Pilar Seurat was a talented and versatile actress who appeared in many films and television shows in the 1960s. She was best known for her roles as Louisa Escalante in The Young Savages (1961), Sybo in Star Trek (1967), and Theresa Dietrich in Hawaii Five-O (1970). She was also the mother of producer Dean Devlin, who dedicated his film Eight Legged Freaks (2002) to her memory. But what was the cause of death of this remarkable woman who left us too soon?
Early Life and Career
Pilar Seurat was born Rita Hernandez on July 25, 1938, in Manila, Philippines. Her father, Major Al Hernandez, was a Filipino-American who fought the Japanese occupiers in the Philippine jungle during World War II. He later wrote a book, Bahala na, about his wartime experiences. Her mother, Josephine, was a Filipina who worked as a seamstress. Pilar had a full sister in the Philippines and a younger half-sister, Alana Hernandez, in Los Angeles.
Pilar moved to Los Angeles with her mother and stepfather when she was a child. She started her Hollywood career as a dancer in Ken Murray’s “Blackouts”, a popular postwar variety show at the El Capitan Theatre. She also studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Actors Studio. She changed her name to Pilar Seurat, after the French painter Georges Seurat, whom she admired.
Pilar made her film debut in The Young Savages (1961), directed by John Frankenheimer. She played Louisa Escalante, the sister of a blind murder victim who becomes involved with a prosecutor, played by Burt Lancaster. The film was a social drama that explored the issues of juvenile delinquency, racism, and justice in New York City. Pilar received positive reviews for her performance and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
Pilar continued to work in films and television throughout the 1960s. She often played Asian characters, but was also adept at playing various nationalities. She appeared in films such as Battle at Bloody Beach (1961), Seven Women from Hell (1961), and The Virginian (1968). She also guest-starred in many popular TV shows, such as Adventures in Paradise, The Fugitive, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Seaway, Hawaiian Eye, The Virginian, Maverick, Bonanza, Stoney Burke, Star Trek, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, The F.B.I., I Spy, The Lieutenant, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Rawhide, and Mannix.
Personal Life and Death
Pilar married producer Don Devlin in 1959. They had a son, Dean Devlin, who was born in 1962. Pilar and Don divorced in 1963. Pilar later married writer Don Cerveris in 1970 and retired from acting. She adopted the name Pilar Cerveris and devoted herself to raising her son and pursuing her interests in art, music, and literature. She also supported various charitable causes, such as the American Cancer Society and the United Nations Children’s Fund. Her marriage to Cerveris ended in 1981.
Pilar was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but the disease was too advanced to be cured. She died on June 2, 2001, at the age of 62, in Los Angeles. She was cremated and her ashes were interred in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
Pilar Seurat was a beautiful and talented actress who left a lasting impression on the audiences and the industry. She was also a loving and generous person who cared deeply for her family and friends. She was a proud Filipino-American who embraced her heritage and culture. She was a shining star who was taken away too soon by a cruel disease. She will always be remembered and missed by those who knew and loved her.
