Gwen Verdon

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Female

Birthday 1925-01-13

Deathday 2000-10-18 (75 years old)

Place of Birth Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Also Known As Gwyneth Verdon, Gwen Verdun

Gwen Verdon

Biography

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. With flaming red hair and a quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway from the 1950s-70s. Having originated many roles in musicals she is also strongly identified with her second husband, director–choreographer Bob Fosse, remembered as the dancer–collaborator–muse for whom he choreographed much of his work and as the guardian of his legacy after his death. By the time she was six, she was already dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. In 1942, Verdon’s parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents. Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole. During her five-year employment with Cole, she took small roles in movie musicals as a "specialty dancer" She also taught dance to stars such as Jane Russell, Fernando Lamas, and Lana Turner. Verdon started out on Broadway as a "gypsy," going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came as second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can. Verdon's biggest success was George Abbott's Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees. Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical, New Girl in Town, and won her fourth Tony for Redhead. Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as musicals Chicago and Dancin', as well as All That Jazz. After originating the role of Roxie opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly in Chicago, Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club, Cocoon and its sequel. She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three Emmy Award nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I., Dream On, and Homicide: Life on the Street. Verdon appeared in Alice and Marvin's Room). In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography, called Fosse. which won a Tony Award for best musical. Verdon appeared in the movie Walking Across Egypt, as well as Bruno. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for Can-Can and best leading actress for Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, and Redhead. She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead. Verdon was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981, and in 1998, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Known For

Actor

2015
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do

as Self (archive footage)

2005
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards

as Lola (segment "Damn Yankees") (archive footage)

2003
Broadway's Lost Treasures

as Roxie Hart (segment "Chicago")

2000
Bruno

as Mrs. Drago

1998
Best Friends for Life

as Edith Cooper

1996
Marvin's Room

as Ruth Wakefield

1996
In Cold Blood

as Sadie Truitt

1994
Touched by an Angel

as Lorraine McCully

1993
Walker, Texas Ranger

as Maisie Whitman

1990
Alice

as Alice's Mother

1990
Bob Fosse: Steam Heat

as Herself - Narrator

1990
Dream On

as Kitty Brewer

1988
Cocoon: The Return

as Bess McCarthy

1988
Dear John

as Yvonne

1987
Nadine

as Vera

1986
All is Forgiven

as Bonita Harrell

1985
Cocoon

as Bess McCarthy

1985
That's Dancing!

as Lola (archive footage)

1985
The Equalizer

as Kelly Sterling

1984
The Cotton Club

as Tish Dwyer

1983
Legs

as Maureen Comly

1982
1982
1978
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

as Our Guests at Heartland

1976
That's Entertainment, Part II

as (archive footage)

1973
The Deadly Visitor

as Mrs. Moffat

1972
Liza with a Z

as Audience

1972
M*A*S*H

as Brandy Doyle

1968
The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

1967
The Carol Burnett Show

as Self - Guest

1961
The Mike Douglas Show

as Self - Co-Host

1958
Damn Yankees

as Lola

1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Presenter

1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Performer

1955
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes

as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

1953
The Farmer Takes a Wife

as Abigail (uncredited)

1953
The I Don't Care Girl

as Specialty Dancer

1952
The Merry Widow

as Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)

1952
Dreamboat

as Girl in Commercial (uncredited)

1951
Meet Me After the Show

as Gwen Verdon / Sappho, Dancer in No Talent Joe (uncredited)

1951
David and Bathsheba

as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

1951
On the Riviera

as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

1950
What's My Line?

as Self - Mystery Guest

1948
The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self - Singer / Dancer

1945
Blonde from Brooklyn

as Girl in Nightclub (uncredited)

1943
Hoosier Holiday

as Cheerleader

1936
The King Steps Out

as Specialty Ballerina (uncredited)

Crew

2002
Fosse

as Creative Consultant

1953
The Mississippi Gambler

as Choreographer