Marion Ross Biography

Fast Facts

• Won best supporting actress at the Hoboken International Film Festival for her role in "A Reason․"
• Honored by her hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota in 2008 when the city renamed their civic center the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center
• Graduated from San Diego State College in 1950 after being named the school's most outstanding actress
• After performing in summer theater in La Jolla, Calif․, an impressed director encouraged her to seek work in Hollywood
• Determined to be a star at a young age, she changed the official spelling of her name from Marian to Marion at the age of 13 because she thought it would look better on a marquee
• Quote: "In those days you would walk into the dining room at Paramount and there were all of these big portraits of all these big movie stars on the wall․ Around the corner was C․B․ DeMille․ The dining room was filled with big movie stars․ It's all gone now․"
• Quote: "People have different opinions about this, but I'll use it to my advantage․ If I call the plumber and he says, 'I can't come right away,' I'll say, 'Did you ever watch Happy Days (1974-1984)? I'm Mrs․ C, you know․' And not only does he get over here right away, but he brings his entire family․"
• Recognized by Hollywood casting agents while performing in college during the early '50s, she would go on to make her big screen debut in 1953 with "Forever Female" and later "Sabrina"
• Best known for her role as matriarch Marion Cunningham on ABC's "Happy Days", a role she would portray for more than 10 years
• Once served as associate artist for San Diego's Old Globe Theater