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Personal Info

Gender

Female

Birthday

1925-01-13 (100 years old)

Place of Birth

Culver City, Los Angeles, California, USA

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

Acting

2019

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

2000

Bruno as Mrs. Drago

1999

1998

Best Friends for Life as Edith Cooper

1997

1996

Marvin's Room as Ruth Wakefield
In Cold Blood as Sadie Truitt

1994

1993

1990

Alice as Alice's Mother
Bob Fosse: Steam Heat as Herself - Narrator
Dream On as Kitty Brewer

1988

Cocoon: The Return as Bess McCarthy
Dear John as Yvonne

1987

Nadine as Vera

1986

All is Forgiven as Bonita Harrell

1985

Cocoon as Bess McCarthy
That's Dancing! as Lola (archive footage)
The Equalizer as Kelly Sterling

1984

The Cotton Club as Tish Dwyer

1983

1982

1980

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
M*A*S*H as Brandy Doyle

1970

1968

The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest

1967

The Carol Burnett Show as Self - Guest

1963

1962

1961

1958

Damn Yankees as Lola

1956

Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
Tony Awards as Self - Performer

1955

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

1953

The I Don't Care Girl as Specialty Dancer
The Farmer Takes a Wife as Abigail (uncredited)

1952

Dreamboat as Girl in Commercial (uncredited)
The Merry Widow as Specialty Can-Can Dancer (uncredited)

1951

On the Riviera as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
David and Bathsheba as Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Meet Me After the Show as Gwen Verdon / Sappho, Dancer in No Talent Joe (uncredited)

1950

What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest

1948

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

1986

Sweet Charity as Choreographer

1953

The Mississippi Gambler as Choreographer