career as an actress, Pointer was also very well known for being a mother to Amy, David and Katie Irving. She welcomed all of them with her husband Jules Irving, with whom she was with from 1947 until he died in 1979.
Following that, she married Robert Symonds and was with him from 1980 until his death in 2007. They also starred together in the 1987 movie Rumpelstiltskin.
“I can’t imagine a more wonderful way of growing up,” Amy told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “Instead of using babysitters, Mama would put us in the front row where she could watch us from the stage. My father was an amazing artistic director, and the values of the Actor’s Workshop were special. It was about the work, not money or fame. Things were very disillusioning when I got out into the real world.”
May Priscilla Pointer rest in peace.
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