Gwen Verdon

Birth Name:

Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon

Birth Place:

Culver City, California, United States

Profession

Actress, Soundtrack, Music department

Inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981
Recipient of the American Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment of the Arts in 1998
Married well-known dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse in 1960
Born with rickets that caused her legs to bow as a child, her mother enrolled her in dance classes to try and straighten them out
Began her career as an assistant to choreographer Jack Cole who worked both on Broadway and in Hollywood
Made her Broadway debut as a featured dancer in the musical "Can-Can" in 1953, performing so well on opening night that she had to come back after her dance for a curtain call so that the show could continue
Quote: "Sex in a dance is in the eye of the beholder․ I never thought my dances were sexy․ I suppose that's because I see myself with my face washed, and to me, I look like a rabbit․"
Quote: "(On Bob Fosse): "I was a great dancer when he got hold of me, but he developed me, he created me․""
Best known as an acclaimed Broadway performer who appeared in musicals like "Can-Can," "Damn Yankees," and "Chicago․"
On the day that she died in 2000 at the age of 75, the marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in her honor
Was a dancing coach for actresses like Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, and Rita Hayworth

1959BAFTA Film Award - Most Promising Newcomer to Film:Nominated
1959Golden Laurel - Top Female Musical Performance:Nominated
1986Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actress:Nominated
1988Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series:Nominated
1993Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series:Nominated
1993Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series:Nominated
1997Actor - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:Nominated
1997Actor - Outstanding Performance by a Cast:Nominated

Fast Facts