Gwen Verdon

Biography

Gwen Verdon was an American actress and dancer who won four Tony Awards for musical comedy performances. Born in Culver City, California, she began dance classes as a toddler, studied multiple dance forms, and danced on stage by age six. After early work as an assistant to choreographer Jack Cole and small roles in movie musicals, she broke through on Broadway in Cole Porter's Can-Can (1953), earning her first Tony. She originated Lola in Damn Yankees, later repeating the role in the film Damn Yankees! (1958), and won further Tonys for New Girl in Town and Redhead. She created the title role in Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart in Chicago. On screen, she appeared in The Cotton Club (1984), Cocoon (1985), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Alice (1990), and Marvin's Room (1996), earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the latter. She also received Emmy nominations for guest television roles and served as artistic consultant to the Broadway revue Fosse.

75years old at death

Born January 13, 1925Culver City
Died October 18, 2000Woodstock
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon (birth name)Also credited as Gwyneth Verdon

Movie Career

Films: 12
Career span: 52 years1951 to 2003

Genres

Comedy58%, 7 films
Drama50%, 6 films
Romance33%, 4 films
Musical25%, 3 films
Crime17%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

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First role
Verdon was 11 when she danced as a solo ballerina in The King Steps Out, a musical romance from 1936. Josef von Sternberg directed it, and Grace Moore and Franchot Tone starred.
A change of course
Early in her career, Verdon worked five years as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, taking small specialty dancer roles in movie musicals and teaching dance to stars including Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth.
Beyond film
In 1956, Verdon put out an album called The Girl I Left Home For, on which she sang versions of well known jazz standards from that era.

Gwen Verdon movies on Netflix

Broadway's Lost Treasures2003IMDb rating 7.8as Roxie Hart (segment "Chicago")
Bruno2000IMDb rating 6.0as Mrs. Drago
Walking Across Egypt1999IMDb rating 7.2as Alora
Marvin's Room1996IMDb rating 6.7as Ruth
Alice1990IMDb rating 6.6as Alice's Mother
Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4as Bess McCarthy Selwyn
Nadine1987IMDb rating 5.5as Vera
Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7as Bess McCarthy
The Cotton Club1984IMDb rating 6.6as Tish Dwyer
Damn Yankees!1958IMDb rating 7.0as Lola
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes1955IMDb rating 5.1as Specialty Dancer
David and Bathsheba1951IMDb rating 6.2as Specialty Dancer

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Marvin's Room1996 Dramaas Ruth
IMDb rating 6.732K votes
Cocoon1985 Sci-Fias Bess McCarthy
IMDb rating 6.774K votes
Damn Yankees!1958as Lola
IMDb rating 7.03.9K votes
Nadine1987as Vera
IMDb rating 5.54.8K votes
The Cotton Club1984as Tish Dwyer
IMDb rating 6.621K votes
Cocoon: The Return1988as Bess McCarthy Selwyn
IMDb rating 5.418K votes
Alice1990as Alice's Mother
IMDb rating 6.616K votes
Walking Across Egypt1999as Alora
IMDb rating 7.21.4K votes

Most often with

Hume Cronyn appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Hume Cronyn

Steve Guttenberg

Wilford Brimley

Jessica Tandy

Don Ameche

Maureen Stapleton

Films together

Hume Cronyn3 films together, 1985 to 1996
Hume Cronyn's page
- Marvin's Room1996IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as RuthCronyn as Marvin
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynCronyn as Joseph 'Joe' Finley
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyCronyn as Joe Finley
Steve Guttenberg2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Steve Guttenberg's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynGuttenberg as Jack Bonner
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyGuttenberg as Jack Bonner
Wilford Brimley2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Wilford Brimley's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynBrimley as Benjamin 'Ben' Luckett
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyBrimley as Ben Luckett
Jessica Tandy2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Jessica Tandy's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynTandy as Alma Finley
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyTandy as Alma Finley
Don Ameche2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Don Ameche's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynAmeche as Art Selwyn
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyAmeche as Art Selwyn
Maureen Stapleton2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Maureen Stapleton's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Verdon as Bess McCarthy SelwynStapleton as Marilyn 'Mary' Luckett
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Verdon as Bess McCarthyStapleton as Mary Luckett
Also two films together8 more actors
- Jack GilfordCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Herta WareCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Barret OliverCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Linda HarrisonCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Tahnee WelchCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Mike NomadCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Tyrone Power Jr.Cocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Wendy J. CookeCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Seven awards and honors from 1953 to 2000, three of them major.

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Gwen Verdon's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Tony Awards
1959	Best Actress in a Musical	Redhead	Won
1956	Best Actress in a Musical		Won
	Best Featured Actress in a Musical		Won
Other honors
2000	Library of Congress Living Legend		Won
1953	Theatre World Award		Won
	Drama League Award		Won
	National Medal of Arts		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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