Vana O'Brien

Royalty of the silver screen, the illustrious Van Heflin was born in Oklahoma in December 1908. The son of a dental surgeon, he was raised by his grandmother in California and found his path in life at sea. After graduating high school, Van began his career in Hollywood and soon married into the Neal family, with whom he had three children: Kate, Vana, and Tracy. His sister, Frances, was a model and actress, appearing in George White's Scandals of '40 on Broadway, as well as Citizen Kane. His nephew, Jonathan Kaplan, was a child actor and director, making his debut in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and his niece Mady Kaplan was an actress seen in The Deer Hunter and Touched. Van's youngest niece, Nora Heflin, had a career in film and television, and his youngest sibling, Marta, had a career in theater and film, appearing in The King of Comedy and Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Having never made the Hollywood "A" list, Van made up for this with hard work, charisma and solid acting performances, leaving behind an impressive legacy of family members in the entertainment industry.