Mary Louise Weller of ‘Animal House’ Dies at 79

Mary Louise Weller, remembered for playing sorority girl Mandy in the classic film “Animal House,” died October 1. She was one day shy of 80.

According to some reports, though her birthdate has always been listed as September 1, her true birthdate was October 2.

Her Facebook account announced, “With a heavy heart I share that Mary Louise Weller [‘ML to those that knew and loved her] passed away this morning after a brief illness. The family is asking for privacy & respect at this difficult time. Thank you all for your supportive words & continued kindness.”

According to a Cult Film Freaks interview from 2012, Weller said, “I flew out of the womb in full camera makeup and screaming, ‘HAIR! MAKEUP!’”

She said her father was friends with entertainer Danny Kaye and her aunt headed up Dell, which published all the gossip tabloids, two things that inspired her to pursue the spotlight early on.

An in-demand model, she made her first film appearance in 1972’s “Hail!” and, soon after, appeared briefly in the hit “Serpico” (1973).

After the horror film “The Evil” (1978), she landed the iconic part of Mandy in “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which became a massive box office blockbuster thanks to its nostalgic handling of the early ‘60s and crude frat-boy humor that helped establish the “gross-out” comedy trend.

It was out-there in 1978, but by 2001 the Library of Congress had honored it with preservation at the National Film Registry.

The film is frequently cited as one of the funniest ever made.

Weller also appeared in “Forced Vengeance,” “Q,” and  “Blood Tide” (all 1982), guesting on such TV shows as “Kojak” (1978), “Starsky & Hutch” (1978), “Fantasy Island” (1979 & 1980), “CHiPS” (1981), and “Quincy, M.E.” (1983) before retiring.

Information on survivors was not immediately available.