Elaine Stritch Biography

Fast Facts

• Was inducted to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995
• Earned numerous award nominations for her one-woman stage production, "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" including a Drama Desk and Laurence Olivier nod
• Studied acting at The New School in New York alongside classmates Marlon Brando and Bea Arthur
• Niece to the late Archbishop of Chicago and United States Cardinal, Samuel Stritch
• Made her Broadway debut in "Loco" in 1946
• Quote: "Honestly, this is a big thing to say, but I don't think I've ever been bored․ If I even get an inkling of it, I split․ I love that lyric in Thanks for the Memory: 'You might've been a headache/ But you never were a bore'․ I think being boring is just the worst sin of all time․"
• Began appearing on television sporadically in the 1950s and would eventually earn a BAFTA nomination along with "Two's Company" co-star, Donald Sinden
• Gained widespread recognition after creating the Joanne character in the Broadway adaptation of "Company" in the 1970s before later establishing her own one-woman show in the early 2000s
• Appeared frequently on the BBC Radio series "Just a Minute․"
• Began appearing as a cabaret singer at New York's Carlyle Hotel in 2005
• Once worked as an understudy to legendary stage actress, Alla Nazimova