Audrey Totter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Audrey Totter
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Totter in the 1940s
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| Born |
Audrey Mary Totter
December 20, 1917 Joliet, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | December 12, 2013 (aged 95) |
| Education | Joliet High School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1935–1987 |
| Known for | The Postman Always Rings Twice Lady in the Lake The Set-Up Medical Center |
| Spouse(s) |
Leo Fred
(m. 1953–1995) |
| Children | 1 |
Audrey Mary Totter (born December 20, 1917 – died December 12, 2013) was a talented American actress. She worked in radio, movies, and television. In the 1940s, she was a special actress for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios.
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Early Life and Education
Audrey Totter was born in 1917 and grew up in Joliet, Illinois. Her father was from Slovenia, and her mother was Swedish American. Audrey had two brothers, Folger and George, and a sister, Collette.
She went to Joliet Central High School, where she loved acting in school plays. She also performed in plays for her local church and was part of the YWCA acting group.
Audrey Totter's Acting Career
Audrey Totter had a long and successful career in entertainment. She started in radio, then moved to movies, and later became well-known on television.
Starting in Radio
Audrey began her acting journey in radio in the late 1930s. She worked in Chicago, Illinois, which was close to her hometown. She acted in popular radio soap operas like Painted Dreams, Ma Perkins, and Bright Horizon.
Becoming a Movie Star
After doing well in radio, Audrey signed a seven-year movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Her first movie was Main Street After Dark in 1945. She quickly became a popular lead actress.
Audrey was especially famous for her roles in film noir movies. These were often dark and mysterious films. She once said that playing "bad girls" was much more fun!
Here are some of her well-known movies:
- The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
- Lady in the Lake (1947)
- The Unsuspected (1947)
- High Wall (1947)
- The Set-Up (1949)
- Any Number Can Play (1949)
- Tension (1950)
By the early 1950s, the types of tough female characters Audrey often played were less popular. MGM also started making more family-friendly movies. So, Audrey left MGM. She then worked for other studios like Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox. Even though her movie career slowed down, she continued to work a lot in television.
Success on Television
Audrey Totter had many roles on television. In 1954, she appeared in the first episode of the detective series Meet McGraw. She also appeared in a science fiction show called Science Fiction Theatre in 1955.
Later, in 1958, she played Beth Purcell in the Western series Cimarron City. From 1962 to 1963, she starred in the comedy show Our Man Higgins. She also made a guest appearance on the popular show Perry Mason in 1964.
One of her most famous TV roles was from 1972 to 1976. She played Nurse Wilcox, the head nurse, in the CBS series Medical Center. Her very last acting role was in 1987, playing a nun named Sister Paul in an episode of Murder, She Wrote.
Personal Life
Audrey Totter was married to Dr. Leo Fred, who was a dean at the UCLA School of Medicine. They were married from 1953 until he passed away in 1995. They had one daughter together.
Audrey Totter passed away on December 12, 2013, just eight days before her 96th birthday. She died from a stroke. Her body was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Filmography
See also
In Spanish: Audrey Totter para niños
