Behind The Scenes Of The Patty Duke Show

She Was The Youngest Academy Award In History

But while winning the award was amazing, that probably wasn’t enough to get her own show. What likely helped land the role even more than winning the award was claiming the victory at just 16 years old! That’s a young age for winning any Oscar, especially in the role of Best Supporting Actress. The win turned her into a star and was more than enough to headline her own show.

Little did anyone know at the time, but Patty had a secret mental illness that heavily influenced the show’s storyline.