Lara Parker, popularly known as Angelique from “Dark Shadows,” looked flawless at 84, posing in her garden full of roses.
The actress opened up about her life after the show.
She is a doting wife, mom, and grandma and radically changed her career following her retirement from acting.
Lara Parker, popularly known as Angelique from “Dark Shadows,” was born Mary Lamar Rickey in 1993 in Knoxville, Tennessee. She played the main antagonist in the gothic-horror soap opera that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971.
Parker was cast in the soap barely three weeks after she moved to New York from Wisconsin, where she lived with her first husband, Tom Parker, and two kids on a farm.
The actress revealed how she just walked into the audition and landed the role of Angelique because she was the right fit:
“They were casting a witch, and they’d seen a lot of dark-haired, sexy girls. I came in looking blond and angelic and younger than my age. I think I just happened to hit them right, and everything fell into place.”
Despite landing the role easily, Parker didn’t like playing Angelique, who was a bad witch, as she viewed her character as the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks. “I wanted to play the heroine, who got to wear the pretty gowns,” she noted.
She later changed her mind and came to love her character when she realized the audience relished Angelique’s evil ways. “I came to enjoy playing an evil, conniving woman,” she said.
Unfortunately, after a five-year run, “Dark Shadows” was canceled. Parker managed to keep the legacy of the show alive through the “Dark Shadows” series of books she wrote.
Parker, who has remained one of the hottest actresses of her day, moved to Los Angeles when the hit show ended. She featured in several Broadway productions and guest-starred in shows such as “The Incredible Hulk” and “Remington Steele.”
The actress also wrote scripts and screenplays and formed a company called “Old Canyon Press,” which published an illustrated collection of verses called “Bugs and Critters I Have Known.”
Away from work, she also experienced shifts in her love life.
The actress divorced her first husband, with whom she has two children, and married her second husband, Jim Hawkins, a contractor and builder.
Hawkins and Parker welcomed a child, Caity, and together they raised their three babies — including Rick and Andy from Parker’s first marriage — in a house they designed and built atop the Santa Monica Mountains.
Her face lit up when she talked about her grandson, which indicated she has so much love to share with him, unlike the witchy counterpart she played in “Dark Shadows.”
Their children all have successful careers in their respective fields. Rick is a music producer, Andy is a contractor, and Caity is a set designer and stylist for videos and commercials.
After her time on “Dark Shadows” ended, Parker stayed busy by earning a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing in 2004.
She taught at a college in Los Angeles, and in 2006, she conducted a two-day workshop at New York University titled “Heart of Horror,” which discussed the process of horror writing.
Parker’s gothic-horror books based on the “Dark Shadows” show did so well that she wrote four. Her first, “Angelique’s Descent,” was released in 1998, and her second, “The Salem Branch,” came out in 2006.
The third book in the series, “Wolf Moon Rising,” was released in 2012, and in 2016, Parker released “Heiress of Collinwood.”
In 2011, Parker and her co-stars from “Dark Shadows,” including Jonathan Frid, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott, went to England to shoot cameo appearances in the hit series feature film from director Tim Burton.
Parker now maintains a website, laraparker.com, where she provides DVDs of “Dark Shadows,” movies she featured in, and her autographed books and photos.
The actress also talks about and teaches acting on her website. She has maintained her career in the entertainment industry through teaching and writing.
As she ages, the actress still looks great and loves to spend time with her family. At 84, the actress looks flawless, with her son sharing her pictures on social media that show the life of the actress now.
In one picture, Parker posed in her garden full of roses. The actress wore a green dress with black polka dots, white socks, and sandals. Her blonde hair, which is slowly turning gray, flowed freely to her shoulders.
She was smiling in the photo, clearly proud of her beautiful and well-kept garden with blooming red and yellow roses.
In another photo, the mother of three posed with her dog Brooke. The actress, who was on a boat, looked stunning and relaxed.
She wore sunglasses, a grey cap, and a white buttoned-down shirt with gray trousers. Her dog, which she held close to her, also posed for the photo.
Her son shared another picture of his mother looking gorgeous in the sun. Parker was on a boat and wore her signature sunglasses. She was all smiles in the photo, as she donned a knitted sweater, with hair let down.
The “Doctor Mabuse” actress was incredibly loved by her fans when she played Angelique. However, that was not her favorite role, as Parker greatly enjoys being a wife, mother, and grandmother.
Her face lights up when she talks about her grandson, which indicates she has so much love to share with him, unlike the witchy counterpart she played in “Dark Shadows.”
However, Parker has a few great things in common with Angelique, including her undedicated and unwavering strength to create her brand and captivate her fans with her novels.
And while Parker loved her role as a wicked witch, she has shown that she is a lady with a fierce sense of humor who dedicated her life to being an actress, teacher, lecturer, and outstanding writer.