Margaret Roach

Margaret Roach was born on March 15, 1921 in Los Angeles. Her father was comedy producer Hal Roach and her brother was Hal Roach Jr.. As a teenager, she worked on in the theatre and sang at nightclubs. She briefly adopted the acting name of Diane Rochelle and began getting small roles in films. She was later known as Peggy Roach. Her father didn't want her to be an actress and initially refused to help her. However in 1940 he cast her in his comedies, including Turnabout (1940) and Road Show (1941). Her first marriage, to E.L. Hilton, ended in divorce. Following her mother's death in 1941 she became estranged from her father. She married actor and writer Robert Livingston in 1947 and they had a son, Addison Randall, who also became an actor. Although she made more than a dozen films she never became a leading lady. She retired after appearing in the 1949 crime drama, The Devil's Sleep (1949). Her marriage to Livingston ended after four years. On November 25, 1964, Margaret passed away at 43 from undisclosed causes. She was buried near her mother at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles.