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pushed out of a moving vehicle. Joe's son and daughter-in-law found Tad and decided to adopt him, but daughter-in-law Mary was killed, so Ruth and Joe adopted him. A problem arose when Tad's father, Ray
Gardner, arrived in town wanting money and filed a lawsuit to stop the adoption proceedings. He then tried to extort money from the Martin family, in exchange for stopping the lawsuit. Joe refused to do this and kicked him out of his house, but Ruth called him back saying they could "sort things out." Fickett's second controversial storyline started when Ray showed up in a drunken rage and
355:. The storyline involved her son being missing in action. This was another milestone for daytime TV, as it was the first time a war scene was aired on daytime television. The audience saw Phil being hit by a bullet and going down, then carried away by a young Vietnamese boy (played by the adopted son of a friend of Nixon).
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In the mid-1990s, Fickett decided that she wanted to reduce her schedule and spend more time with her family. She allowed her contract to expire and expected to go on recurring status, meaning she could still appear on the program but did not have to meet any contractual obligations or minimum number
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Joe and Ruth were happily married, but she later had a friendship with Dr. David
Thornton which would jeopardize her marriage. Ruth and Joe thought that they could not conceive a child together. To have the child they always wanted they began proceedings to adopt Tad Gardner, a child who had been
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taking on the character in 1996. In 1999, Meriwether was let go and
Fickett rehired on recurring status. She resumed the role of Ruth and supported several front burner storylines including son Tad's romance with Dixie and the breakdown of son Dr. Jake (Joey) Martin's marriage to Gillian. After
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another year, Fickett decided to call it quits from the busy schedule of soap opera acting and retired in
December 2000. In 2002, the producers wanted to bring the character of Ruth back, but Fickett remained in retirement, so Meriwether was rehired and played Ruth whenever the occasion arose.
331:). The pair tried to ignore their attraction until Ruth's husband was killed in a car accident. Ruth married Joe onscreen, and she moved into the Martin house with Joe, mother-in-law Kate, and step-daughter Tara. Happiness for the new family was shortened by the
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Ruth became an anti-war protester and made some of the first anti-Vietnam speeches aired on
American daytime television. This storyline decision, although troubling to television executives at the time, earned Fickett a 1973
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nomination for this storyline in 1978. Ruth and Joe later had their own son, Joe Martin, Jr. (called Joey), but there was a fear during the pregnancy that the child would have
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Fickett had two children from her three marriages. Her third and final marriage was to Allen
Fristoe (a daytime TV director) from June 1979 until his death in 2008.
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for
Outstanding Achievement by Individuals in Daytime Drama, the first such award given to a daytime performer. In 1974 she was nominated for the first
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of appearances. Negotiations with the producers of the program broke down, and the role of Ruth Martin was recast with
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had always intended for her soap opera to deal with important issues of the day, so to facilitate
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nomination as Best
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and started her television career working on "Television
Theatre" programs like
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exiting the role of Phil Brent his character was drafted into service.
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In 2007, Fickett moved in with her daughter, Bronwyn
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Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
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as Sally Smith (1961) and Dr. Katherine Lovell (1967–68), and as
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in Fickett's memory. That episode aired September 21, 2011.
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in Massachusetts, and made her theatrical debut in 1946 on
438:"Mary Fickett, a Pillar of 'All My Children,' Dies at 83"
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An update on Mary Fickett, AMC's original Ruth Martin
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Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in the United States
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594:"Mary Fickett, AMC's original Ruth, dead at 83"
576:"News re Fickett's move to her daughter's home"
323:. Fickett was an original cast member playing
237:. Fickett studied acting at New York City's
694:People from Northumberland County, Virginia
460:"Actress Mary Fickett dies at Callao home"
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150: 1979–2008)
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536:"1978 Emmy Winners & Nominees"
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363:Ruth. Fickett received her second
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257:in 1957. In 1958, she received a
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308:In January 1970, the
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225:debut appearing in
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65:(2011-09-08)
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23:Mary Fickett
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639:1928 births
337:Agnes Nixon
333:Vietnam War
321:Agnes Nixon
319:created by
267:, opposite
255:Bing Crosby
251:Man on Fire
231:Alfred Lunt
154:(his death)
633:Categories
417:References
375:Retirement
349:Emmy Award
259:Tony Award
253:alongside
207:Bronxville
174:The Nurses
99:Occupation
44:1928-05-23
110:1946–2000
79:Education
277:Calendar
223:Broadway
219:Cape Cod
159:Children
560:May 19,
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102:Actress
389:Health
241:under
187:#1 on
135:Spouse
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