Introduction
Peggy Lipton was an acclaimed actress best known for her Golden Globe-winning role as Julie Barnes in the crime drama series The Mod Squad, which aired from 1968 to 1973. She later appeared in films like Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Blue Steel. In 2017, Lipton had a supporting role as Adult Hannah in A Dog’s Purpose, based on the bestselling book of the same name. She played the older version of Hannah, one of the main human characters who has a special connection with the dog (voiced by Josh Gad) over multiple lifetimes. Lipton’s charming performance as Adult Hannah endeared her to fans of the A Dog’s Purpose franchise.
In the film, Hannah is shown as a child and teenager before the story jumps ahead to follow Adult Hannah’s experiences. Lipton was well regarded for bringing warmth, wit, and compassion to the adult version of this beloved character.
Peggy Lipton’s Passing
On May 11, 2019, actress Peggy Lipton died at the age of 72 after battling colon cancer. According to the Los Angeles Times article announcing her passing, Lipton was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004, but it returned in 2018. She passed away peacefully in Los Angeles while surrounded by her family.
Lipton’s daughters, Rashida and Kidada Jones, announced their mother’s death in a statement, saying “She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side. We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her.” The announcement of Lipton’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow actors who remembered her groundbreaking career.
Timeline Issues
A major reason Peggy Lipton did not appear in A Dog’s Journey is because the film was made after her passing. As noted on IMDb, A Dog’s Journey began filming in Winnipeg, Canada in August 2018. Unfortunately, Peggy Lipton passed away from cancer on May 11, 2019 at the age of 72.
Since principal photography on A Dog’s Journey took place before Lipton’s death, it would have been impossible for her to physically appear in the film. Her character from the previous movies in the series had to be written out or recast due to this timeline conflict.
Recasting Considerations
After Peggy Lipton’s passing in 2019, the producers of A Dog’s Journey faced a difficult decision regarding her character Hannah in the film. Lipton had already completed filming her scenes for the sequel prior to her death. However, recasting such an iconic role presented challenges.
Lipton was best known for her breakout role as flower child Julie Barnes in the 1960s crime drama The Mod Squad. She reprised her role as Hannah in both A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey, charming audiences with her poignant love story spanning multiple generations. As Hannah’s soulmate Ethan, Dennis Quaid described their on-screen relationship as “a very gentle, simple, pure love.”
According to director Gail Mancuso, Peggy Lipton embodied the role of Hannah perfectly with her “eternal beauty” and “timeless spirit” (source: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi470140185/). Recasting such an iconic character who resonated so strongly with fans would have been an immense challenge.
Ultimately, the producers decided to honor Lipton’s legacy by retaining her original footage rather than trying to recast the role she defined so memorably.
Decision Not to Recast
The filmmakers of A Dog’s Journey made the decision not to recast the role of Hannah after Lipton’s passing. In a statement, director Gail Mancuso and producers Gavin Polone and Avis Stearns explained that they felt recasting or using CGI to recreate Lipton would not properly honor her legacy (https://amblin.com/article/a-directors-journey-a-conversation-with-gail-mancuso/). They believed the best way to pay tribute was to rely on Lipton’s wonderful performance in the first two films. As Mancuso stated, “We wanted to make this film to honor Peggy and her character Hannah in a way that felt authentic and organic” (https://amblin.com/article/a-directors-journey-a-conversation-with-gail-mancuso/).
Rather than recasting, the filmmakers decided to use archival footage and photos of Lipton as Hannah from the previous films. They felt this approach stayed true to Lipton’s spirit. As Polone explained, “Her performance is so essential to the franchise and meant so much to audiences that we felt we simply couldn’t move forward without Peggy” (https://amblin.com/article/a-directors-journey-a-conversation-with-gail-mancuso/). The filmmakers believed Lipton’s original portrayal was irreplaceable.
Use of Archival Footage
The filmmakers faced a difficult decision when actress Peggy Lipton passed away before filming for A Dog’s Journey began. Lipton had played the role of Hannah in the previous film, A Dog’s Purpose. Rather than recasting the character, the filmmakers chose to use archival footage of Lipton from the first film to allow her character to appear again in the sequel.
According to a review on TheMovieBlog.com, “Rare archival footage will highlight annual Bing Crosby Film Festival and allow late Twin Peaks star Peggy Lipton to reprise her role from the first film” (Source). This enabled Lipton’s final on-screen role to be the same character she had portrayed in the first film, providing continuity for viewers.
The use of archival footage allowed the filmmakers to pay tribute to Lipton by seamlessly integrating her past performance into the new film. It was a creative solution that avoided jarring viewers with a recast character while still allowing Lipton’s Hannah to be part of the story’s conclusion.
Tribute to Peggy
A Dog’s Journey paid a touching tribute to the late Peggy Lipton, who played the role of Hannah in the first A Dog’s Purpose film. Lipton unfortunately passed away from colon cancer at age 72 shortly before production began on A Dog’s Journey (source). The filmmakers made the decision not to recast the role of Hannah out of respect for Lipton.
Instead, A Dog’s Journey included a beautiful memoriam for Lipton, using archival footage from the first film to depict Hannah one last time. Her scene with Bailey provided wonderful closure for devoted fans who wanted to see Hannah again. Director Gail Mancuso and the rest of the creative team handled Lipton’s passing with grace and class. The touching tribute honored both the character of Hannah and the talented actress Peggy Lipton.
Critical Response
Most critics acknowledged that Lipton’s death presented challenges for the A Dog’s Journey filmmakers, but they were divided on whether recasting or writing out the role was the best solution. According to the film review on Jabbatron.com, “The absence of Peggy Lipton as [the] dog’s original owner is noticeable and referenced briefly. Her character passed away along with the actress last year after principal filming.”
While the Times Tribune review appreciated the “sweet tribute” to Lipton, it felt her character’s absence was a weakness: “Not having Lipton return leaves a hole in the story. The filmmakers try their best to explain away her absence, but it’s impossible to fully replace such an iconic performer.”
Overall, critics understood the limitations after Lipton’s unfortunate passing but wished the franchise had found a more creative way to honor her legacy and character within the story.
Audience Reaction
Many fans of the A Dog’s Purpose film franchise were saddened by the news of Peggy Lipton’s passing prior to the release of A Dog’s Journey, the sequel to 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose. When it was announced that Betty Gilpin would take over the role of Gloria, CJ’s owner, rather than recasting or using a body double for Lipton, audiences understood but still felt Lipton’s absence.
According to an article on PBS.org, fans of Lipton’s performance as Norma Jennings in Twin Peaks were particularly moved by the tribute to the late actress in A Dog’s Journey (Peggy Lipton | Interview | American Masters). They appreciated that Lipton was able to reprise her character one last time in the franchise through the use of archival footage, providing some closure. Overall, the touching tribute to Lipton was well-received by fans.
Peggy’s Legacy
Peggy Lipton left an indelible mark on the A Dog’s Purpose film franchise with her portrayal of Hannah in the first two films. Her performance as Ethan’s loyal and caring owner was universally praised and added great warmth and heart to the story. Even in the third film, after her passing, her presence was still felt and she was given a touching on-screen memorial.
Beyond A Dog’s Purpose, Peggy Lipton had a remarkable career in film and television. She first rose to fame in the late 1960s with her breakout role on the hit TV series The Mod Squad, for which she won a Golden Globe award. She went on to appear in many popular TV shows like Alias, Crash, and Twin Peaks. She also co-starred in films like The Postman and Blue Sunshine.
Peggy Lipton’s half century career and acclaimed performances will continue to be remembered and celebrated by her fans and colleagues. She made her mark through unique charm and captivating screen presence.