Judy Nugent Dies: Actress on ‘The Ruggles’ & ‘Adventures of Superman’ Was 83

Martin Holmes October 31, 2023, 10:37 am

Judy Nugent and Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession — Everett Collection

Judy Nugent, left, with Jane Wyman in 'Magnificent Obsession'

Judy Nugent, best known as a child actress on the ABC sitcom The Ruggles and an episode of Adventures of Superman, has died. She was 83.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Nugent passed away on Thursday, October 26, “surrounded by family at her Montana ranch after a short battle with cancer.”

Born on August 22, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, Nugent first appeared on screen at age six in the romantic-comedy movie It Had to Be You (1947), where she and her sister Carol portrayed the same character at different ages. In 1949, she landed a regular role in TV’s first family sitcom, The Ruggles, which aired until 1952.

One of her most memorable roles came in the 1954 episode of Adventures of Superman, “Around the World With Superman,” in which she played a blind girl who enters and wins a Daily Planet contest and has her eyesight restored by the Man of Steel before being whisked around the world.

In an old interview with Western Clippings, Nugent talked of her role on Adventures of Superman and working with George Reeves.

“They put George on this cement thing and dressed him over it, form-fitting up to his chest. They had a huge fan that made his cape fly out. The special effects people did the ups and downs. There was a ladder underneath — I’d sit on the ladder and he’d hold me up. Even though I was still little, I got awfully heavy,” she shared.

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Nugent went on to have supporting parts in a number of films, including Magnificent Obsession (1954), Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (1954), and There’s Always Tomorrow (1956).

Her other memorable TV roles included Jet Maypen on the Walt Disney Presents: Annette serial on The Mickey Mouse Club and June McBean in five episodes of The Tall Man. She also had credits on 77 Sunset Strip, The Lone Ranger, The Life of Riley, Lassie, The Danny Thomas Show, Sugarfoot, The Millionaire, and Rawhide.

After her run on The Tall Man ended in 1962, Nugent retired from acting to raise a family with her husband, Buck Taylor, whom she married in 1961. The couple began annulment proceedings shortly into the marriage but remarried in 1963. They divorced in 1983. Together, they had a daughter, Tiffany, and three sons, Adam, Matthew and Cooper.