Actress Joan Blackman, best known for playing romantic leads opposite Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii" and "Kid Galahad," has died at the age of 87. She died on 16 March at a hospital in Santa Rosa, California, according to her son, having long lived nearby in Calistoga; her death was reported by The Hollywood Reporter on 6 August 2026.

Born in San Francisco in 1938, Blackman signed with the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster production company as its fourth-ever contracted performer and made her film debut in "Good Day for a Hanging" (1959). Alongside her two Presley films, she appeared in "Career" (1959), "Visit to a Small Planet" (1960) with Jerry Lewis, and television series including "Peyton Place," "Perry Mason" and "Bonanza." She was twice divorced, from actors Joby Baker and Rockne Tarkington, and is survived by her son Ngai Tarkington; her other son, Rockne Tarkington Jr., died in 2019.