Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne ( born November 23, 1959 in Santa Monica, California, † November 4, 1982 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American film actress.
Life
Dominique Dunne grew up in privileged circumstances in Santa Monica. She was the only daughter and also the youngest of the three children of the actress Ellen Beatriz Griffin Dunne ( † 1997) and the film producers and later author and journalist Dominick Dunne ( 1925-2009 ) and the younger sister of today's successful actor and director Griffin Dunne. Her uncle was the author John Gregory Dunne. After her parents divorced, she moved to New York City, then to Beverly Hills. After high school, she studied acting at Colorado State University. After a year, she left the university to advance their career and starred in several television productions. In 1982, she made as an actress attracted attention with her portrayal of the older sister of Carol -Anne in Steven Spielberg's horror film Poltergeist.
In the fall of 1981, they met in Los Angeles, her later boyfriend John Thomas Sweeney, the chef at the elegant restaurant Ma Maison. Their love relationship was considered from the outset as delicate. Many a time Dunne was beaten and abused by her jealous boyfriend. In October 1982, she tried to end the relationship. However, Sweeney refused to accept her decision and tried on the same evening, to convince them of his love. Later Sweeney strangled Dunne to entering brain death. Dunne was taken to the Cedars -Sinai Medical Center and initially alive artificially. A few days later, the machines were turned off, she died at the age of 22 years.
The mini -series V - The Final Battle, in which Dunne should take over the role of Robin Maxwell, was dedicated to her. My role was taken over by Blair Part Tefkin.
Dunne was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, not far from Heather O'Rourke († 1988), who had acted as her sister in the movie Poltergeist. Sweeney was sentenced to a prison term of six and a half years, but was released early from prison after three years and eight months.