Marion Ross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marion Ross
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Ross in 1961
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Marian Ellen Ross
October 25, 1928 Watertown, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Education | Point Loma High School |
| Alma mater | San Diego State University |
| Occupation | Actress |
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| Children | 2, including Jim Meskimen |
Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross on October 25, 1928) is a famous American actress. She is best known for playing Marion Cunningham on the TV show Happy Days. This popular sitcom aired on ABC from 1974 to 1984. For her role, Marion Ross was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Before Happy Days, Ross appeared in many movies. These included The Glenn Miller Story (1954) and Sabrina (1954). She also had roles in Lust for Life (1956) and Teacher's Pet (1958). Other films were Some Came Running (1958) and Operation Petticoat (1959). She also appeared in TV shows like The Lone Ranger (1954).
Later in her career, Marion Ross received more Emmy nominations. She was nominated in 1992 and 1993 for her work on the TV show Brooklyn Bridge. In 1999, she got another Emmy nomination for her guest role on Touched by an Angel. Ross also starred in the movie The Evening Star (1996). For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Since the 1990s, Ross has also done a lot of voice acting for cartoons. You might recognize her voice from shows like King of the Hill and SpongeBob SquarePants. She also had recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show, Gilmore Girls, and Brothers & Sisters.
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Early Life and Education
Marian Ellen Ross was born on October 25, 1928, in Watertown, Minnesota. She was the middle child of Gordon and Ellen Alicia Ross. Her parents were from Saskatchewan, Canada. Marion had an older sister named Alicia and a younger brother named Gordon. Her family lived in different towns in Minnesota, including Waconia and Albert Lea.
When she was 13, she changed the spelling of her first name from "Marian" to "Marion". She thought "Marion" looked better for a theater program. After her second year of high school, she moved to Minneapolis. There, she studied drama at the MacPhail Center for Music. She also attended Southwest High School. A year later, when she was 16, her family moved to San Diego, California. She finished high school at Point Loma High School in San Diego. She then earned her college degree from San Diego State University.
Marion Ross's Acting Career
Early Roles in Film and TV: 1953–1973
Marion Ross started her acting career in 1953. Her first movie was Forever Female. She quickly found steady work in films. Some of her early movies included The Glenn Miller Story (1954) and Sabrina (1954). She also appeared in Lust for Life (1956) and Teacher's Pet (1958). Other films were Some Came Running (1958) and Operation Petticoat (1959). Later, she was in Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) and Honky (1971).
Her TV career also began in 1953. She played an Irish maid on the show Life with Father for two years. In 1954, she was on The Lone Ranger. She also appeared on many other popular shows. These included The Donna Reed Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, and Father Knows Best. She also had roles on The Outer Limits and Hawaii Five-O. In 1970, she played a computer scientist in the sci-fi movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.
Happy Days and Later Success: 1974–1995
Marion Ross is most famous for her role on the sitcom Happy Days. The show aired on ABC for 11 seasons, from 1974 to 1984. She played Marion Cunningham, the kind mother of Richie and Joanie. She was in almost every episode of the series. For her performance, she received Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 1979 and 1984.
Ross later played Marion Cunningham again in the spin-off show Joanie Loves Chachi. She also voiced the character in an episode of Family Guy. Between 1978 and 1986, she appeared as different characters on The Love Boat. In the final season of The Love Boat, she became a regular cast member. She played Emily Haywood, who was Captain Stubing's girlfriend.
She also starred in the TV show Brooklyn Bridge. This show ran on CBS from 1991 to 1993. It won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Recent Roles and Voice Acting: 1996–2024
In 1996, Marion Ross starred in The Evening Star. This movie was a sequel to Terms of Endearment. She played Rosie Dunlop, a devoted housekeeper. Critics praised her performance. She was nominated for a 1997 Golden Globe Award for this role. She also won a Lone Star Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Ross had a recurring role on Touched by an Angel as a homeless woman. She also appeared in the final two episodes of that series. She played Drew Carey's mother on The Drew Carey Show. She was also Bernice Forman on That '70s Show. On Gilmore Girls, she played both Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore and Marilyn Gilmore.
During the 1990s, Ross became very active in voice-over work. She voiced Grandma SquarePants on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. She also voiced Mrs. Lopart on Handy Manny. She made guest appearances on shows like The Wild Thornberrys and King of the Hill.
In 2007, Ross appeared in the movie Music Within. She also played Ida Holden on ABC's Brothers & Sisters. In 2008, a theater in Albert Lea, Minnesota, was renamed the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center in her honor. That year, she played Aunt Lucille in the movie Superhero Movie.
In 2010, Ross guest-starred on Nurse Jackie and Grey's Anatomy. She also appeared in the Cartoon Network movie Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. In 2013, she guest-starred on Major Crimes and The Middle. In 2014, she was on Two and a Half Men.
In 2021, Marion Ross announced her retirement from acting. However, she continued to make small appearances in online projects. In 2024, she returned to SpongeBob SquarePants. She reprised her role as Grandma SquarePants in a season 14 episode.
Happy Days Lawsuit
In April 2011, Marion Ross and some of her Happy Days co-stars filed a lawsuit. This included Erin Moran, Don Most, Anson Williams, and the family of Tom Bosley. They sued Paramount for $10 million. They claimed they had not been paid for using their images on a Happy Days-themed casino machine. In July 2012, the lawsuit was settled. Each actor received a payment of $65,000. CBS also promised to follow the terms of their contracts.
Selected Film and Television Roles
Marion Ross has had a long and successful career in both movies and television. Here are some of her notable roles:
Film Roles
- 1953: Forever Female as Patty
- 1954: The Glenn Miller Story as Polly Haynes
- 1954: Sabrina as Spiller's Girlfriend
- 1956: Lust for Life as Sister Clothilde
- 1958: Teacher's Pet as Katy Fuller
- 1959: Operation Petticoat as Lt. Colfax RN
- 1970: Colossus: The Forbin Project as Angela Fields
- 1996: The Evening Star as Rosie Dunlop
- 2007: Music Within as Grandma
- 2008: Superhero Movie as Aunt Lucille
- 2010: Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster as Hilda Trowburg
- 2021: Senior Entourage as Marion (her final film role before retirement)
Television Roles
- 1953–1955: Life with Father as Irish maid
- 1954: The Lone Ranger as Ginny Thorpe
- 1959: The Donna Reed Show as Miss McGinnis
- 1962: Rawhide as Priscilla Brewer
- 1974–1984: Happy Days as Marion Cunningham ("Mrs. C") (Main role; 252 episodes)
- 1978–1986: The Love Boat as various characters, then Emily Haywood
- 1991–1993: Brooklyn Bridge as Sophie Berger (35 episodes)
- 1997–2004: The Drew Carey Show as Beulah Carey (16 episodes)
- 1998–1999: That '70s Show as Bernice Forman (2 episodes)
- 2001–2005: Gilmore Girls as Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore, Marilyn Gilmore (6 episodes)
- 2001–2024: SpongeBob SquarePants as Grandma SquarePants (Voice, 5 episodes)
- 2004: King of the Hill as Ms. Wakefield (Voice)
- 2006–2011: Handy Manny as Mrs. Lopart (Voice, 10 episodes)
- 2010: Grey's Anatomy as Betty Donahue (née Flynn)
- 2014: Two and a Half Men as Mrs. Genzinger
Video Games (Voice Roles)
- 2002: SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month as Grandma SquarePants
- 2008: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa as Nana
See also
In Spanish: Marion Ross para niños
