Background
MacLachlan was born Janet Angel MacLachlan in Harlem, New New York Her mother, Iris South MacLachlan, and father, James MacLachlan, were both Jamaican-born and members of the Church of the Illumination.
MacLachlan was born Janet Angel MacLachlan in Harlem, New New York Her mother, Iris South MacLachlan, and father, James MacLachlan, were both Jamaican-born and members of the Church of the Illumination.
Attending P.S. 170 and Julia Ward Junior High School, MacLachlan graduated from Julia Richmond High School in 1950.
She is best remembered for her key supporting part in the film Sounder (1972). MacLachlan worked with numerous well known black actors and actresses and celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Jim Brown, James Earl Jones and Maya Angelou. She received a bachelor"s degree in psychology from Hunter College in 1955.
She then worked as an executive secretary in New York City before turning to acting.
She later performed at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. A one-time contract player for Universal Studios, MacLachlan made her debut in several episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965 as The Secretary and Gayle.
She went on to appear in episodes of The Fugitive, The Invaders episode "The Vise as Mrs Baxter" (1968), The Girl from United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, Star Trek, Ironside, and The Mod Squadron She also appeared in the films Uptight (1968), Change of Mind (1969)..tick..tick..tick.
(1970), Darket Than Amber (1970), Halls of Anger (1970), Sounder (1972), The Manitoba (1972), Tightrope (1984), Murphy"s Law (1986), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999).
Suffering from cardiovascular disease in her later years, MacLachlan died from complications from the condition on October 11, 2010 at the age of 77 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Los Angeles She is survived by a daughter, actress Samantha McLachlan. MacLachlan resided in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Los Angeles
Board Directors Junior Arts Center, Los Angeles, 1982-1984. Member American Federation of television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild (board directors 1976-1982), Actors Equity Association, Actors Studio, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy television Arts and Sciences (board governors 1986-1988).
1 child, Samantha Iris.