Sandra Louise Anderson (née Smith; May , â€" November , ),
professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and
director. She made her film debut in in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,
for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress. She went on to star in such hit films as Willard, The Outlaw
Josey Wales, The Gauntlet, Every Which Way but Loose, Bronco Billy,
Any Which Way You Can and Sudden Impact. She worked often with Clint
Eastwood, who was her companion for years. She also directed four
films, notably Impulse. Locke's autobiography, The Good, the Bad, and
the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, was published in .Sandra Louise
Smith was born on May , ,[a][b] the daughter of New York City native
Raymond Smith, then serving in the military,[c] and Pauline Bayne, a
pencil factory worker from Huntsville, Alabama who was of mostly
Scottish descent, with matrilineages in South Carolina dating back to
the late s. Locke's parents separated before her birth. In her
autobiography, Locke noted that "although Momma would not admit it, I
knew Mr. Smith never married my mother." She had a maternal
half-brother, Donald (born April , ) from Bayne's subsequent brief
marriage to William B. Elkins.[d] When Bayne married Alfred Locke in ,
Sandra and Donald adopted his surname.[e] She grew up in Shelbyville,
Tennessee, where her stepfather owned a construction company; the
family later moved to nearby Wartrace. Self-described as introspective
and ambitious, Locke started working part-time at age , drove her own
car, and had a telephone installed in her bedroom.Locke was a
cheerleader and class valedictorian in junior high. From , she
attended Shelbyville Central High School, where she was again
valedictorian and voted "Duchess of Studiousness" by classmates. She
also played on the girls' basketball team, served as PTSA
representative and was president of the French club. (Regardless, she
wasn't considered "date material" by the lotharios of her class.)
Following graduation in , Locke enrolled at Middle Tennessee State
University in Murfreesboro on a full scholarship. Majoring in drama,
she was a member of the Alpha Psi Omega honor society while at MTSU
and appeared onstage in Life with Father and The Crucible. She dropped
out after completing two semesters of study.
professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and
director. She made her film debut in in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,
for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress. She went on to star in such hit films as Willard, The Outlaw
Josey Wales, The Gauntlet, Every Which Way but Loose, Bronco Billy,
Any Which Way You Can and Sudden Impact. She worked often with Clint
Eastwood, who was her companion for years. She also directed four
films, notably Impulse. Locke's autobiography, The Good, the Bad, and
the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, was published in .Sandra Louise
Smith was born on May , ,[a][b] the daughter of New York City native
Raymond Smith, then serving in the military,[c] and Pauline Bayne, a
pencil factory worker from Huntsville, Alabama who was of mostly
Scottish descent, with matrilineages in South Carolina dating back to
the late s. Locke's parents separated before her birth. In her
autobiography, Locke noted that "although Momma would not admit it, I
knew Mr. Smith never married my mother." She had a maternal
half-brother, Donald (born April , ) from Bayne's subsequent brief
marriage to William B. Elkins.[d] When Bayne married Alfred Locke in ,
Sandra and Donald adopted his surname.[e] She grew up in Shelbyville,
Tennessee, where her stepfather owned a construction company; the
family later moved to nearby Wartrace. Self-described as introspective
and ambitious, Locke started working part-time at age , drove her own
car, and had a telephone installed in her bedroom.Locke was a
cheerleader and class valedictorian in junior high. From , she
attended Shelbyville Central High School, where she was again
valedictorian and voted "Duchess of Studiousness" by classmates. She
also played on the girls' basketball team, served as PTSA
representative and was president of the French club. (Regardless, she
wasn't considered "date material" by the lotharios of her class.)
Following graduation in , Locke enrolled at Middle Tennessee State
University in Murfreesboro on a full scholarship. Majoring in drama,
she was a member of the Alpha Psi Omega honor society while at MTSU
and appeared onstage in Life with Father and The Crucible. She dropped
out after completing two semesters of study.
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