Jennifer Leak D’Auria, Sept. 28, 1947 – March 18, 2024. Jennifer Leak D’Auria, an actress who had a successful career in both film and television, passed away at her home in Jupiter, Florida on March 18. Formerly residing in East Hampton, New York City, and Amagansett, Ms. D’Auria had been battling a rare neurological disease called progressive supranuclear palsy for the past seven years. She was 76 years old. Her acting journey began at the age of 17 when she filmed a pilot for a Canadian TV series titled “Wojeck.” Renowned film director Mike Nichols was highly impressed by her natural talents, as mentioned by her husband of 47 years, James D’Auria. Initially known as Jennifer Leak, she was set to appear in Nichols’s film “The Graduate,” but faced immigration obstacles that prevented her from participating in the production.
Subsequently, she relocated to Los Angeles and resided at the Hollywood Studio Club, a residence for women. In a short span of time, she landed the role of Lucille Ball’s daughter in the 1968 movie “Yours, Mine and Ours.” Her acting career flourished with appearances in various episodic and nighttime TV series such as “Hawaii Five-0,” “Nero Wolfe,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She found a particular fondness for daytime soap operas, with “Bright Promise” being one of her notable roles. Her husband mentioned that daytime television became her preferred medium for performing. He dedicated a period of three years to being a part of the cast on “The Young and the Restless” in Los Angeles, and subsequently spent another three years on “Another World” in New York. During her time in New York, she met her future husband, and they tied the knot in April 1977. After purchasing a house on Dayton Lane in East Hampton four years later, they divided their time between the city and the Hamptons. In 1997, they settled in Amagansett on Town Lane, which eventually became their primary residence post-9/11. They relocated back to East Hampton in 2013, but eventually sold their house in 2017 and moved to Florida permanently.
Jennifer Leak was born on September 28, 1947, at her maternal grandmother’s residence in Cardiff, Wales, to Kenneth Leak and Bernice Howard. She spent her childhood in Hertfordshire, England, before embarking on her acting career.