Carole Cook, ‘Sixteen Candles’ actor and Lucille Ball mentee, dies days before turning 99

Actor Carole Cook, known for her work in “Sixteen Candles” and “The Lucy Show,” has died. Cook’s manager, Robert Malcom, told The Times that the actor “went peacefully” and was with her husband, actor Tom Troupe, when she died Wednesday in Beverly Hills. Born Mildred Frances Cook, in Abilene, Texas, she was in her mid-30s when she began her acting career, in 1959, as a performer on Lucille Ball’s “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse.” There she got to know Ball, who would become a close friend and eventually convinced Cook to change her name from Mildred to Carole — a nod to actor Carole Lombard. “And they are so perky!” Movies The deep meaning of ‘Ferris Bueller’ and ‘Sixteen Candles’ Don’t You Forget About Me Contemporary Writers on the Films of John Hughes Edited by Jaime Clarke Foreword by Ally Sheedy Simon & Schuster: 224 pp., $14 paper Beyond TV and film, Cook was also known for her stage work. Entertainment & Arts STAGE REVIEWS : Carole Cook Reveals Her Life in ‘Dress Up’ Unless you come decked out in your best Armani or Gaultier to see Carole Cook’s new show, “Dress Up,” in the new Upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse series, you’re definitely going to feel underdressed.