Gwen Verdon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gwen Verdon
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Verdon in 1954
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Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon
January 13, 1925 Culver City, California, U.S.
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| Died | October 18, 2000 (aged 75) Woodstock, Vermont, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1936–2000 |
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| Children | 2, including Nicole Fosse |
Gwen Verdon (born Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon, January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was a famous American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her amazing performances in musical comedies. She also helped choreographers behind the scenes and coached dancers for both theater and movies.
Gwen Verdon was a highly praised performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. She created many well-known roles in musicals. These included the main character in Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart in Chicago. She is also closely linked to her second husband, director and choreographer Bob Fosse. Many remember her as the dancer and helper for whom he created much of his work. After his death, she also protected his artistic legacy.
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Early Life and Dance Training
Gwen Verdon was born in Culver City, California. Her parents, Gertrude Lilian and Joseph William Verdon, were from Britain. Her father worked as an electrician at MGM Studios. Her mother was a former vaudevillian dancer and a dance teacher.
When Gwen was a toddler, she had a condition called rickets. This made her legs misshapen. Other children sometimes called her "Gimpy." She wore special orthopedic boots and leg braces for many years. At age three, her mother enrolled her in dance classes. Ballet training helped make her legs stronger and improved how she moved.
By the age of six, Gwen was already dancing on stage. She learned many different dance styles. These included tap, jazz, ballroom, flamenco, and Balinese dance. She even learned how to juggle! When she was 11, she appeared as a solo ballerina in the movie The King Steps Out (1936). She went to Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. While in high school, she performed in a new version of Show Boat.
In 1942, Gwen married James Henaghan, a family friend. She had a son and took a break from dancing to raise her child. After her divorce, her parents helped care for her son, Jimmy.
A Rising Star in Her Career
Gwen Verdon first worked as an assistant to choreographer Jack Cole. His work was well-known in both Broadway and Hollywood. For five years, she took small roles as a "specialty dancer" in movie musicals. She also taught dance to famous stars like Marilyn Monroe.
Breaking Through on Broadway
Gwen started her Broadway career dancing in the chorus line. Her big break came when choreographer Michael Kidd chose her for a main role in Cole Porter's musical Can-Can (1953). On opening night, her performance was so popular that the audience cheered for her. She had to come out for an extra bow! Gwen received a pay raise and her first Tony Award for this role.
Her next show, Damn Yankees (1955), was a huge success. The musical ran for 1019 performances. Gwen won another Tony Award for her role as Lola. She later played Lola again in the 1958 movie version of Damn Yankees.
Gwen won another Tony for her performance in New Girl in Town. She earned her fourth Tony for the musical Redhead. This show was also the first time Bob Fosse directed and choreographed a Broadway show. In 1960, Gwen and Bob Fosse got married.
Working with Bob Fosse
In 1966, Gwen returned to the stage in Sweet Charity. Like many of her earlier shows, her husband Bob Fosse choreographed and directed it. Gwen helped with the choreography for the movie version of Sweet Charity, which starred Shirley MacLaine. This was Fosse's first time directing a film. The movie included famous songs like "Big Spender" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now." Gwen also helped Fosse with Cabaret, a musical film for which he won an Oscar for Best Director.
Even though Gwen and Bob Fosse separated as a couple, they kept working together. They collaborated on musicals like Chicago (1975). In Chicago, Gwen created the role of the murderess Roxie Hart. They also worked on the musical Dancin' (1978) and Fosse's movie All That Jazz (1979). Gwen also worked closely with dancer Ann Reinking, teaching musical theater classes.
Later Film and Television Roles
After her role as Roxie in Chicago, Gwen focused more on acting in movies. She played characters in films like The Cotton Club (1984), Cocoon (1985), and Cocoon: The Return (1988). She continued to teach dance and musical theater. She was nominated for three Emmy Awards for her appearances on TV shows. These included Magnum, P.I. (1988), Dream On (1993), and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993).
Gwen appeared as the main character's mother in the movie Alice (1990). She also played Ruth in Marvin's Room (1996), alongside Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1999, Gwen helped as an artistic consultant for a Broadway musical called Fosse. This show featured classic Bob Fosse choreography.
Gwen also appeared in two episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger (1997 and 1999). Her last films were Walking Across Egypt (1999) and Bruno (2000).
Awards and Recognition
Gwen Verdon won a total of four Tony Awards:
- Best Featured Actress for Can-Can (1953)
- Best Leading Actress for Damn Yankees (1955)
- Best Leading Actress for New Girl in Town (1957)
- Best Leading Actress for Redhead (1959)
She also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of Redhead. In 1981, she was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 1998, she received the National Medal of Arts, a very high honor.
Personal Life
Gwen Verdon was married twice and had two children. She married James Archibald Henaghan in 1942. They had a son, Jim, and later divorced in 1947. In 1960, Gwen married choreographer Bob Fosse. They had a daughter, Nicole, in 1963. By 1971, Gwen and Bob Fosse had separated, but they never officially divorced. Gwen was with Bob Fosse when he had a fatal heart attack in 1987.
Gwen loved cats and often had several at once. She was also a strong supporter of mental health care. Later in her life, she spoke openly about how helpful mental health counseling can be. She taught dance as a form of therapy and helped raise money for mental health research.
Gwen Verdon in Popular Culture
Fosse/Verdon is an 8-part American miniseries about Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse. It stars Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon. The series tells the story of their complicated personal and professional relationship. It first aired in 2019 on FX. The show received many awards, and Michelle Williams won an Emmy for her role as Gwen Verdon.
Death and Legacy
Gwen Verdon passed away from a heart attack on October 18, 2000, at the age of 75. She was at her daughter's home in Woodstock, Vermont. That night, all the lights on Broadway were dimmed in her honor, a special tribute to a true legend of the stage.
Images for kids
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Gwen Verdon in Damn Yankees.jpg
Gwen Verdon as Lola in Damn Yankees
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Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse 1960.jpg
Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse in 1960
See also
In Spanish: Gwen Verdon para niños
