Janet Leigh was an author.
Janet Leigh ( born Jeanette Helen Morrison ; July 6 , 1927 -- October 3 , 2004 ) was an American actress , singer , dancer and author . She also wrote four books between 1984 and 2002 , including two novels . Psycho is a 1960 American psychological horror film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock , and written by Joseph Stefano , starring Anthony Perkins , Janet Leigh , John Gavin , Vera Miles and Martin Balsam , and was based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch .