Megan D'Ewes Timothy (born June 21, 1943)^[1] is a Rhodesian-American actress, singer, and writer.

Background

The daughter of an architect,^[2] Timothy was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1943. At the age of 16, she began working for the Victoria Times and later pursued a career as a horse trainer.

In 1964, at the age of 21, Timothy relocated to California.^[3][4][5] She initially worked as a switchboard operator^[6] and later as a waitress at the Playboy Club.^[3] She was dismissed from her position at Playboy due to an incident where she unintentionally caused a fire on a patron's beard while trying to light his cigarette and then attempted to extinguish it by throwing water in his face.^[4] Following her departure from Playboy, Timothy embarked on a career as an actor and screenwriter.^[7]

During the mid-1970s, Timothy acquired La Maida House, a bed and breakfast in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.^[8] She successfully operated the establishment until the 1990s.^[9] In 1999, Timothy decided to undertake a solo bicycle journey spanning approximately 12,000 miles. She sold her North Hollywood home, car, and several possessions in preparation for the journey. Her travels took her across Western Europe and parts of Africa.^[4] In 2003, Timothy experienced a brain aneurysm that resulted in the loss of her ability to speak.^[5] Her book Let Me Die Laughing!: Waking from The Nightmare of a Brain Explosion chronicles her injury and the subsequent journey to recovery.

Film career

In 1967, Timothy made her debut with a credited film role in the Russ Meyer film Good Morning... and Goodbye!.^[10] The following year she appeared in Hell's Chosen Few, her first of three films directed by David L. Hewitt.^[11] Her second collaboration with Hewitt was The Mighty Gorga in which she portrayed April Adams, a trapper on a mission to locate a 50-foot gorilla.^[12] Timothy's final film with Hewitt was The Girls from Thunder Strip^[13] which centered around three bootlegging sisters who confront a gang of bikers.

Music

During the 1960s, Timothy showcased her folk music talents at various coffee houses and also participated in a USO tour to entertain troops in Vietnam.^[4] In February 1967, she had a regular performance schedule at the Rainbow Room in Nashville, Tennessee.^[18]

Around 2010, several years after experiencing a stroke, Timothy decided to receive vocal coaching. She received guidance from Michael Rivers. Despite facing challenges due to her brain injury,^[19] Timothy released her first CD album four years later. In 2014, she unveiled the album "As I Wander: Songs of Christmas," which featured the vocals of Dan Cobb, the singer-guitarist/producer Rivers, and cellist Marlene Moore.^[20]

Stroke

After the passing of her mother and the loss of her belongings in a fire,^[21] Timothy experienced a stroke in September 2003, at the age of 63. The stroke was a result of an arteriovenous malformation and led to severe aphasia,^[22] rendering her unable to speak. With no family or financial means to support herself, she became a ward of the state and was temporarily housed in a rehabilitation facility for two weeks. Although the facility was described as a mental hospital in the September/October edition of Stroke Connection magazine, Timothy's friends intervened and secured her release.^[23] Prior to the stroke, Timothy did not have medical coverage, but she later became enrolled in a California Medicaid program.^[24] A documentary titled "Chicken," which chronicled her stroke and journey, was screened at the Fontaine Auditorium of Samuel Merritt University in Oakland on August 4, 2010.^[25]

Publications

References

External links

• Megan Timothy at IMDb
• Out of Africa April 2000 article page 24 - Saddle-sore Megan’s 10,000-mile odyssey
• Youtube: Megan Timothy
• California Library Literacy Services - 26-07-07: Interview with Megan Timothy, Part 1
• California Library Literacy Services - 26-07-07: Interview with Megan Timothy, Part 2, Q&A