Terry Moore
Biography
Born Helen Luella Koford on January 7, 1929, in Los Angeles, California, Terry Moore worked as a model before making her film debut at age 11 in 20th Century Fox's Maryland in 1940. During the 1940s, she used the names Helen Luella Koford, Judy Ford, and January Ford before adopting the name Terry Moore in 1948. Under contract with Columbia, she was loaned to RKO for Mighty Joe Young in 1949 and later received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Paramount's Come Back, Little Sheba in 1952. Beginning with Elia Kazan’s Man on a Tightrope in 1953, she worked extensively at 20th Century-Fox during the 1950s in films such as Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, King of the Khyber Rifles, and Daddy Long Legs.
Career overview
Born Helen Luella Koford on January 7, 1929, in Los Angeles, California, Terry Moore worked as a model before making her film debut at age 11 in 20th Century Fox's Maryland in 1940. Throughout the 1940s, she worked under a variety of names, including her own name, Judy Ford, and January Ford, before settling on the name Terry Moore in 1948. Placed under contract by Columbia, she was loaned out to RKO for one of her most famous films, Mighty Joe Young in 1949. She later received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Paramount's Come Back, Little Sheba in 1952.
Beginning with Elia Kazan's Man on a Tightrope in 1953, Moore worked extensively at 20th Century-Fox throughout the 1950s. During this decade, she appeared in such films as Beneath the 12-Mile Reef in 1953, King of the Khyber Rifles in 1953, and Daddy Long Legs in 1955. Later in the 1970s, she was in the news more than she was in motion pictures, asserting that she was the secret wife of the late billionaire Howard Hughes.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
116 titles- Sinatra! Eternity (2025) as Self
- The Story of Terry Moore: The Last Living Legend of Hollywood (2024) as Herself
- Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black (2023) as Lady in Black
- Merrily (2023) as Betty Clurman
- Titans of Destruction: The Evolution of Giant Monster Movies (2021) as Self - (archive footage)
- Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! (2021) as Self
- Frank and Ava (2020) as Self
- Tab Hunter Confidential (2015) as Self
- Mansion of Blood (2015) as Natalie
- Aimy in a Cage (2015) as Grandma Micry
- True Detective (2014) as Lilly Hill
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film (2014) as Self
- Margarine Wars (2012) as Miriam Cuningham
- The Still Life (2007) as Mrs. Stratford
- Kill Your Darlings (2006) as Ella Toscana
- Buzz (2005)
- Rita (2003) as Self
- Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies (2000) as Self
- Stageghost (2000) as Olive
- Final Voyage (1999) as Christina
- Mighty Joe Young (1998) as Elegant Woman at Party
- Second Chances (1998) as Dallas Judd
- Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach (1996) as Self
- Marilyn and Me (1991) as Woman at Hyde's Funeral
- America's Funniest Home Videos (1989) Producer
- Going Overboard (1989) as Mistress
- Hoodwinked (1989) as Sally
- Beverly Hills Brats (1989) as Veronica
- Beverly Hills Brats (1989) Producer
- Beverly Hills Brats (1989) Original Story
- Wiseguy (1987)
- W.A.R.: Women Against Rape (1987) as Mrs. McCormack
- Hellhole (1985) as Sidnee Hammond
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Florence
- Do It Debbie's Way (1983) as Self
- Knight Rider (1982) as Molly Friedrich
- Matt Houston (1982) as Emily Armor
- Death Dimension (1978) as Madam Maria
- The Love Boat (1977) as Mrs. Clark
- The Love Boat (1977)
- Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976) as Trudy
- Paesano (1975) as Self
- The Daredevil (1972) as Julie Thompson
- Mean Justice (1971) as Connie Garrett
- Quarantined (1970) as Martha Atkinson
- The Weird World of Weird (1970)
- A Man Called Dagger (1968) as Harper Davis
- Lionpower from MGM (1967) as Self - Harper Davis (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Batman (1966) as Venus
- Waco (1966) as Dolly
- Town Tamer (1965) as Susan Tavenner
- Black Spurs (1965) as Anna Elkins
- City of Fear (1965) as Suzan
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)
- Burke's Law (1963) as Sarah Kingston
- Burke's Law (1963) as Nikki Manners
- Burke's Law (1963) as Felice Knight
- The Virginian (1962) as Alma Wilson
- Empire (1962) as Connie Garrett
- Empire (1962) as Connie
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- My Three Sons (1960)
- Platinum High School (1960) as Jennifer Evans
- Why Must I Die (1960) as Lois King
- Bonanza (1959) as Lydia Yates
- Rawhide (1959) as Dallas Storm
- The Rebel (1959) as Janice Dutton
- Cast a Long Shadow (1959) as Janet Calvert
- A Private's Affair (1959) as Louise Wright
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self
- Peyton Place (1957) as Betty Anderson
- Bernardine (1957) as Jean Cantrick
- The Clouded Image (1957) as Eleanor
- Between Heaven and Hell (1956) as Jenny Gifford
- No Right to Kill (1956) as Lisa
- The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955) as Ann Winslow
- Daddy Long Legs (1955) as Linda Pendleton
- Shack Out on 101 (1955) as Kotty
- Portrait of Alison (1955) as Alison Ford
- Climax! (1954) as Rosa
- Climax! (1954) as Chris
- Climax! (1954) as Julie
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Evvy Jeffers
- Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) as Gwyneth Rhys
- Man on a Tightrope (1953) as Tereza Cernik
- Come Back, Little Sheba (1953) as Marie Buckholder
- King of the Khyber Rifles (1953) as Susan Maitland
- The Ford Television Theatre (1952) as Susan Randall
- Two of a Kind (1951) as Kathy McIntyre
- The Barefoot Mailman (1951) as Adie Titus
- Sunny Side of the Street (1951) as Betty Holloway
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Gambling House (1950) as Lynn Warren
- The Great Rupert (1950) as Rosalinda Amendola
- He's a Cockeyed Wonder (1950) as Judy Sears
- Mighty Joe Young (1949) as Jill Young
- Studio One (1948) as Annabelle
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Summer Holiday (1948) as Hatcheck Girl (uncredited)
- The Return of October (1948) as Terry Ramsey
- The Devil On Wheels (1947) as Rusty Davis (as Jan Ford)
- Heartaches (1947) as Girl in Movie with Vic (uncredited)
- Shadowed (1946) as Virginia 'Ginny' Johnson (as Helen Koford)
- The Clock (1945) as Girl at Museum (uncredited)
- Son of Lassie (1945) as Thea (as Helen Koford)
- Gaslight (1944) as Paula Alquist, Age 14 (uncredited)
- Since You Went Away (1944) as Refugee Child on Train (uncredited)
- Sweet and Low-Down (1944) as Snub-Nosed Girl on Dance Floor (uncredited)
- True to Life (1943) as Little Girl (uncredited)
- A-Haunting We Will Go (1942) as Dante's Young Admirer (uncredited)
- On the Sunny Side (1942) as Schoolgirl (uncredited)
- My Gal Sal (1942) as Carrie Dreiser (uncredited)
- One Foot in Heaven (1941) as Choir Member (uncredited)
- The Howards of Virginia (1940) as Neighbor Girl (uncredited)
- Maryland (1940) as Linda - Age 10 (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Terry Moore best known for?
Terry Moore is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! (2021), True Detective (2014), Final Voyage (1999), Mighty Joe Young (1998).
When and where was Terry Moore born?
Terry Moore was born on January 7, 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
How many credits does Terry Moore have?
Terry Moore has accumulated over 116 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1940 to 2025.
What is Terry Moore's background in cinema and television?
Born Helen Luella Koford on January 7, 1929, in Los Angeles, California, Terry Moore worked as a model before making her film debut at age 11 in 20th Century Fox's Maryland in 1940. During the 1940s, she used the names Helen Luella Koford, Judy Ford, and January Ford before adopting the name Terry Moore in 1948. Under ...
Terry Moore by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- True Detective (2014) as Lilly Hill — aged about 85
- The Ford Television Theatre (1952) as Susan Randall — aged about 23
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Florence — aged about 55
- Knight Rider (1982) as Molly Friedrich — aged about 53
- Bonanza (1959) as Lydia Yates — aged about 30
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self — aged about 28
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