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{{TonyAward MusicalFeaturedActress 1947-1975}}
 
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{{short description|American actress and dancer (1925–2000)}}
{{Infobox actor
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
| name = Gwen Verdon
{{Infobox person
| image = Replace this image female.svg
| imagesize = 180px
| name = Gwen Verdon
| birthname = Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon
| image = Gwen Verdon 1954.jpg
| imagesize =
| birthdate = {{birth date|1925|1|13}}
| caption = Verdon in 1954
| birthplace = [[Culver City, California]]
| birth_name = Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon
| deathdate = {{death date and age|2000|10|18|1925|1|13}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1925|1|13}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Gwen Verdon (Performer, Choreographer) |date=2000-10-18 |magazine=[[Playbill]] |url=https://playbill.com/person/gwen-verdon-vault-0000000400 |access-date=2024-01-18 |issn=0551-0678 |quote=Ms. Verdon was born to Joseph William and Gertrude Verdon on Jan. 13, 1925, in Culver City, CA.}}</ref>
| deathplace = [[Woodstock, Vermont]]
| birth_place = [[Culver City, California]], U.S.
| spouse = James Henaghan (1942-1947) <br> [[Bob Fosse]] (1960-1987)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2000|10|18|1925|1|13}}
| tonyawards = '''[[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]''' <br> 1954 ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' <br> '''[[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Leading Actress in a Musical]]''' <br> 1956 ''[[Damn Yankees]]'' <Br> 1958 ''[[New Girl In Town]]'' <br> 1959 ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]''
| death_place = [[Woodstock, Vermont]], U.S.
| occupation = Actress, dancer
| years_active = 1936–2000
| spouse = {{ubl
| {{marriage|James Henaghan|1942|1947|end=div}}
| {{marriage|[[Bob Fosse]]|1960|1987|end=died}}
}}
| children = 2, including [[Nicole Fosse]]
}}
}}
'''Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon''' (January 13, 1925{{spnd}}October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four [[Tony Award]]s for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in ''[[Damn Yankees]]'', the title character in ''[[Sweet Charity]]'', and [[Roxie Hart]] in ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]''.


Her second husband was director-choreographer [[Bob Fosse]]. The couple collaborated on a number of theater and film projects. After Fosse's death, she worked to preserve his legacy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Julie |title=Inside Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse's Unconventional Marriage |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/04/gwen-verdon-bob-fosse-fx-marriage |access-date=9 January 2024 |publisher=Vanity Fair |date=April 9, 2019}}</ref>
'''Gwyneth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon''' ([[January 13]], [[1925]] – [[October 18]], [[2000]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[dancer]] and [[actress]].


==Biography==
==Early life==
Verdon was born in [[Culver City, California]], the second child of Gertrude Lilian ({{née}} Standring) and Joseph William Verdon, British immigrants to the United States by way of Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Patrick|last=Pacheco|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,278295,00.html|title=Remembering Gwen Verdon|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|location=New York City|date=November 3, 2000|access-date=June 24, 2015|archive-date=December 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215182022/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,278295,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her brother was William Farrell Verdon. Her father was an [[electrician]] at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] Studios, and her mother was a former [[vaudeville|vaudevillian]] of the [[Denishawn]] dance troupe, as well as a dance teacher.<ref>[http://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/gwenyth_evelyn_verdon_born_1925_996516 Birthdata], californiabirthindex.org; accessed June 24, 2015.</ref>
===Early life & career===
Verdon was born in [[Culver City, California]], the second child of Gertrude Lilian ([[married and maiden names|née]] Standring; [[October 24]], [[1896]]-[[October 16]], [[1956]]) and Joseph William Verdon ([[December 31]], [[1896]]-[[June 23]], [[1978]]), who were British emigrants to the United States by way of [[Canada]].<ref>[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,278295,00.html Sweet Rarity | Gwen Verdon | Obituary | News | Entertainment Weekly<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Her brother was William Farrell Verdon ([[August 1]], [[1923]]-[[June 10]], [[1991]]). The Verdon family could be described as "showpeople." Her father was an [[electrician]] at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] Studios, and her mother was a former [[vaudeville|vaudevillian]] of the Denishawn dance troupe, as well as a dance teacher.<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Gwen-Verdon.html Gwen Verdon Biography (1925-2000)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


As a child, Gwen was afflicted with [[rickets]], leaving her legs so badly misshapen she was called "Gimpy" by other children and spent her early years in [[orthopedic]] boots and rigid leg braces. Her mother put three-year-old Gwen in dance classes; [[ballet]] training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage.
As a toddler, she suffered from [[rickets]], which left her legs so badly misshapen she was called "Gimpy" by other children and spent her early years in [[orthopedic]] boots and rigid leg braces. At age three, her mother enrolled her in dance classes. Further ballet training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}


By age six, the redheaded Gwen was performing on stage as a tap dancer. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco, to Balinese and juggling.
By age six, she was dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. She also studied juggling. At age 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the musical romance film ''[[The King Steps Out]]'' (1936), directed by [[Josef von Sternberg]] and starring [[Grace Moore]] and [[Franchot Tone]]. She attended [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Hamilton High School]] in Los Angeles and studied under ballet enthusiast Ernest Belcher. While in high school, she was cast in a [[Revival (play)|revival]] of ''[[Show Boat]]''.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
At age 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the musical romance film ''[[The King Steps Out]]'' (1936), directed by [[Josef von Sternberg]] and starring [[Grace Moore]] and [[Franchot Tone]]. She attended [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Hamilton High School]] in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and also studied under the renowned ballet master, Ernest Belcher. While in high school, she was cast in a [[Revival (play)|revival]] of ''[[Show Boat]]''.


Verdon shocked her parents and instructors when she abandoned her budding [[career]] at age 17 to elope with her first husband in 1942. In 1945, she appeared as a dancer in the movie musical ''The Blonde From Brooklyn''. After her divorce, she entrusted her young son, Jimmy, to the care of her parents.
In 1942, Verdon's parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17 years old, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Julie|last=Miller|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/04/fosse-verdon-bob-gwen-first-husband-baby#~o|title='Fosse/Verdon' Reveals the Sad Secret of Gwen Verdon's First Marriage|magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|publisher=[[Condé Nast]]|location=New York City|date=April 24, 2019|access-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref> In 1945, she appeared as a dancer in the movie musical ''[[Blonde From Brooklyn]]''. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}


===Adult career===
==Career==
Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, whose work was respected by both Broadway and major [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]] [[movie studio]]s. During her five-year employment with Cole, she took small roles in movie musicals as a "specialty dancer". She also gave dance instruction to performers who eventually became stars, such as [[Jane Russell]], [[Gene Kelly]], [[Fernando Lamas]], [[Lana Turner]], [[Betty Grable]] and [[Marilyn Monroe]].


Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer [[Jack Cole (choreographer)|Jack Cole]], whose work was respected by both [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and Hollywood [[movie studio]]s. 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]], [[Lana Turner]], [[Rita Hayworth]], [[Betty Grable]] and [[Marilyn Monroe]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - Trivia - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/trivia/?item=tr0641979 |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Debra |date=2009-08-09 |title=Moving Marilyn Monroe |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-aug-09-ca-marilyn-monroe9-story.html |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-10 |title=Jack Cole: The 'scary' dancer who made Marilyn sparkle |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47814968 |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Verdon started out on Broadway as a "gypsy", going from one [[chorus line]] to another. Her breakthrough role finally came when she was cast by choreographer [[Michael Kidd]] as the second female lead in [[Cole Porter|Cole Porter's]] musical ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' (1953), which starred [[France|French]] [[prima donna]] Lilo. Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the ''Garden of Eden'' ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who jealously demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. With her role reduced to little more than an ensemble part, Verdon formally announced her intention to quit by the time the show premiered on Broadway. But her opening night ''Garden of Eden'' performance was so well-received, the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought out of her dressing room in her bathrobe to take a curtain call. Verdon received a pay increase and her first [[Tony Award]] for her triumphant performance.


Verdon started out on Broadway going from one [[chorus line]] to another. Her breakthrough role finally came when choreographer [[Michael Kidd]] cast her as the second female lead in [[Cole Porter]]'s musical ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' (1953), starring French [[prima donna]] Lilo. Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the ''Garden of Eden'' ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who reputedly demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. With her role reduced to little more than an ensemble part, Verdon formally announced her intention to quit by the time the show premiered on Broadway. But her opening-night ''Garden of Eden'' performance was so well-received that the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought from her dressing room in a towel to take a curtain call.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1jgDNzIF5w&t=1m44s "Gwen Verdon #5"] youtube.com, retrieved June 4, 2019</ref> Verdon received a pay increase and her first [[Tony Award]] for her performance.{{Citation needed |date=July 2023}}
With flaming red hair and an irreverent attitude, Verdon was considered the best dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s. She would forever be identified with her role as the vampish "Lola" in [[Bob Fosse|Bob Fosse's]] ''[[Damn Yankees (musical)|Damn Yankees]]'' (1955), which is based on the novel ''[[The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant]]''. In the play, Verdon played a Devil's disciple who entices a baseball [[Fan (aficionado)|aficionado]] to sell his soul to play for the Washington Senators. The musical ran for 1,019 performances. She won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version, ''[[Damn Yankees]]'', singing the memorable lyrics, "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets."


Verdon's biggest critical and commercial success was her following show, [[George Abbott]]'s ''[[Damn Yankees]]'' (1955), based on the novel ''[[The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant]].'' The musical ran for 1,019 performances. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version ''[[Damn Yankees (1958 film)|Damn Yankees]]'', famously singing "[[Whatever Lola Wants]]". (Fosse can be seen partnered with her in the original [[Mambo (music)|mambo]] duet "Who's Got the Pain".){{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
In 1966, Verdon returned to the stage in the role of Charity in ''[[Sweet Charity]]'', which like many of her earlier Broadway triumphs was choreographed by longtime husband Bob Fosse. The show became a Broadway cult classic and was followed by a movie version starring [[Shirley MacLaine]], [[Ricardo Montalban]], [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] and [[Chita Rivera]]. Verdon helped choreograph the numbers, which included the legendary "Big Spender", the fast-paced "Rhythm of Life" and the show-stopping "If My Friends Could See Me Now".


Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical ''[[New Girl in Town]]'' as a hard-luck girl fleeing from her past as a prostitute. She won her fourth Tony for the murder-mystery musical ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]],'' Fosse's Broadway debut as a director/choreographer. In 1960, Fosse and Verdon wed.<ref name="lights" />
She and estranged husband Bob Fosse collaborated on projects like ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' (1975) (in which she played murderess Roxie Hart) and the musical ''[[Dancin']]'' (1978), as well as Fosse's autobiographical movie, ''[[All That Jazz]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]). She developed a close working relationship with Fosse's domestic companion, actress [[Ann Reinking]], and instructed for Reinking's musical theatre classes.


In 1966, Verdon returned to the stage in the role of Charity in ''[[Sweet Charity]],'' which like many of her earlier Broadway triumphs was choreographed and directed by husband Fosse. The show is loosely based on [[Federico Fellini]]'s screenplay for ''[[Nights of Cabiria]].'' It was followed by a movie version starring [[Shirley MacLaine]] as Charity, featuring [[Ricardo Montalbán]], [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] and [[Chita Rivera]], with Fosse at the helm of his very first film as director and choreographer. Verdon helped with the choreography. The numbers include the famed "[[Big Spender]]", "Rhythm of Life", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", and "I'm a Brass Band". Verdon also traveled to Berlin to help Fosse with ''[[Cabaret (1972 film)|Cabaret]]'', the musical film for which he won an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]].{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
After playing Roxie Hart in ''Chicago'', Verdon focused on acting, playing character roles in movies such as ''[[The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'' (1985) and ''[[Cocoon: The Return]]'' (1988). She continued to instruct dance and musical theatre and to act, including receiving three [[Emmy Award]] nominations for appearances on ''[[Magnum PI]]'' (1988), ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]'' (1993) and ''[[Homicide (TV series)|Homicide]]'' (1993). Verdon appeared as the
Alice's mother in the [[Woody Allen]] movie ''[[Alice (1990 film)|Alice]]'' (1990) and as Ruth in ''[[Marvin's Room]]'' (1996), co-starring [[Meryl Streep]] and [[Hume Cronyn]]. In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on the stage biography of her late husband's life in theatre, the current stage musical ''[[Fosse]]'', and her daughter Nicole received a "special thanks" credit. The show received a Tony for best musical.


Although estranged as a couple, Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as the musical ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' (1975) (in which she originated the role of murderess [[Roxie Hart]]) and the musical ''[[Dancin']]'' (1978), as well as Fosse's autobiographical movie ''[[All That Jazz (film)|All That Jazz]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-broadway-legends-bob-fosse-and-gwen-verdon-made-headlines-long-fosse-verdon-180971951/|title=How Broadway Legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Made Headlines Long Before 'Fosse/Verdon'|last=Thulin|first=Lila|website=Smithsonian|language=en|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref> The helpmate/peer played by [[Leland Palmer (actress)|Leland Palmer]] in that film is based on the role Verdon played in Fosse's real life. She also developed a close working relationship with Fosse's partner, Broadway dancer [[Ann Reinking]], and was an instructor for Reinking's musical theatre classes.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
Verdon played Alora in the movie ''[[Walking Across Egypt]]'' (1999) and appeared in the movie ''[[Bruno (2000 film)|Bruno]]'', released in 2000.


After originating the role of Roxie opposite [[Chita Rivera]]'s [[Velma Kelly]] in ''Chicago'',<ref name=":0" /> Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' (1984), ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'' (1985) and ''[[Cocoon: The Return]]'' (1988). She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three [[Emmy Award]] nominations for appearances on ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' (1988), ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]'' (1993) and ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' (1993). Verdon appeared as the title character's mother in the [[Woody Allen]] movie ''[[Alice (1990 film)|Alice]]'' (1990) and as Ruth in ''[[Marvin's Room (film)|Marvin's Room]]'' (1996), co-starring [[Meryl Streep]], [[Diane Keaton]], and [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]. In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography. Called simply ''[[Fosse (musical)|Fosse]],'' the revue was conceived and directed by [[Richard Maltby Jr.]] and Ann Reinking and choreographed by Reinking and Chet Walker. Verdon's daughter Nicole received a "special thanks" credit. The show won a [[Tony Award for Best Musical]].{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for ''Can-Can'' (1953), ''Damn Yankees'' (1955), ''[[New Girl in Town (musical)|New Girl in Town]]'' (1957) and ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'' (1959), a murder-mystery musical. She also won a [[Grammy Award]] for the cast recording of ''Redhead''.


In 1997 Verdon appeared in an episode of ''[[Walker Texas Ranger]]'' as Maisie Whitman. She reprised the role in 1999.
===Personal life and death===
Verdon had two husbands, tabloid reporter James Henaghan (married 1942, divorced 1947) and Bob Fosse (married 1960, his death 1987). She and Henaghan had one son, [[Jim Henaghan]] (born 1943); she and Fosse had a daughter, [[Nicole Fosse]] (born 1963).


Verdon played Alora in the movie ''[[Walking Across Egypt]]'' (1999) and appeared in the film ''[[Bruno (2000 film)|Bruno]]'', released in 2000. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for ''Can-Can'' (1953) and best leading actress for ''Damn Yankees'' (1955), ''New Girl in Town'' (1957) and ''Redhead'' (1959). She also won a [[Grammy Award]] for the cast recording of ''Redhead''.<ref>[https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/gwen-verdon "2ND Annual Grammy Awards (1959) ''Redhead''"] grammy.com, retrieved June 4, 2019</ref>
In 1971, Verdon filed a legal separation from Fosse (but never divorced) because of his extramarital affairs. Verdon was accompanying Fosse to the 1987 revival of ''Sweet Charity'' starring [[Donna McKechnie]] in [[Washington, DC|Washington]] and held him in her arms when he suffered a fatal [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] on the walk outside the theatre.


Verdon was inducted into the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]] in 1981.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/03/theater/26-elected-theater-hall-fame-26-broadway-voted-into-theater-hall-fame.html "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame"]. ''The New York Times'', March 3, 1981.</ref> In 1998, she was awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]].<ref>[http://www.nea.gov/honors/medals/medalists_year.html#98 Lifetime Honors – National Medal of Arts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721054307/http://www.nea.gov/honors/medals/medalists_year.html |date=2011-07-21 }}, nea.gov; accessed June 24, 2015.</ref>
Verdon died quietly in her sleep in 2000 of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] at the home of her daughter, Nicole, in [[Woodstock, Vermont]], at the age of 75.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893862/ Gwen Verdon at the Internet Movie Database</ref> At 8 p.m. on the night she died, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in tribute to one of its greatest and brightest stars.

==Personal life==
Verdon was married twice and had two children. She married tabloid reporter James Archibald Henaghan in 1942. They had a son, Jim, the following year and divorced in 1947. In 1960, Verdon married choreographer [[Bob Fosse]]. They had a daughter, [[Nicole Fosse|Nicole]], in 1963. Fosse's extramarital affairs put a strain on their marriage, and by 1971, Verdon and Fosse were separated, but never divorced. She was involved in relationships with actor [[Scott Brady]] and actor Jerry Lanning, son of [[Roberta Sherwood]].<ref>[https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/actors-scott-brady-and-gwen-verdon-waving-as-they-prepare-news-photo/562642475 "Scott Brady And Gwen Verdon News Photo"] gettyimages.com, January 10, 1955</ref> Verdon was with Fosse when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the [[Willard InterContinental Washington|Willard Hotel]] in Washington, D.C., in September 1987.<ref name=times>Molotsky, Irvin. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/24/obituaries/bob-fosse-director-and-choreographer-dies.html "Bob Fosse, Director and Choreographer, Dies"] ''The New York Times'', September 24, 1987</ref>

Verdon was a cat fancier, having up to six cats at one time, with the pets carrying names such as "Feets Fosse", "[[Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon|Junie Moon]]", and "Tidbits Tumbler Fosse".<ref>''Cat People'', Bill Hayward, introduction by Rogers E. M. Whitaker. New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1978 (p. 70)</ref>

Verdon was a mental health-care advocate; later in life, she openly spoke about the positive effects of mental-health counseling. Along with teaching dance as a form of therapy, she sat on the board of directors for the New York Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, and actively raised funds to support mental health-care research.<ref>Taylor, Clarke. [https://people.com/archive/separated-but-still-mated-professionally-gwen-verdon-hoofs-again-for-her-ex-vol-3-no-24/ "Separated but Still Mated Professionally"] ''People'', Vol.3, No.4, June 23, 1975</ref>

She also stated to be a big fan of baseball, and went to day games with her scout son. <ref>{{Cite web |title="Gwen Verdon: too hot for Hollywood?" Tempo News, 1955 |url=https://www.verdonfosse.com/blog/gwen-verdon-too-hot-for-hollywood-tempo-news-1955 |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=The Verdon Fosse® Legacy |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Popular culture==
''[[Fosse/Verdon]]'' is an 8-part American [[miniseries]] starring [[Sam Rockwell]] as Fosse and [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]] as Verdon.<ref>{{Citation |title=Fosse/Verdon |date=2019-04-09 |type=Biography, Drama, Music |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8746478/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |others=Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams, Norbert Leo Butz |publisher=FX Productions, The VerdonFosse Legacy, West Egg Studios}}</ref> The series, which tells the story of the couple's troubled personal and professional relationship, is based on the biography ''Fosse'' by Sam Wasson.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schubak |first=Adam |date=2019-03-01 |title=Everything You Need to Know About Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a26409650/fosse-verdon-fx-true-story-explained/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=ELLE |language=en-US}}</ref> It premiered in eight parts on April 9, 2019, on [[FX (TV channel)|FX]]. At the [[71st Primetime Emmy Awards]], ''Fosse/Verdon'' received seventeen nominations, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series|Outstanding Limited Series]] and acting nominations for Rockwell, Williams, and [[Margaret Qualley]] (as [[Ann Reinking]]). Williams won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fosse/Verdon |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/fosse-verdon |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Verdon died from a heart attack on October 18, 2000, aged 75, at her daughter's home in [[Woodstock, Vermont]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Kuchwara|title=Gwen Verdon, Broadway's Lola, Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart, dies at 75|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=October 19, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first1=Robert|last1=Simonson|first2=Kenneth|last2=Jones|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-musical-legend-gwen-verdon-is-dead-at-75-com-92549#|title=Broadway Musical Legend Gwen Verdon Is Dead at 75|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|publisher=Playbill Inc.|location=New York City|date=October 18, 2000}}</ref><ref name=lights>{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Berkvist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/19/theater/gwen-verdon-redhead-who-high-kicked-her-way-to-stardom-dies-at-75.html|title=Gwen Verdon, Redhead Who High-Kicked Her Way to Stardom, Dies at 75|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|date=October 19, 2000}}</ref> Later that night, at 8 pm, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in a tribute to Verdon.<ref name=lights/>


==Work==
==Work==
===Stage===
{{col-begin}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{{col-break|width=50%}}
|-
===Filmography===
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
* ''[[The King Steps Out]]'' (1936)
|-
* ''[[The Blonde from Brooklyn]]'' (1945)
| 1950 || ''[[Alive and Kicking (musical)|Alive and Kicking]]'' || Herself || Musical revue
* ''[[On the Riviera]]'' (1951)
|-
* ''[[David and Bathsheba]]'' (1951)
| 1953 || ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' || Claudine/Eve || [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]
* ''[[Meet Me After the Show]]'' (1951)
|-
* ''[[Dreamboat]]'' (1952)
| 1955 || ''[[Damn Yankees]]'' || Lola || [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical]]
* ''[[The I Don't Care Girl]]'' (1953)
|-
* ''[[The Mississippi Gambler]]'' (1953)
| 1957 || ''[[New Girl in Town]]'' || Anna || Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
* ''[[The Farmer Takes a Wife]]'' (1953)
|-
* ''[[Gentlemen Marry Brunettes]]'' (1955) (scenes deleted)
| 1959 || ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'' || Essie Whimple || Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
* ''[[Damn Yankees (film)|Damn Yankees]]'' (1958)
|-
* ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1978) (Cameo)
| 1966 || ''[[Sweet Charity]]'' || Charity Hope Valentine || Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
* ''[[Creepshow]]'' (1982) (voice only)
|-
* ''[[Legs (film)|Legs]]'' (1983)
| 1972 || ''Children! Children!'' || Helen Giles || Only played one performance (13 previews)
* ''[[The Cotton Club]]'' (1984)
|-
* ''[[Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret]]'' (1985)
| 1975 || ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' ||[[Roxie Hart]]|| Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
* ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'' (1985)
|-
* ''[[Nadine]]'' (1987)
|}
* ''[[Cocoon: The Return]]'' (1988)

{{col-break}}
===Stage ===
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
* ''[[Alive and Kicking (musical)|Alive and Kicking]]'' (1950)
|-
* ''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]'' (1953)
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
* ''[[Damn Yankees]]'' (1955)
|-
* ''[[New Girl In Town]]'' (1957)
| 1936 || ''[[The King Steps Out]]'' || Specialty Ballerina || Uncredited
* ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'' (1959)
|-
* ''[[Sweet Charity]]'' (1966)
| 1941 || ''The Girl After My Heart'' || Specialty Ballerina || Credited as "Gwen Verdun" [''sic''] <br/> a [[Soundie]] by [[Roy Mack (director)|Roy Mack]]
* ''[[Children! Children!]]'' (1972)
|-
* ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' (1975)
| 1943 || ''[[Hoosier Holiday]]'' || Cheerleader || Uncredited
{{col-end}}
|-
| 1945 || ''[[Blonde from Brooklyn]]'' || Girl in Nightclub || Uncredited
|-
| 1951 || ''[[On the Riviera]]'' || Specialty Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1951 || ''[[David and Bathsheba (film)|David and Bathsheba]]'' || Specialty Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Meet Me After the Show]]'' || Sappho || Uncredited <Br/> prominent dancer in "No Talent Joe"
|-
| 1952 || ''[[Dreamboat (film)|Dreamboat]]'' || Girl || Uncredited
|-
| 1952 || ''[[The Merry Widow (1952 film)|The Merry Widow]]'' || Specialty Can-Can Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1953 || ''[[The I Don't Care Girl]]'' || Specialty Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1953 || ''[[The Mississippi Gambler (1953 film)|The Mississippi Gambler]]'' || Voodoo Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1953 || ''[[The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953 film)|The Farmer Takes a Wife]]'' || Abigail || Uncredited
|-
| 1955 || ''[[Gentlemen Marry Brunettes]]'' || Specialty Dancer || Uncredited
|-
| 1958 || ''[[Damn Yankees (film)|Damn Yankees]]'' || Lola ||
|-
| 1978 || ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' || Our Guests at Heartland ||
|-
| 1982 || ''[[Creepshow]]'' || Voice of Lenora Castonmeyer || Uncredited
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'' || Tish Dwyer ||
|-
| 1985 || ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'' || Bess McCarthy ||
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Nadine (1987 film)|Nadine]]'' || Vera ||
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Cocoon: The Return]]'' || Bess McCarthy Selwyn ||
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Alice (1990 film)|Alice]]'' || Alice's mother ||
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (film)|Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All]]'' || Etta Pell, Nursing Home Resident ||
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Marvin's Room (film)|Marvin's Room]]'' || Ruth Wakefield ||
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Walking Across Egypt]]'' || Alora ||
|-
| 2000 || ''[[Bruno (2000 film)|Bruno]]'' || Mrs. Drago ||
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1954 || ''[[Goodyear Television Playhouse|Goodyear Playhouse]]'' || Shirley Kochendorfer || Episode: "Native Dancer"
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Love, American Style]]'' || Estelle Mayberry || Segment: "Love and the New Act"
|-
| 1973 || ''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $10,000 Pyramid]]'' || Celebrity Guest || Week of October 22–26, playing against [[Godfrey Cambridge]]<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/10000-pyramid/gwen-verdon-and-godfrey-cambridge-320523 " ''10,000 Pyramid'' Gwen Verdon & Godfrey Cambridge, Aired Oct 22, 1973"] tv.com, retrieved June 4, 2019</ref>
|-
| 1981 || ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' || Brandy Doyle (USO performer) || Episodes: "That's Show Biz" (two episodes, Parts 1 and 2)
|-
| 1982 || ''[[Fame (1982 TV series)|Fame]]'' || Melinda MacNeil || Episode: "Come One, Come All"
|-
| 1982 || ''[[All My Children]]'' || Judith Kingsley Sawyer || Unknown episodes
|-
| 1983 || ''[[Legs (film)|Legs]]'' || Maureen Comly || Television movie
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Jerk, Too]]'' || Bag Lady || Television movie; uncredited
|-
| 1984 || ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' || Lily || Episode: "The Center"
|-
| 1985 || ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' || Ms. Taylor || Episode: "All the King's Horses"
|-
| 1985 || ''[[Kids Incorporated]]'' || Ruth || Episode: "Grandma, Won't You Dance with Me"
|-
| 1985–1988 || ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' || Katherine Peterson || 5 episodes<br />Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]]
|-
| 1986 || ''[[The Equalizer (1985 TV series)|The Equalizer]]'' || Kelly Sterling || Episode: "Unnatural Causes"
|-
| 1986 || ''[[All Is Forgiven (TV series)|All Is Forgiven]]'' || Bonita Harrell || Episode: "I Can't Say No"
|-
| 1986–1988 || ''[[Webster (TV series)|Webster]]'' || Aunt Charlotte || 3 episodes
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Hotel (U.S. TV series)|Hotel]]'' || Iris Lloyd || Episode: "Second Thoughts"
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Dear John (U.S. TV series)|Dear John]]'' || Yvonne || Episode: "The Second Time Around"
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Paris Is Burning (film)|Paris is Burning]]'' || Herself || Uncredited
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]'' || Kitty Brewer || Episode: "For Peter's Sake"<br />Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' || Jessie Doohen || Episode: "[[Ghost of a Chance (Homicide: Life on the Street)|Ghost of a Chance]]"<br />Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]]
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Key West (TV series)|Key West]]'' || Sister Grace || Episode: "Gimme Shelter"
|-
| 1994 || ''[[The Cosby Mysteries]]'' || Yolanda || 2 episodes
|-
| 1996 || ''[[In Cold Blood (miniseries)|In Cold Blood]]'' || Sadie Truitt || 2 episodes
|-
| 1997 || ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' || Lorraine McCully || Episode: "Missing in Action"
|-
| 1997–1999 || ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'' || Maisie Whitman || 2 episodes
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Promised Land (1996 TV series)|Promised Land]]'' || Karen Hatcher || Episode: "Undercover Granny"
|}

==Music==
In 1956, Verdon released an album titled ''The Girl I Left Home For''. The album includes her covers of popular jazz standards of the time.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Gwen-Verdon-The-Girl-I-Left-Home-For/release/4963763 " ''The Girl I Left Home For'' RCA Victor LPM-1152"] discogs.com, retrieved June 4, 2019</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Award
!Category
!Work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|1953
|[[Theatre World Award]]
|
|rowspan=2|''[[Can-Can (musical)|Can-Can]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|1954
|rowspan=6|[[Tony Award]]
|[[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1956
|rowspan=5|[[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Leading Actress in a Musical]]
|''[[Damn Yankees]]''
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1958
|''[[New Girl in Town]]'' †
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1959
|''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]''
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1966
|''[[Sweet Charity]]''
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|1976
|''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]''
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|1960
|[[Grammy Award]]
|[[Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album|Best Broadway Show Album]]
|''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'' ††
|{{won}}
|
|-
| 1959
|[[BAFTA Awards]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]
|''[[Damn Yankees (film)|Damn Yankees]]''
|{{nominated}}
|
|-
| 1966
|[[Outer Critics Circle Awards|Outer Critics Circle Award]]
|[[Outstanding Performance]]
| ''Sweet Charity
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1979
|Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
|[[Choreography]]
|''[[Dancin']]'' †††
|{{won}}
|
|-
|1988
|rowspan=3|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]]
|''[[Magnum, P.I.]]''
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1993
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|''[[Dream On (TV Series)|Dream On]]''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]]
|''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1997
|rowspan=2|[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role]]
|rowspan=2|''[[Marvin's Room (film)|Marvin's Room]]''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture]]
| {{nom}}
|
|-
|}

† Tied with co-star [[Thelma Ritter]]
<Br/>
†† Tied with [[Ethel Merman]] for ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''
<Br/>
††† Shared with [[Bob Fosse]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
==External links==
* {{ibdb|68959}}
* {{IMDb name|0893862}}
* {{imdb|0893862}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Tcmdb name|198172}}
* [http://www.who2.com/gwenverdon.html Who2]


{{Navboxes

| title = Awards for Gwen Verdon
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActress 1948-1975}}
| list =
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 1990s}}
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActress 1948–1975}}
{{TonyAward MusicalFeaturedActress 1947-1975}}
{{TonyAward MusicalFeaturedActress 1947-1975}}
}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Lifetime|1925|2000|Verdon, Gwen}}

[[Category:American female singers]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdon, Gwen}}
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:Canadian Americans]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:English Americans]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:Actresses from California]]
[[Category:Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]
[[Category:American female dancers]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American jazz dancers]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American people of British descent]]
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[[Category:Dancers from California]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
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[[Category:People from Culver City, California]]
[[Category:Singers from California]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients]]
[[Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients]]

[[de:Gwen Verdon]]
[[es:Gwen Verdon]]
[[pl:Gwen Verdon]]

Latest revision as of 01:51, 21 May 2024

Gwen Verdon
Verdon in 1954
Born
Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon

(1925-01-13)January 13, 1925[1]
Culver City, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 18, 2000(2000-10-18) (aged 75)
Woodstock, Vermont, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer
Years active1936–2000
Spouses
  • James Henaghan
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1942; div. 1947)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; died 1987)​
Children2, including Nicole Fosse

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity, and Roxie Hart in Chicago.

Her second husband was director-choreographer Bob Fosse. The couple collaborated on a number of theater and film projects. After Fosse's death, she worked to preserve his legacy.[2]

Early life[edit]

Verdon was born in Culver City, California, the second child of Gertrude Lilian (née Standring) and Joseph William Verdon, British immigrants to the United States by way of Canada.[3] Her brother was William Farrell Verdon. Her father was an electrician at MGM Studios, and her mother was a former vaudevillian of the Denishawn dance troupe, as well as a dance teacher.[4]

As a toddler, she suffered from rickets, which left her legs so badly misshapen she was called "Gimpy" by other children and spent her early years in orthopedic boots and rigid leg braces. At age three, her mother enrolled her in dance classes. Further ballet training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage.[citation needed]

By age six, she was dancing on stage. She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. She also studied juggling. At age 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the musical romance film The King Steps Out (1936), directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Grace Moore and Franchot Tone. She attended Hamilton High School in Los Angeles and studied under ballet enthusiast Ernest Belcher. While in high school, she was cast in a revival of Show Boat.[citation needed]

In 1942, Verdon's parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17 years old, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child.[5] In 1945, she appeared as a dancer in the movie musical Blonde From Brooklyn. After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, whose work was respected by both Broadway and Hollywood movie studios. 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, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe.[6][7][8]

Verdon started out on Broadway going from one chorus line to another. Her breakthrough role finally came when choreographer Michael Kidd cast her as the second female lead in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can (1953), starring French prima donna Lilo. Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the Garden of Eden ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who reputedly demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. With her role reduced to little more than an ensemble part, Verdon formally announced her intention to quit by the time the show premiered on Broadway. But her opening-night Garden of Eden performance was so well-received that the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought from her dressing room in a towel to take a curtain call.[9] Verdon received a pay increase and her first Tony Award for her performance.[citation needed]

Verdon's biggest critical and commercial success was her following show, George Abbott's Damn Yankees (1955), based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. The musical ran for 1,019 performances. Verdon won another Tony and went to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1958 movie version Damn Yankees, famously singing "Whatever Lola Wants". (Fosse can be seen partnered with her in the original mambo duet "Who's Got the Pain".)[citation needed]

Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical New Girl in Town as a hard-luck girl fleeing from her past as a prostitute. She won her fourth Tony for the murder-mystery musical Redhead, Fosse's Broadway debut as a director/choreographer. In 1960, Fosse and Verdon wed.[10]

In 1966, Verdon returned to the stage in the role of Charity in Sweet Charity, which like many of her earlier Broadway triumphs was choreographed and directed by husband Fosse. The show is loosely based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. It was followed by a movie version starring Shirley MacLaine as Charity, featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sammy Davis Jr. and Chita Rivera, with Fosse at the helm of his very first film as director and choreographer. Verdon helped with the choreography. The numbers include the famed "Big Spender", "Rhythm of Life", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", and "I'm a Brass Band". Verdon also traveled to Berlin to help Fosse with Cabaret, the musical film for which he won an Oscar for Best Director.[citation needed]

Although estranged as a couple, Verdon and Fosse continued to collaborate on projects such as the musical Chicago (1975) (in which she originated the role of murderess Roxie Hart) and the musical Dancin' (1978), as well as Fosse's autobiographical movie All That Jazz (1979).[11] The helpmate/peer played by Leland Palmer in that film is based on the role Verdon played in Fosse's real life. She also developed a close working relationship with Fosse's partner, Broadway dancer Ann Reinking, and was an instructor for Reinking's musical theatre classes.[citation needed]

After originating the role of Roxie opposite Chita Rivera's Velma Kelly in Chicago,[11] Verdon focused on film acting, playing character roles in movies such as The Cotton Club (1984), Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988). She continued to teach dance and musical theater and to act. She received three Emmy Award nominations for appearances on Magnum, P.I. (1988), Dream On (1993) and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). Verdon appeared as the title character's mother in the Woody Allen movie Alice (1990) and as Ruth in Marvin's Room (1996), co-starring Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography. Called simply Fosse, the revue was conceived and directed by Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking and choreographed by Reinking and Chet Walker. Verdon's daughter Nicole received a "special thanks" credit. The show won a Tony Award for Best Musical.[citation needed]

In 1997 Verdon appeared in an episode of Walker Texas Ranger as Maisie Whitman. She reprised the role in 1999.

Verdon played Alora in the movie Walking Across Egypt (1999) and appeared in the film Bruno, released in 2000. Verdon received a total of four Tonys, for best featured actress for Can-Can (1953) and best leading actress for Damn Yankees (1955), New Girl in Town (1957) and Redhead (1959). She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead.[12]

Verdon was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1981.[13] In 1998, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.[14]

Personal life[edit]

Verdon was married twice and had two children. She married tabloid reporter James Archibald Henaghan in 1942. They had a son, Jim, the following year and divorced in 1947. In 1960, Verdon married choreographer Bob Fosse. They had a daughter, Nicole, in 1963. Fosse's extramarital affairs put a strain on their marriage, and by 1971, Verdon and Fosse were separated, but never divorced. She was involved in relationships with actor Scott Brady and actor Jerry Lanning, son of Roberta Sherwood.[15] Verdon was with Fosse when he suffered a fatal heart attack at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., in September 1987.[16]

Verdon was a cat fancier, having up to six cats at one time, with the pets carrying names such as "Feets Fosse", "Junie Moon", and "Tidbits Tumbler Fosse".[17]

Verdon was a mental health-care advocate; later in life, she openly spoke about the positive effects of mental-health counseling. Along with teaching dance as a form of therapy, she sat on the board of directors for the New York Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, and actively raised funds to support mental health-care research.[18]

She also stated to be a big fan of baseball, and went to day games with her scout son. [19]

Popular culture[edit]

Fosse/Verdon is an 8-part American miniseries starring Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon.[20] The series, which tells the story of the couple's troubled personal and professional relationship, is based on the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson.[21] It premiered in eight parts on April 9, 2019, on FX. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Fosse/Verdon received seventeen nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series and acting nominations for Rockwell, Williams, and Margaret Qualley (as Ann Reinking). Williams won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series.[22]

Death and legacy[edit]

Verdon died from a heart attack on October 18, 2000, aged 75, at her daughter's home in Woodstock, Vermont.[23][24][10] Later that night, at 8 pm, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in a tribute to Verdon.[10]

Work[edit]

Stage[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1950 Alive and Kicking Herself Musical revue
1953 Can-Can Claudine/Eve Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
1955 Damn Yankees Lola Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1957 New Girl in Town Anna Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1959 Redhead Essie Whimple Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1966 Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1972 Children! Children! Helen Giles Only played one performance (13 previews)
1975 Chicago Roxie Hart Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1936 The King Steps Out Specialty Ballerina Uncredited
1941 The Girl After My Heart Specialty Ballerina Credited as "Gwen Verdun" [sic]
a Soundie by Roy Mack
1943 Hoosier Holiday Cheerleader Uncredited
1945 Blonde from Brooklyn Girl in Nightclub Uncredited
1951 On the Riviera Specialty Dancer Uncredited
1951 David and Bathsheba Specialty Dancer Uncredited
1951 Meet Me After the Show Sappho Uncredited
prominent dancer in "No Talent Joe"
1952 Dreamboat Girl Uncredited
1952 The Merry Widow Specialty Can-Can Dancer Uncredited
1953 The I Don't Care Girl Specialty Dancer Uncredited
1953 The Mississippi Gambler Voodoo Dancer Uncredited
1953 The Farmer Takes a Wife Abigail Uncredited
1955 Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Specialty Dancer Uncredited
1958 Damn Yankees Lola
1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Our Guests at Heartland
1982 Creepshow Voice of Lenora Castonmeyer Uncredited
1984 The Cotton Club Tish Dwyer
1985 Cocoon Bess McCarthy
1987 Nadine Vera
1988 Cocoon: The Return Bess McCarthy Selwyn
1990 Alice Alice's mother
1994 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Etta Pell, Nursing Home Resident
1996 Marvin's Room Ruth Wakefield
1999 Walking Across Egypt Alora
2000 Bruno Mrs. Drago

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1954 Goodyear Playhouse Shirley Kochendorfer Episode: "Native Dancer"
1972 Love, American Style Estelle Mayberry Segment: "Love and the New Act"
1973 The $10,000 Pyramid Celebrity Guest Week of October 22–26, playing against Godfrey Cambridge[25]
1981 M*A*S*H Brandy Doyle (USO performer) Episodes: "That's Show Biz" (two episodes, Parts 1 and 2)
1982 Fame Melinda MacNeil Episode: "Come One, Come All"
1982 All My Children Judith Kingsley Sawyer Unknown episodes
1983 Legs Maureen Comly Television movie
1984 The Jerk, Too Bag Lady Television movie; uncredited
1984 Gimme a Break! Lily Episode: "The Center"
1985 Trapper John, M.D. Ms. Taylor Episode: "All the King's Horses"
1985 Kids Incorporated Ruth Episode: "Grandma, Won't You Dance with Me"
1985–1988 Magnum, P.I. Katherine Peterson 5 episodes
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
1986 The Equalizer Kelly Sterling Episode: "Unnatural Causes"
1986 All Is Forgiven Bonita Harrell Episode: "I Can't Say No"
1986–1988 Webster Aunt Charlotte 3 episodes
1987 Hotel Iris Lloyd Episode: "Second Thoughts"
1989 Dear John Yvonne Episode: "The Second Time Around"
1990 Paris is Burning Herself Uncredited
1992 Dream On Kitty Brewer Episode: "For Peter's Sake"
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
1993 Homicide: Life on the Street Jessie Doohen Episode: "Ghost of a Chance"
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
1993 Key West Sister Grace Episode: "Gimme Shelter"
1994 The Cosby Mysteries Yolanda 2 episodes
1996 In Cold Blood Sadie Truitt 2 episodes
1997 Touched by an Angel Lorraine McCully Episode: "Missing in Action"
1997–1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Maisie Whitman 2 episodes
1998 Promised Land Karen Hatcher Episode: "Undercover Granny"

Music[edit]

In 1956, Verdon released an album titled The Girl I Left Home For. The album includes her covers of popular jazz standards of the time.[26]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
1953 Theatre World Award Can-Can Won
1954 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Won
1956 Best Leading Actress in a Musical Damn Yankees Won
1958 New Girl in Town † Won
1959 Redhead Won
1966 Sweet Charity Nominated
1976 Chicago Nominated
1960 Grammy Award Best Broadway Show Album Redhead †† Won
1959 BAFTA Awards Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Damn Yankees Nominated
1966 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Performance Sweet Charity Won
1979 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award Choreography Dancin' ††† Won
1988 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Magnum, P.I. Nominated
1993 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Dream On Nominated
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Homicide: Life on the Street Nominated
1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Marvin's Room Nominated
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated

† Tied with co-star Thelma Ritter
†† Tied with Ethel Merman for Gypsy
††† Shared with Bob Fosse

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Gwen Verdon (Performer, Choreographer)". Playbill. October 18, 2000. ISSN 0551-0678. Retrieved January 18, 2024. Ms. Verdon was born to Joseph William and Gertrude Verdon on Jan. 13, 1925, in Culver City, CA.
  2. ^ Miller, Julie (April 9, 2019). "Inside Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse's Unconventional Marriage". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Pacheco, Patrick (November 3, 2000). "Remembering Gwen Verdon". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  4. ^ Birthdata, californiabirthindex.org; accessed June 24, 2015.
  5. ^ Miller, Julie (April 24, 2019). "'Fosse/Verdon' Reveals the Sad Secret of Gwen Verdon's First Marriage". Vanity Fair. New York City: Condé Nast. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  6. ^ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - Trivia - IMDb, retrieved March 11, 2024
  7. ^ Levine, Debra (August 9, 2009). "Moving Marilyn Monroe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "Jack Cole: The 'scary' dancer who made Marilyn sparkle". April 10, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  9. ^ "Gwen Verdon #5" youtube.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
  10. ^ a b c Berkvist, Robert (October 19, 2000). "Gwen Verdon, Redhead Who High-Kicked Her Way to Stardom, Dies at 75". The New York Times. New York City.
  11. ^ a b Thulin, Lila. "How Broadway Legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Made Headlines Long Before 'Fosse/Verdon'". Smithsonian. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "2ND Annual Grammy Awards (1959) Redhead" grammy.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
  13. ^ "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame". The New York Times, March 3, 1981.
  14. ^ Lifetime Honors – National Medal of Arts Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, nea.gov; accessed June 24, 2015.
  15. ^ "Scott Brady And Gwen Verdon News Photo" gettyimages.com, January 10, 1955
  16. ^ Molotsky, Irvin. "Bob Fosse, Director and Choreographer, Dies" The New York Times, September 24, 1987
  17. ^ Cat People, Bill Hayward, introduction by Rogers E. M. Whitaker. New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1978 (p. 70)
  18. ^ Taylor, Clarke. "Separated but Still Mated Professionally" People, Vol.3, No.4, June 23, 1975
  19. ^ ""Gwen Verdon: too hot for Hollywood?" Tempo News, 1955". The Verdon Fosse® Legacy. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Fosse/Verdon (Biography, Drama, Music), Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams, Norbert Leo Butz, FX Productions, The VerdonFosse Legacy, West Egg Studios, April 9, 2019, retrieved April 19, 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  21. ^ Schubak, Adam (March 1, 2019). "Everything You Need to Know About Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon". ELLE. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  22. ^ "Fosse/Verdon". Television Academy. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Kuchwara, Michael (October 19, 2000). "Gwen Verdon, Broadway's Lola, Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart, dies at 75". Associated Press.
  24. ^ Simonson, Robert; Jones, Kenneth (October 18, 2000). "Broadway Musical Legend Gwen Verdon Is Dead at 75". Playbill. New York City: Playbill Inc.
  25. ^ " 10,000 Pyramid Gwen Verdon & Godfrey Cambridge, Aired Oct 22, 1973" tv.com, retrieved June 4, 2019
  26. ^ " The Girl I Left Home For RCA Victor LPM-1152" discogs.com, retrieved June 4, 2019

External links[edit]

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